Los Pinos Mountains

The Los Pinos Mountains are a small mountain range in the central part of New Mexico, US. They are the southernmost part of a mountain front, running north to south, that also includes the Sandia Mountains and the Manzano Mountains. The Los Pinos Mountains are separated from the Manzano Mountains by Abo Pass, which was cut by a small tributary to the Rio Grande. The mountains run slightly west of south for 15 miles (24 km) and widen to a maximum of about 4 miles (6.4 km) across before narrowing again. The southern end of the range is ill-defined, being marked by cuestas that merge into badlands to the south.[1]

The mountains are steep on their westward faces, where they rise 2,000 feet (610 m) over the Rio Grande Valley, but slope more gently to the east. There are five peaks over 7,000 feet (2,100 m) in elevation,[1] of which the highest is Whiteface Mountain at 7,530 feet (2,300 m).[2]

Most of the range falls within Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.[2]

  1. ^ a b Stark, J. T.; Dapples, E. C. (1946). "Geology of the Los Pinos Mountains, New Mexico". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 57 (12): 1121. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1946)57[1121:GOTLPM]2.0.CO;2.
  2. ^ a b "Los Pinos Mountains". Retrieved 24 January 2022.