Needle Mountains facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Needle Mountains |
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Needle Mountains seen from the San Juan Skyway.
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Eolus |
| Elevation | 14,089 ft (4,294 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 54 mi (87 km) N-S |
| Width | 21 mi (34 km) E-W |
| Area | 728 sq mi (1,890 km2) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Parent range |
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The Needle Mountains are a group of mountains found in the southwestern part of Colorado, a state in the United States. They are a smaller part, or "subrange," of the larger San Juan Mountains, which are themselves part of the huge Rocky Mountains.
A big part of the Needle Mountains is protected within the Weminuche Wilderness. This is a special wild area inside the San Juan National Forest, where nature is kept safe. These mountains are famous for being some of the most rugged and challenging to climb in Colorado. Many of their peaks require special skills like technical climbing or scrambling (climbing over rocks using both hands and feet).
Inside the Needle Mountains, there's a smaller, very dramatic section called the Grenadier Range. It runs from east to west in the northern part of the area.
How the Needle Mountains Were Formed
The Needle Mountains are quite unique compared to the rest of the San Juan Mountains. Most of the San Juan Mountains were formed by volcanoes erupting long ago. But the Needle Mountains, along with the Grenadier Range, were made differently.
They are a huge block of very old rocks that were pushed up from deep underground. These rocks are from the Precambrian era, which was billions of years ago, long before dinosaurs! The main types of rocks you'll find here are quartzite (a very hard rock), granite (often used in countertops), and amphibolite (a dark, dense rock). Geologists, who study rocks and the Earth, call this whole area the "Needle Mountains Uplift" because the rocks were lifted up.
Tallest Peaks in the Needle Mountains
The Needle Mountains are home to many impressive peaks, some of which are among the tallest in Colorado. Here are some of the most notable ones:
- Mount Eolus, 14,089 feet tall
- Windom Peak, 14,082 feet tall
- Sunlight Peak, 14,059 feet tall
- Pigeon Peak, 13,972 feet tall
- Vestal Peak, 13,864 feet tall (part of the Grenadier Range)
- Turret Peak, 13,835 feet tall
- Jagged Mountain, 13,824 feet tall
- Arrow Peak, 13,803 feet tall (part of the Grenadier Range)
- Animas Mountain, 13,786 feet tall
- Storm King Peak, 13,752 feet tall (part of the Grenadier Range)
- Mount Silex, 13,628 feet tall
- The Guardian (Colorado), 13,617 feet tall
- Leviathan Peak, 13,528 feet tall
- Vallecito Mountain, 13,428 feet tall
- Mount Garfield, 13,074 feet tall
