The Sangre de Cristo Mountains (
Spanish for "
Blood of Christ") are the southernmost
subrange 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 ...
. They are located in southern
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the 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 western edge of the ...
and northern
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
in the
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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. The mountains run from
Poncha Pass
Poncha Pass (9,010 ft/2,745 m) is a mountain pass in South-Central Colorado ( USA). It lies between the San Luis Valley to the south and the valley of the Arkansas River to the north, and is one of the lowest mountain passes in the state. ...
in
South-Central Colorado
South-Central Colorado is a region of the U.S. state of Colorado. It can be roughly defined by Chaffee County in the northwest, El Paso County in the northeast, Las Animas County in the southeast, and Conejos County in the southwest. Some notabl ...
, trending southeast and south, ending at
Glorieta Pass
Glorieta Pass (elevation 7500 ft.) is a mountain pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. The pass is at a strategic location near at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristos in east central Santa Fe County southeast o ...
, southeast of
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The mountains contain a number of
fourteen thousand foot peaks in the Colorado portion, as well as all the peaks in New Mexico which are over twelve thousand feet.
The name of the mountains may refer to the occasional reddish hues observed during sunrise and sunset, and when
alpenglow
Alpenglow (from german: Alpenglühen, lit=Alps glow; it, enrosadira) is an optical phenomenon that appears as a horizontal reddish glow near the horizon opposite to the Sun when the solar disk is just below the horizon.
Description
Stric ...
occurs, especially when the mountains are covered with snow. Although the particular origin of the name is unclear, it has been in use since the early 19th century. Before that time the terms "La Sierra Nevada", "La Sierra Madre", "La Sierra", and "The Snowies" (used by English speakers) were used.
[Robert Julyan, ''The Place Names of New Mexico'', University of New Mexico Press, 1998.] According to legend, "sangre de Cristo" were the last words of a priest who was killed by Native Americans.
Land management and recreation overview
Much of the mountains are within various National Forests: the
Rio Grande and
San Isabel in Colorado, and the
Carson and
Santa Fe in New Mexico. These publicly accessible areas are managed by the United States Forest Service and are popular for
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
,
camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
,
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
,
mountain biking,
backpacking,
climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done ...
, and
cross-country and
downhill skiing.
The mountains include two large
wilderness areas, the
Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is a long and narrow wilderness area covering of the Sangre de Cristo Range centered about Saguache and Custer counties, Colorado. Smaller areas are located in Fremont, Alamosa, and Huerfano counties. The wilde ...
in Colorado and the
Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico, as well as some smaller wilderness areas, such as
Latir Peak Wilderness. The
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve lies on the southwest side of the mountains in Colorado and are managed by the National Park Service.
Subranges
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are divided into various subranges, described here from north to south. Use of the terms "Sangre de Cristo Range" and "Sangre de Cristo Mountains" is inconsistent and may refer to the northernmost subrange, the southernmost subrange, or the mountains as a whole.
Sangre de Cristo Range
The Sangre de Cristo Range, the largest and most northerly subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, runs directly along the east side of the
Rio Grande rift, extending southeast from
Poncha Pass
Poncha Pass (9,010 ft/2,745 m) is a mountain pass in South-Central Colorado ( USA). It lies between the San Luis Valley to the south and the valley of the Arkansas River to the north, and is one of the lowest mountain passes in the state. ...
for about 75 miles (120 km) through south-central Colorado to
La Veta Pass
La Veta Pass is the name associated with two nearby mountain passes in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of south central Colorado in the United States, both lying on the boundary between Costilla and Huerfano counties.
Old La Veta Pass (officially ...
, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of
Walsenburg
The City of Walsenburg is the Statutory City that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,049 at the 2020 census, down from 3,068 in 2010.
History
Walsenb ...
. They form a high ridge separating the
San Luis Valley on the west from the watershed of the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United ...
on the east.
