Cochetopa Hills

Last updated
Aerial view of McDonough Reservoir No. 2 in the Cochetopa Hills. McDonough Reservoir No. 2, Saguache County, Colorado (14017145147).jpg
Aerial view of McDonough Reservoir No. 2 in the Cochetopa Hills.
Aerial view of Colorado State Highway 114 through hills near Cochetopa Dome. Colorado State Route 114, Near Cochetopa Dome, Colorado (14223891743).jpg
Aerial view of Colorado State Highway 114 through hills near Cochetopa Dome.

The Cochetopa Hills [1] are a ridge of uplands on the Continental Divide in Saguache County, southern Colorado, United States. [2] [3]

Contents

Geography

The Cochetopa Hills ridge bridges the southern terminus of the Sawatch Range to the northern terminus of the La Garita Mountains of the San Juan Mountains System. The Cochetopa Hills are characterized by rolling terrain with peaks between 11,000 and 12,000 feet (3,400 and 3,700 m) and noteworthy volcanic geology. The Sawatch Range to the northeast and the La Garita Mountains to the south are characterized by higher peaks.

On USGS topographic maps, the area labeled Cochetopa Hills is roughly bounded by 13,269-foot (4,044 m) Antora Peak, the town of Sargents, the drainage of Cochetopa Creek, and the town of Saguache. North Pass on State Highway 114 and the backcountry Cochetopa Pass allow travel on Colorado State Highway 114 from the upper Rio Grande drainage on the east to the upper Gunnison River drainage on the west. [4]

The practice of naming mid-elevation upland areas in central and southern Colorado using the word hills is also illustrated by the naming of the similar uplands the Arkansas Hills, between the upper Arkansas Valley and South Park.

See also

Aerial view of Cochetopa Creek in the Cochetopa Hills. Cochetopa Creek, Saguache County, Colorado (14017077548).jpg
Aerial view of Cochetopa Creek in the Cochetopa Hills.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Juan Mountains</span> Mountain range in Colorado and New Mexico, United States

The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride. Large scale mining has ended in the region, although independent prospectors still work claims throughout the range. The last large scale mines were the Sunnyside Mine near Silverton, which operated until late in the 20th century and the Idarado Mine on Red Mountain Pass that closed down in the 1970s. Famous old San Juan mines include the Camp Bird and Smuggler Union mines, both located between Telluride and Ouray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saguache County, Colorado</span> County in Colorado, United States

Saguache County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,368. The county seat is Saguache.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saguache, Colorado</span> Town in Saguache County, Colorado, United States

Saguache is a Statutory Town in and the county seat of Saguache County, Colorado, United States. The population was 493 at the U.S. Census 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawatch Range</span> Mountain range in Colorado, United States

The Sawatch Range or Saguache Range is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito Range</span> Mountain range in Colorado, United States

The Mosquito Range is a high mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. The peaks of the range form a ridge running north–south for roughly 40 mi (64 km) from southern Summit County on the north end, then along the boundary between Lake and Park Counties. The ranges forms a high barrier separating the headwaters of the Arkansas River near Leadville from South Park and the headwaters of the South Platte River near Fairplay. The highest peak in the range is Mount Lincoln at an elevation of 14,286 ft. Other fourteeners in the range are Quandary Peak (14,272 ft), Mount Bross (14,172 ft), Mount Democrat (14,148 ft), and Mount Sherman (14,036 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarch Pass</span> High mountain pass in Colorado, US

Monarch Pass is a high mountain pass in central Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Ouray</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Mount Ouray is a high and prominent mountain summit in the far southern Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,961-foot (4255.4 m) thirteener is located in San Isabel National Forest, 7.5 miles (12.0 km) west of Poncha Pass, Colorado, United States, on the boundary between Chaffee and Saguache counties. The mountain was named in honor of Ute Chief Ouray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunnison National Forest</span> National forest in Colorado, United States

The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres in Mesa, Gunnison, Hinsdale and Saguache Counties in Western part of the U.S. state of Colorado. It borders the White River National Forest to the north, the Grand Mesa and Uncompahgre National Forests to the west, the San Isabel National Forest to the east and the Rio Grande National Forest to south. It lies in parts of five counties. In descending order of land area within the forest they are Gunnison, Saguache, Hinsdale, Delta, and Montrose counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Luis Peak</span>

San Luis Peak is the highest summit of the La Garita Mountains range in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 14,022-foot (4273.8 m) fourteener is located in the Gunnison National Forest portion of the La Garita Wilderness in Saguache County approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Creede. It is situated rather far to the east of the other fourteeners in the San Juans, and has more of a wilderness setting than many of the others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poncha Pass</span>

