Horsetooth Mountain is a mountain summit in the foothills of the
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado, and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered ...
of the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...
of
North America. The peak is located in the
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, west (
bearing 265°) of downtown
Fort Collins
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
in
Larimer County,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
[
]
Mountain
The mountain is easily distinguishable by the large pegmatite rock formation on its summit known as Horsetooth Rock. The formation is a prominent landmark of the nearby city of Fort Collins and often used as a symbol of that city, appearing in the official city seal. The name comes from its distinctive appearance.
The site was previously private property owned by the Soderburg family. In 1982, it was purchased by the county as an "open space" tax acquisition. It is now a popular destination for hikers as well as mountain bikers, with trails leading to the summit. The summit offers hikers a clear view to the southwest of Longs Peak
Longs Peak (Arapaho: ) is a high and prominent mountain in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The fourteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, southwest by south ( bearing 209°) of th ...
and Mount Meeker
Mount Meeker is a high mountain summit of the Twin Peaks Massif in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The thirteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, west by north ( bearing 285°) ...
, two rugged mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park.
A daily entrance permit costs $10 per vehicle.
Wildlife
Horsetooth Mountain Park not only hosts some spectacular scenery, it is home to a variety of large mammals such as mule deer
The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer.
Unlike the related whi ...
, American black bears, mountain lion
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...
s and coyotes.
Gallery
Image:Horsetooth mtn.jpg, Top of Horsetooth Mountain facing West to the Rocky Mountains.
Image:Horsetooth mtn2.jpg, Cellphone towers visible from the top.
Image:Hoursetooth mtn3.jpg, Fort Collins visible from the top.
Image:Horsetooth mtn4.jpg, Horsetooth Rock Trail.
Image:Horsetooth mtn5.jpg, Horsetooth Rock Trail near the beginning.
Image:Horsetooth mtn6.jpg, Near the trailhead.
Image:Horsetooth Rock.jpg, Horsetooth Rock, named for the profile of its east face. Hikers are visible on the summit.
Image:Spring Creek valley.jpg, Upper Spring Creek valley on Horsetooth Mountain.
See also
*Horsetooth Reservoir
Horsetooth Reservoir (often known locally as Horsetooth) is a large reservoir in southern Larimer County, Colorado, in the foothills just west of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. The reservoir runs north-south for approximately 6.5 miles (1 ...
* List of Colorado mountain ranges
* List of Colorado mountain summits
**List of Colorado fourteeners
This is a list of mountain peaks in the U.S. State of Colorado that exceed of elevation.
In the mountaineering parlance of the Western United States, a ''fourteener'' is a mountain peak with an elevation of at least 14,000 feet. This is a co ...
** List of Colorado 4000 meter prominent summits
**List of the most prominent summits of Colorado
The following sortable table comprises the 100 most topographically prominent mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Colorado.
Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea le ...
*List of Colorado county high points
This is a list of all 64 counties of the U.S. State of Colorado by their points of highest elevation. Of the 50 highest county high points in the United States, 30 are located in Colorado. The highest point in Colorado is the summit of Mount ...
References
External links
*
{{Protected areas of Colorado
Mountains of Larimer County, Colorado
Protected areas of Larimer County, Colorado
Nature reserves in Colorado
North American 2000 m summits