Crestones
The
Crestones
The Crestones are a group of four 14,000 foot (4,268 m) peaks ( fourteeners) in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Crestone, central southern Colorado, comprising:
# Crestone Peak (14,294 ft, 4,357 m)
# Crestone Needle (14,197 ft, 4,327 m) ...
are a group of four 14,000+ foot (4,268+ m) peaks (
fourteener
In the mountaineering parlance of the Western United States, a fourteener is a mountain peak with an elevation of at least . The 96 fourteeners in the United States are all west of the Mississippi River. Colorado has the most (53) of any single ...
s) in the
Sangre de Cristo Range
, country= United States
, subdivision1= Colorado
, subdivision2_type= Counties
, subdivision2=
, parent= Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Rocky Mountains
, borders_on=
, geology=
, age=
, orogeny= Fault-block mountains
, area_mi2= ...
above
Crestone, Colorado.
Spanish Peaks
The Spanish Peaks are a pair of mountains,
West Spanish Peak
West Spanish Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit that is the higher of the two Spanish Peaks in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent peak is located in the Spanish Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, sout ...
, , and
East Spanish Peak, , located in southwestern
Huerfano County,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the 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 western edge of the ...
. The Spanish Peaks were designated a
National Natural Landmark in 1976 as one of the best known examples of igneous
dikes
Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to:
General uses
* Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian"
* Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment
* Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice
* Dikes ...
. The mountains can be seen from as far as to the north from
Colorado Springs, to the south from
Raton, New Mexico, and to the east from
La Junta, Colorado.
Culebra Range
The Culebra Range runs almost due north and south, with its northern limit at
La Veta Pass
La Veta Pass is the name associated with two nearby mountain passes in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of south central Colorado in the United States, both lying on the boundary between Costilla and Huerfano counties.
Old La Veta Pass (officially ...
in Colorado, and its southern limit at
Costilla Creek
Costilla Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande in Colorado and New Mexico.
Course
The creek rises in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in far southern Colorado at the confluence of East Fork Costilla Creek and West Fork Costilla Creek. It then flo ...
, just south of Big Costilla Peak in New Mexico. Its highest point is
Culebra Peak at , which is notable for being the only
fourteener
In the mountaineering parlance of the Western United States, a fourteener is a mountain peak with an elevation of at least . The 96 fourteeners in the United States are all west of the Mississippi River. Colorado has the most (53) of any single ...
in Colorado on private land. Climbers wishing to ascend Culebra must pay a fee (currently
US$150 per person), and the number of climbers per year is limited.
It is also the most southerly fourteener in the U.S. Rockies. Standing to the east of the main crest are the two prominent
Spanish Peaks
The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado. The Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( ) or Wa-to-yah meaning "double mountain".
The two peaks, East Spanish Peak at elevation and We ...
(West: , East: ). These peaks were important landmarks for 19th century travelers on the mountain branch of the
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, ...
.
The western slope of the Culebras and the
San Luis Valley are located within the
Sangre de Cristo Land Grant The Sangre de Cristo Land Grant in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico consists of of mostly arid land. It was awarded by the government of New Mexico to the Beaubien family in 1843. The land grant was originally settle ...
, dating back to the 1840s but still a factor in the pattern of land ownership within the grant. The San Luis Valley is arid. The town of
San Luis, Colorado
The Town of San Luis is a statutory town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Costilla County, Colorado, United States. Formerly known as ''San Luis de la Culebra'', it is the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado. The ...
has an annual precipitation of only .The surrounding area, traversed by
Culebra Creek, has a rich agricultural history and has been the scene of land disputes between the descendants of
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
settlers and
Anglo ranchers since the 1860s.
Taos Mountains
The Taos Mountains span the western lobe of the range from Costilla Creek in the north, to
Tres Ritos in the south.
[Butterfield, Mike, and Greene, Peter, ''Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico'', New Mexico Magazine Press, 2006, ][Some sources only include the region north of Palo Flechado Pass in the Taos Mountains; however they do not give a specific subrange name to the entire southern portion. See for example the 1:250,000 scale ]USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
maps. They include the highest point in New Mexico,
Wheeler Peak, at , which is part of the
Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Other notable peaks include Pueblo Peak, which at rises dramatically above
Taos Pueblo, and
Latir Peak
Venado Peak is one of the major peaks of the Taos Mountains group of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. It is located in Taos County, New Mexico, about northeast of the town of Questa. Its summit is the highest po ...
