White Mountain | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 7,623 ft (2,323 m) |
Coordinates | 41°34′41″N109°19′12″W / 41.57806°N 109.32000°W |
Geography | |
Location | Sweetwater County, Wyoming, U.S. |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Roads from Rock Springs and Green River |
White Mountain is a long mountain located in central Sweetwater County, Wyoming, near the cities of Rock Springs and Green River. The mountain is part of the Green River Formation, and contains communications towers that serve a number of purposes. Hundreds of carved figures also dot the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyph site and range from 200 to 1000 years old. Pilot Butte, located on top of White Mountain, is accessible from roads on the mountain.
Like its neighbor, Wilkins Peak, White Mountain is a member of the Green River Formation,Technically a plateau & aformation of the intermontane Lake Gosiute environment during the Eocene epoch. White Mountain is part of the Rock Springs Uplift, [1] and some of the largest oil shale and trona beds in the region are located west of the mountain. White Mountain contains sediment from a subcategory of the Green River Formation, known as the Wilkins Peak Formation . [2] [3] White Mountain is part of the Leucite Hills topography of southwestern, Wyoming.
The peak itself is 7,623 feet (2,323 m) in elevation and is located 5.4 miles (9 km) from Rock Springs, Wyoming and 8.85 miles (14 km) from Green River, Wyoming.
White Mountain houses communication radio towers for a number of local and regional uses. A tower for the radio station K299AG broadcasts a religious radio format on 107.7 FM. Programming on the station comes from KCSP-FM. [4] The local cable company, Sweetwater Television, owns the tallest tower, on the center of the mountain. This tower can be seen in the picture above. K28JU-D, the local PBS affiliate of KCWC-DT broadcasts from space on the tower as well, and as of August 2009, is the only television station broadcasting from White Mountain. [5] Located next to that tower are transmitters used by the local BLM office, as well as a tower for cellular telephones, owned by Union Wireless. [6]
On the side of the mountain facing Green River, two more radio towers are present. One of the towers is used for airport communications from a nearby airport. The other, owned by Verizon Wireless is used for cellular telephone transmissions. [7]
Pilot Butte is located directly on top of White Mountain, and was named by early travelers in the region as a signal that they were close to the Green River. [8] Pilot Butte is also a part of the Wild Horse tour, and several herds of wild horses have been spotted in the area. [9] The butte is the second highest point in the immediate region, the first being Aspen Mountain to the south. It is 7,949 feet (2,423 m) in elevation at its highest point. The butte can be hiked, and used to contain a steel ladder to assist in reaching the summit. [10]
Hundreds of carved figures dot the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyph site in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Etched into the stone surface some 200 to 1,000 years ago, several figures appear to portray bison and elk hunts while others depict geometric forms or tiny footprints. Handprints are worn into the rock as well, providing visitors with a compelling connection to those who used the site long ago. [11]
Sweetwater County is a county in southwestern Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 42,272, making it the fourth-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Green River. By area, it is the largest county in Wyoming. Its southern boundary line abuts the north lines of the states of Colorado and Utah.
Rock Springs, is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,526 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth most populous city in the state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975. Rock Springs is known as the Home of 56 Nationalities because of the influx of immigrants from all over the world who came to work in the coal mines that supplied the fuel to power the steam engines of the Union Pacific Railroad. The city's rich cultural heritage is celebrated each summer on International Day, a festival where the foods, costumes, and traditions of residents' ancestors are recreated and enjoyed at Bunning Park in downtown Rock Springs.
The Sweetwater River is a 238-mile (383 km) long tributary of the North Platte River, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As a part of the Mississippi River system, its waters eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico.
Tempe Butte is the official name of an andesite butte of volcanic origin, located partially on Arizona State University's Tempe campus in Tempe, Arizona. It is often referred to by locals as A Mountain, after the 60-foot-tall (18 m) gold-painted letter 'A' near the top. Another name for the area, used by the City of Tempe, is Hayden Butte.
