Chimney Rock (Colorado)

Chimney Rock
South aspect
Highest point
Elevation11,781 ft (3,591 m)[1][2]
Prominence381 ft (116 m)[1]
Parent peakCourthouse Mountain (12,152 ft)[3]
Isolation0.82 mi (1.32 km)[3]
Coordinates38°08′48″N 107°34′14″W / 38.1466593°N 107.5706149°W / 38.1466593; -107.5706149[4]
Naming
EtymologyChimney
Geography
Chimney Rock is located in Colorado
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock
Location in Colorado
Chimney Rock is located in the United States
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock (the United States)
LocationHinsdale County / Ouray County
Colorado, US
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Courthouse Mountain
Geology
Rock typeTuff[2]
Climbing
First ascent1934
Easiest routeclass 5.6 climbing[3] South face

Chimney Rock is an 11,781-foot-elevation (3,591-meter) pillar located on the shared boundary of Hinsdale County with Ouray County, in southwest Colorado, United States.[4] It is situated 10.5 miles east of the community of Ridgway, and immediately south of Owl Creek Pass, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. Owl Creek Pass separates Chimney Rock from Cimarron Ridge to the north. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Chimney Rock is the steepest point in Colorado with an average steepness of 61.4 degrees.[5] Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 1,600 feet (490 meters) above West Fork Cimarron River in one-half mile. Chimney Rock can be seen from Highway 550 near Ridgway. This feature's name was officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1966, prior to that it was known as Chimney Peak.[4] The first ascent was made in 1934 by Melvin Griffiths and Robert Ormes via the 400-foot south face, which is the only established climbing route.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Chimney Rock, Colorado". Peakbagger.com.
  2. ^ a b Lee Gregory, Colorado Scenic Guide: Southern Region, Third Edition, 1996, Johnson Books, page 108.
  3. ^ a b c "Chimney Rock - 11,781' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ^ a b c "Chimney Rock". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  5. ^ John Fayhee (2012), The Colorado Mountain Companion: A Potpourri of Useful Miscellany from the Highest Parts of the Highest State, West Margin Press, ISBN 9780871089670
  6. ^ Robert M. Ormes, Guide to the Colorado Mountains, 1997, Bower House, ISBN 9781555661946, page 240.]