Spanish Peaks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spanish Peaks |
|
|---|---|
| Huajatolla | |
 |
|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | West Spanish Peak |
| Elevation | 13,631 ft (4,155 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 3,666 ft (1,117 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Area | 28 sq mi (73 km2) |
| Geography | |
 Location in Colorado
|
|
| Location | Huerfano County, Colorado |
| Range coordinates | 37°23′N 104°57′W / 37.38°N 104.95°W |
| Designated: | 1976 |
The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado. The Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( WAH-hah-TOY-ə) meaning "double mountain".
The two peaks, West Spanish Peak (13,626 ft [4,153 m]) and East Spanish Peak (12,683 ft [3,866 m]), are east of, and separate from, the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. West Spanish Peak is the easternmost mountain over 13,000 ft (4,000 m) in the United States. The Spanish Peaks are situated 100 miles (160 km) due south of Colorado Springs.
The Spanish Peaks were formed by two separate shallow (or hypabyssal) igneous intrusions during the Late-Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene Period. West Spanish Peak is an older (24.59 +/- 0.13 Ma) quartz syenite. East Spanish Peak (23.36 +/- 0.18 Ma) is composed of a granodiorite porphyry surrounded by a more aerially-extensive exposure of granite porphyry. The granite porphyry represents the evolved upper portion of the magma chamber while the interior granodiorite porphyry is exposed by erosion at the summit.
The Spanish Peaks were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1976 as one of the best known examples of igneous dikes.
They were an important landmark on the Santa Fe Trail. The mountains can be seen as far north as Colorado Springs (102 miles [164 km]), as far west as Alamosa (85 miles [137 km]), points south to Raton, New Mexico (65 miles [105 km]), and points east of Trinidad (up to 30 miles [48 km]).
The Spanish Peaks Wilderness area of 17,855 acres (28 sq mi; 72 km2) encompasses the summits of both Spanish peaks. Hiking is popular in the wilderness area.
See also
In Spanish: Picos Españoles para niños
