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Sangre de Cristo Range | |
---|---|
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Blanca Peak |
Elevation | 14,345 ft (4,372 m) |
Coordinates | 37°34′38″N 105°29′7″W / 37.57722°N 105.48528°W |
Dimensions | |
Length | 75 mi (121 km) north-south |
Width | 48 mi (77 km) east-west |
Area | 1,250 sq mi (3,200 km2) |
Naming | |
Etymology | Sangre de Cristo Spanish: Blood of Christ |
Geography | |
Country | United States |
State | Colorado |
Counties | Chaffee, Fremont, Custer, Saguache and Huerfano |
Parent range | Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Rocky Mountains |
Borders on | San Luis Valley and Arkansas River watershed |
Geology | |
Orogeny | Fault-block mountains |
Age of rock | Precambrian and Permian-Pennsylvanian |
The Sangre de Cristo Range is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southern Colorado in the United States, running north and south along the east side of the Rio Grande Rift. The mountains extend southeast from Poncha Pass for about 75 mi (121 km) through south-central Colorado to La Veta Pass, approximately 20 mi (32 km) west of Walsenburg, and form a high ridge separating the San Luis Valley on the west from the watershed of the Arkansas River on the east. The Sangre de Cristo Range rises over 7,000 ft (2,100 m) above the valleys and plains to the west and northeast.
According to the USGS, the range is the northern part of the larger Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which extend through northern New Mexico. Usage of the terms "Sangre de Cristo Range" and "Sangre de Cristo Mountains" is varied; however, this article discusses only the mountains between Poncha Pass and La Veta Pass.