The Rocky Mountains
- The Rocky Mountain region lies nearly in the center of the state and runs the
entire length at a north/south orientation.
- This region consists of several distinct mountain
ranges with elevations ranging from around 6,000 feet to over 14,000 feet at the peaks of some
mountains.
- The major mountain ranges include the Front Range, Wet Mountains, Sangre de
Cristo, Park Range, Sawatch Range, and the San Juan Mountains.
- Mt. Elbert, located in the
Sawatch Range, is the highest peak in the state. It reaches an elevation of 14,431 feet above sea level.
- The Continental Divide, which separates river basins that flow into the Pacific Ocean from those that flow into the Atlantic Ocean, is formed by the crests of
several mountain ranges.
- It enters southern Colorado in the San Juan Mountains and winds its
way north through the Sawatch Range.
- It then crosses the Gore and Mosquito Ranges between
Middle and South Parks and continues along the Front Range until it heads westward through the
Rabbit Ears Range, finally exiting through Park Range at the northern end of the state.
Sources:
George, Russel D., Geology and Natural Resources of Colorado, Boulder, CO, University of
Colorado, 1927.
Guide to the Geology of Colorado, ed. Weiner, Robert J. and Haun, John D., Geological Society
of America, 1960.
Pearl, Richard Maxwell. Exploring Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils in Colorado, Chicago, Sage
Books, 1969.
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