KUGR is an AM radio station located in Green River, Wyoming operating on 1490 kHz AM. It carries a soft adult contemporary and talk format. The station is owned by Wagonwheel Communications Corporation. KUGR won the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters board "Station of the Year" award in 2006.
The Red Desert is a high-altitude desert and sagebrush steppe located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, comprising approximately 9,320 square miles. Among the natural features in the Red Desert region are the Great Divide Basin, a unique endorheic drainage basin formed by a division in the Continental Divide, and the Killpecker Sand Dunes, the largest living dune system in the United States. In the 19th century, the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails crossed the Continental Divide at South Pass, just north of the Red Desert. Today, busy Interstate 80 bisects the desert's southern region while gas field roads cross the desert.
KSIT is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Rock Springs, Wyoming. KSIT's sister stations are KQSW 96.5, KRKK AM 1360, and KMRZ-FM.
KZWB is a radio station broadcasting from Green River, Wyoming. The station signed on June 1, 2005. KZWB is owned by Wagonwheel Communications Corporation, who also owns KUGR and KZWB's sister stations KYCS, KFZE, and KFRZ.
KYCS is a hot adult contemporary station broadcasting from Rock Springs, Wyoming.
KFRZ is a radio station broadcasting from Green River, Wyoming, serving southwestern Wyoming. Broadcasting a country music format, the station is part of The Radio Network, which includes sister stations KUGR, KYCS, and KZWB. KFRZ broadcasts satellite fed music from Westwood One formerly the Jones Radio Network. Like its sister stations, KFRZ has local news throughout the day, and sports highlights as well. The station is currently owned by Wagonwheel Communications Corp.
KQSW is a country music formatted radio station broadcasting from Rock Springs, Wyoming, serving southwestern Wyoming. The station is owned by Big Thicket Broadcasting of Wyoming, who identifies themselves as WyoRadio, which includes local sister stations KSIT, KMRZ-FM, and KRKK.
Wilkins Peak is a small mountain located in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, between the cities of Green River and Rock Springs. It is primarily used for radio and television station transmitters, but it also serves radio needs of the FAA, EMS, and local businesses such as Questar Gas. In 2003, a tower on the peak was knocked down by a vehicle delivering propane to customers. The tower was owned by Wyoming Public Radio and was serving the local area with programming from National Public Radio. There are numerous access roads to the peak and it is not gated and open year-round, weather permitting. Along with the radio uses, the mountain is also a popular location for mountain biking and hiking. The mountain contains geology typical of its location in southwestern Wyoming.
Aspen Mountain is a long mountain located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of Rock Springs, Wyoming and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south of Arrowhead Springs, in Sweetwater County. The mountain gets its name from patches of Quaking Aspen trees located on the north and southern faces of the mountain. Various older topographical maps name the mountain "Quaking Aspen Mountain". Its primary use is for radio communications and it houses towers for various local and state companies.
Western Wyoming Community College (Western) is a public community college in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Western offers certificates, associate degrees, and a bachelor's degree. The college students are known as the Mustangs.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Wyoming.
KZUW is a classical music radio station licensed to Reliance, Wyoming. The station is owned and operated by the University of Wyoming.
Sweetwater County School District #1 is a public school district based in Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States.
Humpy Peak is a peak located in the Uinta Mountain Range in northern Utah. It is approximately 27.56 miles (44 km) south of Evanston, Wyoming and 21.29 miles (34 km) east of Coalville, Utah. The summit has an elevation of 10,875 feet (3,315 m).
The Rock Springs Uplift is an area of uplifted Cretaceous to Eocene rocks in Wyoming surrounded and once covered by sediments of the Green River Formation which were deposited in the Eocene Lake Gosiute. The Rock Springs Uplift formed in the Late Cretaceous through the Eocene and is related to the Laramide orogeny. The structure is a north–south trending anticline with a surface expression of approximately 56 miles (90 km) by 28 mi (45 km). The community of Rock Springs is located on the western margin of the uplift.
KREO is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of James Town, Wyoming.