Wheeler Geologic Area facts for kids
The Wheeler Geologic Area is a super cool place in southern Colorado, USA. It's full of amazing rock shapes made from old volcanic ash. These rocks are in the La Garita Mountains in Mineral County. They are about 10 miles northeast of a town called Creede. This ash came from huge eruptions of the La Garita Caldera about 25 million years ago!
Discovering Wheeler Geologic Area
The Wheeler Geologic Area was once a National Monument. It was Colorado's very first National Monument! This special title lasted from 1908 until 1950. Today, it is part of the La Garita Wilderness. The Rio Grande National Forest helps to manage and protect this area.
Getting to the Rock Formations
This amazing place is high up in the mountains. It sits at an elevation of 11,960 feet (about 3,645 meters). That's almost 2.3 miles high! Getting there is an adventure. You can hike 8.4 miles on the East Bellows Trail (FS790). Or, you can take a challenging 14-mile road. This road needs a special four-wheel drive vehicle.
How Wheeler Geologic Area Got Its Name
The unique rock formations are named after Captain George M. Wheeler. He was an explorer for the U.S. Army. Captain Wheeler explored and surveyed this area way back in 1874. He helped map out this part of the western United States.
