Cimarron Ridge

LocationSouthwestern ColoradoParent rangeSan Juan MountainsTopo mapUSGS Courthouse Mountain
Washboard Rock
Buckhorn LakesGeologyMountain typeRidge

Cimarron Ridge^[2] is a ridge in the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The ridge runs north-south and occupies parts of Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, and Hinsdale counties. The ridge parallels U.S. Highway 550, and parts of the ridge can be seen from points along the highway.

Prominent peaks

Peaks along the ridge include Courthouse Mountain, elevation 12,172 ft (3,710 m),^[1] and Chimney Rock, elevation 10,958 ft (3,340 m).^[3] Chimney Rock is known for appearing in the 1969 western motion picture True Grit and is considered among the most difficult peaks to climb in Colorado.^[4]

Geology

The ridge is made up of green and gray tuff breccia and is the "erosional remains of a larger volcanic pile that surrounded several volcanoes."^[5] The Cimarron Ridge Formation takes its name from the ridge.^[6]

References