Most of Colorado is mountainous; the famous Rocky Mountains
run north-south through the middle of the state and have 56 peaks exceeding 14,000 feet, but much of the far west is also hilly. A large proportion of the west of the state is protected in National Parks, Forests and Monuments, and other public lands. The population density is low, and is concentrated in the Denver-Boulder area at the edge of the Rockies - to the east there is seemingly endless flat farmland with only scattered habitation.
For now, this guide covers just that part of Colorado which may be loosely considered as being in the Southwest - the region south and west of the main Rocky Mountains. Most of this country is part of the Colorado Plateau - a large uplifted area of differently colored layed rocks that extends into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This plateau is approximately centred around Four Corners, which is the only point in the US where four states meet, and is an area of high desert with mainly barren plains interrupted only by low mesas and occasional lava plugs from extinct volcanoes. The Ute Indians occupy a large area of extreme southwest Colorado and evidence of much older civilisations can be seen in several historic sites including the Hovenweep National Monument and most spectacularly in
Mesa Verde National Park.
Northwest of here, the land begins to rise sharply towards the San Juan Mountains - a large area of rocky wilderness with several well-known former gold and silver mining towns with a colorful history such as Silverton, Durango and Telluride, and including the spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This area is generally less well-known and has fewer visitors than the more mountainous regions further north, around Denver and the Rocky Mountain National Park.
|
 |
The continental divide passes through the San Juan range and the few roads crossing the peaks must reach high elevations such as US 59 which peaks at 11,312 feet at Monarch Pass. East of the San Juan mountains the terrain gradually becomes less steep and is interrupted by the long flat San Luis valley, the location of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Further east, it is only a short distance before the hills stop completely and the Great Plains begin, stretching for over a thousand miles.
The biggest town in west Colorado is Grand Junction, which is surrounded in most directions by colorful eroded cliffs reminiscent of the landscape found in nearby Utah - the Colorado National Monument protects one of the most spectacular regions. The Rocky Mountains extend westwards for 150 miles and include more old mining communities and modern day ski resorts amongst the many peaks and valleys. Near the edge of the mountains, the Gunnison River cuts an amazingly steep canyon through black metamorphic rocks on its way to joining the Colorado river at Grand Junction.
|