Poncha Pass is a mountain pass in South-Central Colorado (USA). It lies between the San Luis Valley to the south and the valley of the Arkansas River to the north, and is one of the lowest mountain passes in the state. It is in the saddle between the Sangre de Cristo Range, lying to the southeast, and the Sawatch Range, lying to the west and northwest. The small town of Poncha Springs lies about 6 miles (9 km) north of the pass. The pass has a mild approach on the northern side and a moderate 5% approach from the south, though it remains open all year round and does not normally cause problems for vehicles in winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Rocky Mountains</span> Major subrange of the Rocky Mountains in the Western United States

The Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and extreme eastern portions of Utah. The Southern Rocky Mountains are also commonly known as the Southern Rockies, and since the highest peaks are located in the State of Colorado, they are sometimes known as the Colorado Rockies, although many important ranges and peaks rise in the other three states. The Southern Rockies include the highest mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains and include all 30 of the highest major peaks of the Rockies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cochetopa Pass</span> Mountain pass in Colorado, US

Cochetopa Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado. It lies on the Continental Divide between the city of Gunnison to the northwest and the town of Saguache to the southeast. It also lies on the boundary between the Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests. Its name is taken from the Cochetopa Hills that it lies within, Cochetopa being the Ute Indian word for "pass of the buffalo". The original pass is traversed by Saguache County Road NN14, a maintained gravel road. Another crossing, sometimes called North Cochetopa Pass and more often simply North Pass, is located nearby on State Highway 114, which is paved and reaches a slightly higher elevation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado State Highway 114</span> State highway in Gunnison and Saguache counties in Colorado, United States

State Highway 114 (SH 114) is a 61.7 mi (99.3 km) long state highway in southern central Colorado. SH 114's western terminus is at U.S. Route 50 (US 50) east of Gunnison, and the eastern terminus is at US 285 in Saguache.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Garita Mountains</span> Mountain range in Colorado, United States

The La Garita Mountains are a high mountain range in the San Juan Mountains, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains. The mountains are located in Saguache and Mineral counties in southwestern Colorado and are almost entirely managed as public land within the Gunnison National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest.

The Arkansas Hills are a mountain range in Central Colorado located between the upper Arkansas River Valley and the upper South Platte River Valley. This landmass is a continuation of the ridge known as the Mosquito Range north of Trout Creek Pass. The range continues for roughly 60 miles south-southwest from Trout Creek Pass to the town of Texas Creek. Few perennial streams flow out of the Arkansas Hills, as the area is arid. The range is in the rain shadow of the much higher Sawatch to the west across the Arkansas River Valley. The City of Salida, Colorado is the most notable municipality near the Arkansas Hills. To the south is the town of Cotopaxi, Colorado. To the east is the town of Guffey, Colorado. The highest points in the Arkansas Hills tend to be between 11,000 and 12,000 feet elevation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Garita Wilderness</span> Protected area in southwestern Colorado, US

The La Garita Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the La Garita Mountains of southern Colorado. The 129,626-acre (524.58 km2) wilderness established in 1964 in Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests includes segments of the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. At 14,014 feet (4,271 m), San Luis Peak is the highest point in the wilderness area.

The place name "Sawatch" found in the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America is pronounced. This name derives from the Ute language noun "sawup" meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name found in the San Luis Closed Basin is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version found north of the basin is usually spelled "Sawatch".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cochetopa Creek</span> River

Cochetopa Creek is a stream in Saguache and Gunnison counties in Colorado, United States. It rises on San Luis Peak in the La Garita Mountains. It merges with Tomichi Creek near the town of Parlin, Colorado, along Highway 50.

References

  1. Pronounced /kɪˈtpə/ ( Loudspeaker.svg listen ) or sometimes locally /kɪˈtp/ ( Loudspeaker.svg listen ).
  2. Benson, Maxine (1994). 1001 Colorado Place Names. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN   0-7006-0632-7.
  3. Lipman 1, Peter W.; William C. McIntosh (2008). "Eruptive and noneruptive calderas, northeastern San Juan Mountains, Colorado: Where did the ignimbrites come from?". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 120 (7–8): 771. Bibcode:2008GSAB..120..771L. doi:10.1130/B26330.1.
  4. Sangres.com: Cochetopa Crossing on CO Highway 114

Coordinates: 38°11′22″N106°35′14″W / 38.18944°N 106.58722°W / 38.18944; -106.58722