Wheeler Geologic Area

Wheeler Geologic Area

The Wheeler Geologic Area is a highly eroded outcropping of layers of volcanic ash, located in the La Garita Mountains of Mineral County, in southern Colorado in the western United States. The ash is the result of eruptions from the La Garita Caldera approximately 25 millions years ago.

The area was designated a National Monument from 1908 until 1950; and was Colorado's first National Monument. It is now part of the La Garita Wilderness and administered by the Rio Grande National Forest. Lying just below the crest of the range at an elevation of 11,960 feet (3645 m), it can best be reached via the East Bellows Trail (FS790).

The formations are named after Captain George M. Wheeler, who explored and surveyed this area in 1874 for the U.S. Army.

ee also

* La Garita Caldera

Further reading

"Hiking Colorado", by Caryn and Peter Boddie (1991). ISBN 1-56044-377-4

Getting There

From Highway 160 heading west from Alamosa, take Highway 114 north out of South Fork. It is 14 miles to Pool Table Road (FR 600), which is on the right hand (east) side of the highway. Take this road for 10 miles until it ends at the trailhead. You can either hike from here on TR 790(8.5 miles, 1200' of gain), or take FR 600 as it goes to the area (14 miles). Expect about 3-4 hours either way.

External links

* [http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_forest/co/see_rio1.htm GORP.com: Wheeler Geologic Area]
* [http://www.sangres.com/features/wheelergeologic.htm Sangres.com: Wheeler Geologic Area]
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande/recreation/trails/790.shtml Rio Grande National Forest: East Bellows Trail]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wheeler Survey — The Wheeler Survey was a survey of a portion of the United States lying west of the 100th meridian. It comprised multiple expeditions, and was supervised by First Lieutenant (later Captain) George Montague Wheeler. Wheeler led early expeditions… …   Wikipedia

  • George Wheeler — Captain George Montague Wheeler (born Grafton, Massachusetts, October 9, 1842) was a pioneering explorer and cartographer, leader of the Wheeler Survey, one of the major surveys of the western United States in the late nineteenth century. He… …   Wikipedia

  • Wheeler Peak (New Mexico) — Infobox Mountain Name = Wheeler Peak Photo = Wheeler Peak from Phillips.jpg Photo size = Caption = Wheeler Peak at sunset. Elevation = convert|13161|ft|m|0 Location = Taos County, New Mexico, USA Range = Taos Mountains Prominence =… …   Wikipedia

  • History of the Yosemite area — [ Galen Clark was the first guardian of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove.] The known history of the Yosemite area started with Ahwahnechee and Paiute peoples who inhabited the central Sierra Nevada region of California that now includes… …   Wikipedia

  • History of the Grand Canyon area — The known history of the Grand Canyon area stretches back 10,500 years when the first evidence for human presence in the area started. Native Americans have been living at Grand Canyon and in the area now covered by Grand Canyon National Park for …   Wikipedia

  • La Garita Caldera — is a large volcanic caldera located in the San Juan volcanic field in the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, United States, to the west of the town of La Garita, Colorado. The eruption that created the La Garita Caldera was the largest… …   Wikipedia

  • Nevada — Nevadan, Nevadian, adj., n. /neuh vad euh, vah deuh/, n. a state in the W United States. 799,184; 110,540 sq. mi. (286,300 sq. km). Cap.: Carson City. Abbr.: NV (for use with zip code), Nev. * * * State (pop., 2000: 1,998,257), western U.S.… …   Universalium

  • United States — a republic in the N Western Hemisphere comprising 48 conterminous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the N Pacific. 267,954,767; conterminous United States, 3,022,387 sq. mi. (7,827,982 sq. km); with… …   Universalium

  • John Day Fossil Beds National Monument — Coordinates: 44°33′21″N 119°38′43″W / 44.55583°N 119.64528°W / 44.55583; 119.64528 …   Wikipedia

  • India — /in dee euh/, n. 1. Hindi, Bharat. a republic in S Asia: a union comprising 25 states and 7 union territories; formerly a British colony; gained independence Aug. 15, 1947; became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations Jan. 26, 1950.… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”