Delamar Mountains facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Delamar Mountains |
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 Location in Nevada
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Chokecherry Mountain |
| Elevation | 2,449 m (8,035 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) NNE |
| Width | 11 mi (18 km) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| District | Lincoln County |
| Range coordinates | 37°17′53″N 114°45′58″W / 37.29806°N 114.76611°W |
| Topo map | USGS Gregerson Basin |
The Delamar Mountains are a mountain range found in Lincoln County, Nevada. They are named after Captain Joseph Raphael De Lamar. This mountain range stretches for about 50 miles (80 km) from the northeast to the southwest. It is about 11 miles (18 km) wide.
The Delamar Mountains have other mountain ranges nearby. To the north, you'll find the Burnt Springs Range and the Chief Range. To the east are the Clover Mountains and Meadow Valley Mountains. On the west side, you can see the Sheep Range and the South Pahroc Range.
Valleys also surround these mountains. The Delamar Valley is to the west, and the Kane Springs Valley is to the east. South of the range lies the Coyote Springs Valley.
You can drive through the northern part of the Delamar Mountains using U.S. Route 93. This road connects Crystal Springs and Caliente. At Oak Springs Summit pass, the road reaches an elevation of 6,243 feet (1,903 meters). Another road, Nevada State Route 317, follows Rainbow Canyon along the northeast edge of the mountains. It runs between Caliente and Elgin.
The highest points of the Delamar Mountains are part of the Great Basin Divide. This is a special line that separates where water flows. On one side, water goes towards the Meadow Watershed. On the other side, it flows into the Dry Lake Watershed. This area includes Delamar Dry Lake and the old mining town of Delamar.
Explore the Delamar Mountains Wilderness
The Delamar Mountains Wilderness is a protected area covering 111,066 acres (about 450 square kilometers). It was created in 2004 to preserve the natural beauty of the southern part of the range.
This wilderness area has many peaks and hills. They are connected by a network of dry riverbeds (called washes), dips in the land (draws), and deep narrow valleys (canyons). The elevations in this area range from about 2,600 feet (792 meters) to 6,200 feet (1,889 meters).
You can find interesting wildlife here. Animals like the desert bighorn sheep live in the higher parts. In the lower, flatter areas (called bajadas), you might spot desert tortoises.
How the Delamar Mountains Were Formed
The Delamar Mountains are made of very old rocks. These are Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, which means they formed from layers of sand, mud, and other materials over millions of years. These rocks were later pushed and folded by huge forces inside the Earth during an event called the Sevier orogeny.
Later, during a more recent geological time called the Cenozoic Era, there were two periods of volcanic eruptions. These eruptions produced many layers of rock made from volcanic ash, called ash flow tuff. The first period of eruptions happened between 27 and 18.6 million years ago. The lava came from large, bowl-shaped volcanic craters (called calderas) in Central Nevada and Caliente.
A huge volcano called the Kane Springs Wash Caldera erupted about 14.5 million years ago. This volcano is located in the central part of the Delamar range and extends into the nearby Meadow Valley Mountains. Its eruption created a special type of rock known as the Kane Wash Tuff.
