White River Plateau facts for kids
The White River Plateau is a unique mountain area in Colorado. It's like a giant, broad dome of land that has been pushed upwards. You might also hear it called the White River Uplift. This special place is located north of Glenwood Springs, Colorado and north of the famous Colorado River.
If you look at a map, the White River Plateau appears mostly circular. It covers parts of Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, with small sections reaching into Eagle and Routt counties. A ridge called the Grand Hogback forms some of its southern and western edges. The beautiful Flat Tops mountain range is actually part of this plateau. A large portion of the plateau is also found within the White River National Forest, a big area of protected land.
The highest point on the White River Plateau is the summit of Blair Mountain. It stands tall at about 11,465 feet (3,494 meters) above sea level.
How the Plateau Was Formed
The White River Plateau is an important part of the Southern Rocky Mountains. It was created a very long time ago, during a period called the Eocene epoch. This was during the later stages of a major mountain-building event known as the Laramide orogeny.
Imagine the Earth's crust as giant puzzle pieces called tectonic plates. During the Laramide orogeny, these plates slowly pushed against each other. This immense pressure caused the land in this area to buckle and lift upwards, forming the large, dome-like shape we see today as the White River Plateau. It was a slow process that took millions of years!