, at .
Williams Lake is located below Wheeler Peak in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness.
Taos Ski Valley lies just to the west of Wheeler Peak. Much of the central portion of the Taos Mountains is on
Taos Pueblo land. As viewed from
Taos
Taos or TAOS may refer to:
Places
* Taos, Missouri, a city in Cole County, Missouri, United States
* Taos County, New Mexico, United States
** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico
*** Taos art colony, an art colo ...
, they are locally called "Taos Mountain."
The southern portion of the Taos Mountains, between
Palo Flechado Pass Palo Flechado Pass (Spanish: "tree pierced with arrows"),[Palo Flechado Pass.](_blank)
New Mexico Histor ...
and Tres Ritos (
U.S. Route 64 and NM Route 518), is lower and less dramatic than the northern section, with its high point being Cerro Vista, . The Fernando Mountains are a small subrange lying in this section, just south of US Route 64.
Cimarron Range
The Cimarron Range lies across the Moreno Valley to the east of the Taos Mountains. It is a lower range, with its highest point being
Baldy Mountain
There are a number of peaks named Baldy:
Canada
* Baldy Mountain (Manitoba), ,
* Big Baldy Mountain (Vancouver Island, British Columbia),
United States
Peaks named "Baldy"
Peaks named "Baldy Mountain"
...
at . The
Philmont Scout Ranch lies on the east side of the Cimarron Range.
Rincon Mountains
This is a minor subrange, significantly lower than the rest of the Sangre de Cristos; it lies east of the southernmost portion of the Taos Mountains.
Santa Fe Mountains
Rounding out the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the Santa Fe Mountains, which include all peaks south of NM Route 518.
This group lies near
Santa Fe and surrounds the
Pecos Wilderness, which protects the source
watershed
Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
of the
Pecos River. The peaks include
Truchas Peak
Truchas Peak (more precisely, South Truchas Peak) is the second highest peak in the U.S. State of New Mexico behind Wheeler Peak. It is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains northeast of Santa Fe. It lies within the Pecos Wilderness, part of the Sa ...
, , as their highest point. Other notable peaks are
Santa Fe Baldy () and Jicarita Peak (). The Pecos Wilderness is crossed by many trails and is popular for backpacking and for fishing in its high alpine lakes.
Prominent peaks
Geology
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains were
uplifted during the
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configu ...
Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a time period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the ...
. They are bounded on the west by the
Rio Grande rift and on the east by a series of
reverse and
thrust fault
A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks.
Thrust geometry and nomenclature
Reverse faults
A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less.
If ...
s. Vertical displacement along the faults is at least , and
gravity measurements suggest the uplift has been thrust eastward great distances. This faulting places
Precambrian
The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...
basement rock in contact with
sedimentary strata along the eastern margin of the uplift except where
igneous rock
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma o ...
s have been
intruded along the fault.
See also
*
Glorieta Pass
Glorieta Pass (elevation 7500 ft.) is a mountain pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. The pass is at a strategic location near at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristos in east central Santa Fe County southeast o ...
*
Valle Vidal
The Valle Vidal (Spanish, "Valley of Life") is a mountain basin in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains within the Carson National Forest, northwest of Cimarron, New Mexico. Elevations in the basin range from . Valle Vidal is noted for its pristine ...
*
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
*
Southern Rocky Mountains
The Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and ...
References
External links
*
Sangre de Cristo Mountains @ Peakbagger— ''a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan''.
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of Colorado
Mountain ranges of New Mexico
Ranges of the Rocky Mountains
Regions of New Mexico
Landforms of Alamosa County, Colorado
Landforms of Costilla County, Colorado
Landforms of Huerfano County, Colorado
Landforms of Saguache County, Colorado
Landforms of Custer County, Colorado
Landforms of Taos County, New Mexico
Landforms of Las Animas County, Colorado
Landforms of Fremont County, Colorado
Landforms of Mora County, New Mexico
Landforms of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
Baldy
Landforms of Colfax County, New Mexico
Landforms of Pueblo County, Colorado