Point Lookout | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 8,427 ft (2,569 m)[1] |
Prominence | 607 ft (185 m)[2] |
Parent peak | Park Point (8,571 ft)[2] |
Isolation | 3.39 mi (5.46 km)[2] |
Coordinates | 37°18′57″N 108°25′07″W / 37.3158286°N 108.4186979°W[3] |
Geography | |
Location | Mesa Verde National Park Montezuma County, Colorado, U.S. |
Parent range | Colorado Plateau |
Topo map | USGS Point Lookout |
Geology | |
Rock age | Cretaceous |
Rock type | Point Lookout Sandstone |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | class 1 hiking trail[2] |
Point Lookout is an 8,427-foot (2,569 meter) elevation sandstone summit located in Mesa Verde National Park, in Montezuma County of southwest Colorado.[3] This prominent landmark is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the park entrance, and 9.3 miles (15.0 km) east-southeast of the town of Cortez, and towers 1,600 feet above the surrounding terrain of Mancos Valley. Soldiers from Fort Lewis army post used its lofty position to send heliographic signals to troops campaigning in the west.[4] A trail climbs 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round-trip to the top and offers views of Montezuma and Mancos valleys, as well as the La Plata Mountains. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[3]