13 scenic mountain ranges found around Colorado
Colorado is home to many mountain ranges, including portions of the enormous Rocky Mountain range. With more than 50 mountain peaks that reach an elevation above 14,000 feet, the many mountains in Colorado provide a seemingly endless opportunity for outdoor recreation.
Here’s a look at 13 mountain ranges that make up iconic Colorado scenery:
Sunrise Dallas Divide San Juan Mountains of Colorado (Photo) Credit Gary Gray (iStock)
Rocky Mountains Overview
The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain system in North America, stretching from western Canada to New Mexico. The mountains were shaped by tectonic activity and erosion by glaciers, forming beautiful and dramatic scenes Colorado is known for. Seventy-eight of the 100 highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains are in the Centennial State, including Mount Elbert, which is located at 14,440 feet above sea level.
Photo Credit: Gary Gray (iStock).
Sawatch Range (Photo) Credit SWKrullImaging (iStock)
1. Sawatch Range
Colorado’s Sawatch Range is an iconic destination for all types of adventurers to explore. From relaxing mountain hot springs found within this range to Colorado’s highest peak, Mount Elbert, the Sawatch Range boasts many gateways to beautiful scenes. This range forms part of the Continental Divide, where its eastern flank drains into the Arkansas River and the western side feeds the Roaring Fork, Eagle, Gunnison, and Colorado rivers. Other notable peaks of the Sawatch Range are the Collegiate Peaks, which are Mounts Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Belford, and Oxford.
Photo Credit: SWKrullImaging (iStock).
Great Sand Dunes National Park (Photo) Credit EBMarketa (iStock)
2. Sangre de Cristo Range
The Sangre de Cristo mountains are found on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. This remote part of the state is home to several of Colorado’s designated International Dark Sky areas, such as Crestone. The Sangre de Cristo mountains are known for being the beautiful backdrop behind Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado, where North America’s tallest dune lies. This range features rugged and dramatic scenes as these mountains were uplifted relatively quickly into massive blocks. It includes five 14ers: Crestone Needle (14,203 feet), Crestone Peak (14,295 feet), Blanca Peak (14,344 feet), Challenger Point (14,081 feet), and Kit Carson Peak (14,170 feet).
Photo Credit: EBMarketa (iStock).
Mountain Views Looking at Town of Telluride (Photo) Credit Adventure_Photo (iStock)
3. San Juan Mountains
One of Colorado’s most awe-inspiring landscapes is found in the San Juan Mountains. Rugged, tall, and rich in minerals, the San Juans feature old mining camps, some of which have been turned into charming mountain towns like Telluride, Ouray, and Lake City. Popular recreation activities include off-roading along the notorious Black Bear Road, hiking to ghost towns, skiing and snowboarding at mountains like Silverton and Purgatory, hot springs, train rides, and much more. This range is also where the United States’ highest airport, Telluride Airport, is found.
Photo Credit: Adventure_Photo (iStock).
Trout Creek Pass (Photo) Credit chapin13 (iStock)
4. Mosquito Range
This range in Colorado features high mountains in Summit, Lake, and Park counties. The highest peak in the range is Mount Lincoln, which has an elevation of 14,286 feet. Other peaks include Quandary Peak, a popular 14er for beginner climbers, as well as Mount Democrat (14,148 feet), Mount Bross (14,172 feet, private property and closed to hikers), and Mount Sherman (14,036 feet). The Mosquito Range is unique because it once connected with the Sawatch Range to its west, but was separated during the formation of a rift valley at the headwaters of the Arkansas River. Made primarily of granite, the Mosquito Range features U-shaped valleys within canyons.
Photo Credit: chapin13 (iStock).
Breckenridge, Colorado (Photo) Credit nick1803 (iStock)
5. Ten Mile Range
The Ten Mile Range in Colorado is an extension of the Mosquito Range, split by the Continental Divide. This mountain range is most famously known as the site of Colorado’s famed Breckenridge Ski Resort, which features the highest chair lift, Imperial Express SuperChair, at 12,840 feet above sea level.
Photo Credit: nick1803 (iStock).
