Southern Rocky Mountains

The Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and extreme eastern portions of Utah. The Southern Rockies include the highest mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains and include all 30 of the highest peaks of the Rockies. The Southern Rocky Mountains are also commonly known as the Southern Rockies, and since the highest peaks are located in the State of Colorado, they are sometimes known as the Colorado Rockies, although many important ranges and peaks rise in the other three states.

The Southern Rocky Mountains are divided from the Western Rocky Mountains by the Green River and the Colorado River below the Green River. The Southern Rockies are divided from the Central Rocky Mountains by the divide in Wyoming running up the North Platte River and the Sweetwater River to South Pass, and then down Pacific Creek and Sandy Creek to the Green River. This later divide between the Southern Rockies and the Northern Rockies provided the lowest elevation traverse of the Rocky Mountain region for the historic Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the California Trail.

Mountain ranges

The following table lists the mountain ranges and subranges of the Southern Rocky Mountains with their highest summit.

Mountain peaks

Highest summits

The following sortable table lists the 57 mountain peaks of the Southern Rocky Mountains with at least 4,000 meters (13,123 ft) of topographic elevation and at least 500 meters (1,640 ft) of topographic prominence. Topographic elevation is defined as the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface. Topographic prominence is the elevation difference between the summit and the highest or key col to a higher summit.

Most prominent summits

The following sortable table lists the three ultra prominent mountain peaks (summits with at least 1,500 meters (4,921 ft) of topographic prominence) of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

Most isolated summits

The following sortable table lists the 15 most topographically isolated peaks of the Southern Rocky Mountains with a topographic isolation of at least 50 kilometers (31.1 mi) and a topographic prominence of at least 500 meters (1,640 ft). Topographic isolation is the minimum great circle distance to a point of higher elevation.

Mountain passes

The following sortable table lists the mountain passes of the Southern Rocky Mountains which are crossed by a paved highway.

Gallery

See also

• Colorado mountain passes
• Colorado mountain peaks
• Colorado mountain ranges
• Lists of mountains
• Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
• physical geography
• Rocky Mountains
• State of Colorado
• State of New Mexico
• State of Utah
• State of Wyoming
• summit (topography)
• topographic elevation
• topographic isolation
• topographic prominence
• topography

References

1. ^ Sawatch is pronounced /səˈwætʃ/. This name comes from a Ute language word meaning "blue earth" or "water at blue earth". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled Saguache, while the English language version is usually spelled Sawatch.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} The summit of Mount Elbert is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains and the State of Colorado.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf} The elevation of this summit has been converted from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). National Geodetic Survey
4. ^ ^{a b c} The summit of Wheeler Peak is the highest point of the State of New Mexico.
5. ^ ^{a b} The summit of Grays Peak is the highest point on the Continental Divide of North America.
6. ^ The state highway up Mount Evans ends about a quarter mile (400 m) from the summit. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved highway in North America.
7. ^ ^{a b c d e} This highway is closed during the winter.
8. ^ ^{a b} Trail Ridge Road (U.S. Highway Route 34) crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass but reaches its highest point several miles northeast of the pass. Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved through highway in North America.
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} This pass crosses the Continental Divide.
10. ^ The highest elevation in the Eisenhower Tunnel is a short distance inside the West Portal. The tunnel passes under the Continental Divide a few miles west of Loveland Pass. The Eisenhower Tunnel is the highest elevation on the Interstate Highway System of the United States.
11. ^ The high point near Warrior Mountain is the highest point on Colorado State Highway 103.
12. ^ Colorado State Highway 103 passes by, but not through, Squaw Pass.
13. ^ Happy Jack Summit is the highest point on Interstate Highway Route 80.
14. ^ Raton Pass was the highest point on the historic Santa Fe Trail, and now is the highest point on Interstate Highway Route 25.
15. ^ South Pass was the highest point on the historic Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the California Trail.

External links

• National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
  • NGS Datasheets
  • NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 online elevation converter @ NGS
  • Geodetic Glossary @ NGS
• United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Rocky Mountains @ peakbagger.com
  • Southern Rocky Mountains @ peakbagger.com
• World Mountain Encyclopedia @ peakware.com
• peaklist.org
• summitpost.org

Categories: Geography of the United States | Rocky Mountains