Flat Tops (Colorado)

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The Flat Tops
Flattops
Flat Tops.JPG
The Flat Tops as seen from State Highway 131 in Routt County
Highest point
Peak Flat Top Mountain
Elevation 12,361 ft (3,768 m)
Listing Mountain ranges of Colorado
Coordinates 39°55′45″N107°18′17″W / 39.92915°N 107.30478°W / 39.92915; -107.30478 Coordinates: 39°55′45″N107°18′17″W / 39.92915°N 107.30478°W / 39.92915; -107.30478
Geography
USA Colorado relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Flat Tops
Location in Colorado
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
Parent range Rocky Mountains

The Flat Tops is a mountain range located in Colorado within the Routt and White River National Forests. [1] Much of the range is within the boundary of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. While there are notable peaks in the Flat Tops, the dominant feature of the range is the high plateau from which the peaks arise. The plateau forms the northeastern portion of the White River Uplift capped by horizontal basalt flows from tertiary volcanic activity and is bounded by steep drops to valleys carved out by subsequent glaciation. [2] [3] The resulting mix of areas of treeless plateau at an elevation of 11,000 to 12,000 feet interspersed with verdant valleys is unique among Colorado mountain ranges. The area contains approximately one hundred and ten ponds and lakes [4] and is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including many large mammals such as moose, elk, mule deer, black bear, and cougars. This area has been affected by the non-native plant species, yellow toadflax. [5] The most common trees are Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir and lodgepole pine, with aspen groves at lower elevations. [6] The top of the plateau is alpine tundra.

Contents

The highest point in the Flat Tops is the summit of Flat Top Mountain (12,361 ft) on the east side of the range. The Devil's Causeway, [7] perhaps the most popular geologic feature and notorious hiking experience in the Flat Tops, is located in the same area. The Causeway is a narrow neck of the plateau where eroding glaciers on either side almost met. A trail crosses the Causeway which at its narrowest is 3 to 4 feet wide with drop-offs of hundreds of feet to the valleys on either side.

The eastern side of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area can be accessed by Routt County Rd 7 through the town of Yampa, Colorado. 

The best-known destination approached from the west side of the range is Trappers Lake.

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Flat Top Mountain is the highest summit of the Flat Tops in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 12,361-foot (3,768 m) peak is located in the Flat Tops Wilderness, 19.1 miles (30.7 km) south-southwest of the Town of Oak Creek, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Routt National Forest and White River National Forest. The summit of Flat Top Mountain is the highest point in Garfield County, Colorado.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chair Peak (Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

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Iron Cap Mountain is a 6,347-foot (1,935-metre) mountain summit located two miles west-northwest of Dutch Miller Gap, in east King County of Washington state. It is situated in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Iron Cap Mountain is set two miles west of the crest of the Cascade Range. Precipitation runoff from the south side of the mountain drains into tributaries of the Snoqualmie River, whereas the north side drains into tributaries of the Foss River. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since Iron Cap rises 2,500 feet above the Middle Fork Snoqalmie River Valley in less than one mile. Its neighbors include La Bohn Peak, 1.77 miles (2.85 km) to the east, and Little Big Chief Mountain, 2.14 miles (3.44 km) to the southeast.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Margaret (Kittitas County, Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state)

Mount Margaret is a 5,850-ft mountain summit located in the Wenatchee National Forest, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in Kittitas County of Washington state. It is situated in the Cascade Range, 4.5 mi (7.2 km) east of Interstate 90, and on the south aspect of Rampart Ridge. Its nearest higher neighbor is Alta Mountain, 4.93 mi (7.93 km) to the north. Keechelus Lake is a short distance west and Kachess Lake further east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trappers Peak</span> Mountain in Washington State

Trappers Peak is a 5,966-foot (1,818 m) elevation mountain summit located in the North Cascades of Washington state. It is situated within North Cascades National Park, Stephen Mather Wilderness, and Whatcom County. It rises steeply above Lower Thornton Lake which is set at the southwestern face of the mountain. Like many North Cascades peaks, Trappers Peak is more notable for its large, steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation. Topographic relief is significant as the southeast aspect rises 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above the North Cascades Highway in approximately two miles. The nearest higher neighbor is Thornton Peak, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the northwest, Mount Triumph is two miles to the northwest, and Newhalem is three miles to the east-southeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Skagit River. The summit of Trappers Peak is known for its grand view of the jagged peaks of the Picket Range.

References

  1. White River National Forest
  2. Williams, Felicie; Chronic, Halka (2014). Roadside Geology of Colorado (3rd ed.). Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing. ISBN   978-0-87842-609-6.
  3. Ormes, Robert (1992). Jacobs, Randy (ed.). Guide to the Colorado Mountains (9th ed.). Denver, Colorado: The Colorado Mountain Club. ISBN   0-917895-38-X.
  4. Flat Tops Wilderness Area
  5. Sutton, Jason R.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Beck, K. George (2007-01-17). "Predicting yellow toadflax infestations in the Flat Tops Wilderness of Colorado". Biological Invasions. 9 (7): 783–793. doi:10.1007/s10530-006-9075-8. ISSN   1387-3547.
  6. Marlowe, Al (1994). A Hiking and Camping Guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. Boulder, Colorado: Fred Pruett Books. ISBN   0-9623868-8-X.
  7. "Devils Causeway". www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com. Retrieved 16 Feb 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)