Wildflowers and Pikes Peak (Photo) Credit SWKrullImaging (iStock)
6. Front Range
When driving into Colorado from the east along the Interstate 25 corridor, the first wall of mountains seen is the Front Range. Along this mountain range are several of Colorado’s most populated cities, including Colorado Springs and Denver. The Front Range boasts an amazing number of opportunities for outdoor adventure, from rafting to hiking, climbing, biking, ziplining, caving, and more. America’s Mountain, a.k.a Pikes Peak, is a towering representation of the beauty of the Front Range. Longs Peak is also a very notable mountain that’s part of this range and over 14,000 feet.
Photo Credit: SWKrullImaging (iStock).
Maroon Bells (Photo) Credit gcosoveanu (iStock)
7. Elk Mountains
The lush, diverse environments of the Elk Mountains make this Colorado mountain range a top destination for locals and tourists alike. The Elk Mountains are found on the western side of the Continental Divide amid the lush habitat of the Roaring Fork River Valley. Popular spots in the area of this range include Aspen, the Maroon Bells, Schofield Pass, and the quaint town of Marble, where the Yule Marble Quarry is found.
Photo Credit: gcosoveanu (iStock).
Colorado’s Gore Range (Photo) Credit Katie Botwin
8. Gore Range
The Gore Range features rolling hills, canyons, rivers, and pristine forests that Colorado is known for. The Colorado River passes through the Gore Range through Gore Canyon, which is said to offer the quintessential Colorado Class V run through big rapids and constant summer flows. Those traveling along Interstate 70 from Silverthorne to Vail traverse much of the Gore Range.
Photo Credit: Katie Botwin.
Medicine Bow Mountains (Photo) Credit Imre Cikajlo (iStock)
9. Medicine Bow Mountains
Extending about 100 miles, the Medicine Bow Mountains reach from northern Colorado to southern Wyoming. Much of this mountain range is accessible via Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming, about a 170-mile drive from Denver. Paleontologists are particularly interested in the rock of this mountain range, which consists of what may be traces of multicellular animals and stromatolites. A variety of wildlife thrive in the Medicine Bow Mountains, including mule deer, elk, moose, black bear, and more.
Photo Credit: Imre Cikajlo (iStock).
Wildflowers and Rabbit Ears Rock Formation (Photo) Credit Steven Milligan (iStock)
10. Rabbit Ears Range
The Rabbit Ears Range stretches east to west along the Continental Divide in north central Colorado. While its peak elevation is the summit of Parkview Mountain at 12,301 feet, the Rabbit Ears Range features technical summit hikes such as Rabbit Ears Peak and Chimney Rock. The mountains here are mostly made of volcanic rock and some examples of columnar jointing can be seen.
Photo Credit: Steven Milligan (iStock).
Park Range (Photo) Credit milehightraveler (iStock)
11. Park Range
Because it rises steeply out of the Yampa River basin, the Park Range gets a large amount of snowfall in the winter. The Park Range serves the popular ski community of Steamboat Springs. It features colorful forest settings complete with green vegetation, wildflowers, and stunning lakes during summer months. One notable landmark here is its highest point, Mount Zirkel, at 12,182 feet.
Photo Credit: milehightraveler (iStock).
Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming (Photo) Credit (c) Sean Board (iStock)
12. Laramie Mountains
Many of the peaks found within the Laramie Mountains are moderately high compared to other higher elevation ranges found around the state. The range is found on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming. To its north, a gap between the range and the Bighorn Mountains is where historical routes were made such as the Oregon Trail and the Pony Express. The range’s highest mountain, South Bald Mountain, is found within Colorado with a peak elevation of 11,007 feet.
Photo Credit: (c) Sean Board (iStock).
Spencer McKee crossing the Devil's Causeway. Courtesy photo
13. Flat Tops
The peaks of the Flat Tops in northwest Colorado rise from a high plateau. This plateau forms the northeastern portion of the White River Uplift and is camped by basalt flows from ancient volcanic activity. The range features steep drops to valleys below that were carved by glaciers. The highest Flat Tops peaks range in elevation from about 11,000 to 12,000 feet, with the area home to roughly 110 bodies of water. The highest point in the range is Flat Top Mountain at 12,361 feet. One of the most popular destinations here is the Devil’s Causeway, known for sending hikers on a narrow, vertigo-inducing path.
OutThere Colorado's Spencer McKee crossing the Devil's Causeway. Courtesy photo.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.