La Garita Mountains
| La Garita Mountains | |
|---|---|
 San Luis Peak | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | San Luis Peak |
| Elevation | 14,014[1] ft (4,271 m) |
| Coordinates | 37°59′12″N 106°55′53″W / 37.9867825°N 106.9312952°WCoordinates: 37°59′12″N 106°55′53″W / 37.9867825°N 106.9312952°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  La Garita Mountains | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Counties | Saguache and Mineral |
| Parent range | San Juan Mountains, Rocky Mountains |
The La Garita Mountains are a high mountain range in the San Juan Mountains, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains. The mountains are located in Saguache and Mineral counties in southwestern Colorado and are almost entirely managed as public land within the Gunnison National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest.[3]
The La Garita Mountains lie within the La Garita Wilderness, one of Colorado's lesser known, but more picturesque, wilderness areas. "La Garita means "the lookout" in Spanish, and this wilderness amply deserves the name. From the summit of this wilderness's single fourteener (14,014 foot San Luis Peak), climbers can gaze across the upper Rio Grande Valley and down the long stretch of the San Luis Valley. About 35 miles of the Continental Divide lie well above a sprawling forestland that provides ideal habitats for huge numbers of elk and mule deer.[4]
Geology[edit]
During the Oligocene epoch, a series of caldera building eruptions of titanic proportions, some as large as VEI-8, devastated what is now Colorado and raised up the mountain chain, part of the San Juan Mountains. The La Garita supervolcano's mega-colossal eruption created 5000 km3 of tephra, the largest eruption known. The volcanic area has been extinct for tens for millions of years and is of no danger to anyone.
Mountains[edit]
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the following peaks are part of the La Garita Mountains:[3]
| Peak | GNIS Feature ID | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Stewart Peak | 190154 | 38°01′24″N 106°55′24″W / 38.02333°N 106.92338°W |
| San Luis Peak | 190463 | 37°59′13″N 106°55′53″W / 37.98694°N 106.93143°W |
| Mesa Mountain | 189506 | 37°54′16″N 106°38′05″W / 37.90444°N 106.63476°W |
| Pool Table Mountain | 189570 | 37°49′47″N 106°41′31″W / 37.82972°N 106.69199°W |
| Bowers Peak | 189511 | 37°57′03″N 106°35′22″W / 37.95083°N 106.58948°W |
| Lookout Mountain | 189525 | 37°59′13″N 106°28′46″W / 37.98694°N 106.47948°W |
| Lake Mountain | 190194 | 38°00′37″N 106°23′56″W / 38.01028°N 106.39892°W |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "San Luis Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "San Luis Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ a b "La Garita Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "La Garita Wilderness". Wilderness Net. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
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