Sangre de Cristo Mountains

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Sangre de Cristo Mountains

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrangeMountain range

A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers....
of the Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America....
. They are located in northern New MexicoNew Mexico

New Mexico is a southwestern state in the United States of America....
and southern ColoradoColorado

Colorado is a state in the western United States....
in the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
. The mountains run from Poncha PassPoncha Pass

Poncha Pass is an important mountain pass in South-Central Colorado....
in South-Central ColoradoSouth-Central Colorado

South-Central Colorado is a region of the U.S....
, trending southeast and south, ending at a point southeast of Santa Fe, New MexicoFacts About Santa Fe, New Mexico

official_name = Santa Fe, New Mexico...
.
The mountains contain a number of fourteen thousand foot peaks in the Colorado portion, as well as all of the peaks in New Mexico which are over thirteen thousand feet.

The name, SpanishSpanish language

Spanish or Castilian is an Iberian Romance language....
for "blood of Christ", is said to come from the red color of the range at some sunrises and sunsets, especially when the mountains are covered with snow, alpenglowFacts About Alpenglow

Alpenglow is an optical phenomenon....
. However the particular origin of the name is unclear, and the name in fact only dates back to 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. Sometimes the archaic Spanish spelling "Christo" is used.

Prominent peaks

The 18 Peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains With At Least 500 Meters of Topographic Prominence
RankRanking Ranking is the process of positioning individuals, groups or businesses on an ordinal scale in relation to others....	Mountain PeakSummit (topography) A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it....	SubrangeMountain range A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers....	Elevation	ProminenceTopographic prominence In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop or prime f...	IsolationFacts About Topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum horizontal distance to the nearest point of higher elevation....
1	Blanca PeakBlanca Peak Blanca Peak is a fourteener in the US state of Colorado....	Sierra Blanca	4374.111 = 14,351 feet 4374 m	1623.365 = 5,326 feet 1623 m	00166.43 = 103.4 miles 166.4 km
2	Crestone PeakCrestone Peak Crestone Peak is the seventh highest peak in the U.S....	CrestonesFacts About Crestones The Crestones are a group of four 14,000 foot peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Crestone, Colorado, comprising:...	4358.572 = 14,300 feet 4359 m	1388.059 = 4,554 feet 1388 m	00044.07 = 27.4 miles 44.1 km
3	Culebra PeakCulebra Peak Culebra Peak is the highest peak of the Culebra Range, a subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the United States....	Culebra Range	4283.266 = 14,053 feet 4283 m	1471.270 = 4,827 feet 1471 m	00057.07 = 35.5 miles 57.1 km
4	West Spanish PeakWest Spanish Peak West Spanish Peak is a high mountain peak in the US state of Colorado....	Spanish PeaksSpanish Peaks The Spanish Peaks are a pair of volcanic mountains in the southeastern part of the US State of Colorado....	4154.673 = 13,631 feet 4155 m	1123.188 = 3,685 feet 1123 m	00032.88 = 20.4 miles 32.9 km
5	Mount Herard	Sangre de Cristo RangeSangre de Cristo Range The Sangre de Cristo Range is a narrow mountain range of the Rocky Mountains running north and south along the east side of ...	4061.576 = 13,325 feet 4062 m	0621.792 = 2,040 feet 622 m	00007.47 = 4.6 miles 7.5 km
6	Wheeler PeakWheeler Peak (New Mexico) Wheeler Peak is the highest peak in the state of New Mexico in the United States, with an elevation of 13,161 feet....	Taos Mountains	4013.300 = 13,167 feet 4013 m	1039.063 = 3,409 feet 1039 m	00060.12 = 37.4 miles 60.1 km
7	Bushnell Peak	Sangre de Cristo RangeSangre de Cristo Range The Sangre de Cristo Range is a narrow mountain range of the Rocky Mountains running north and south along the east side of ...	3996.141 = 13,111 feet 3996 m	0733.044 = 2,405 feet 733 m	00017.82 = 11.1 miles 17.8 km
8	Truchas PeakTruchas Peak Truchas Peak is located 40 km NE of Santa Fe in the Sangre de Cristo Range of New Mexico....	Santa Fe Mountains	3995.048 = 13,107 feet 3995 m	1219.505 = 4,001 feet 1220 m	00068.17 = 42.4 miles 68.2 km
9	Venado PeakVenado 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...	Taos Mountains	3882.973 = 12,739 feet 3883 m	0900.379 = 2,954 feet 900 m	00018.99 = 11.8 miles 19.0 km
10	East Spanish PeakEast Spanish Peak East Spanish Peak is a high mountain peak in the US state of Colorado....	Spanish PeaksSpanish Peaks The Spanish Peaks are a pair of volcanic mountains in the southeastern part of the US State of Colorado....	3867.151 = 12,688 feet 3867 m	0726.338 = 2,383 feet 726 m	00006.78 = 4.2 miles 6.8 km
11	Santa Fe BaldySanta Fe Baldy Summary Santa Fe Baldy, elevation 12,622 feet, is a summit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, United States....	Santa Fe Mountains	3850.100 = 12,632 feet 3850 m	0610.210 = 2,002 feet 610 m	00017.69 = 11.0 miles 17.7 km
12	Baldy Mountain	Cimarron Range	3793.300 = 12,445 feet 3793 m	0823.265 = 2,701 feet 823 m	00018.24 = 11.3 miles 18.2 km
13	Greenhorn MountainGreenhorn mountain Greenhorn Mountain is the highest point in the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado and at 12,347 feet above sea level is just...	Wet MountainsWet Mountains The Wet Mountains are a small range of mountains in Southern Colorado, named for the amount of snow they receive in the winter....	3765.000 = 12,352 feet 3765 m	1151.230 = 3,777 feet 1151 m	00042.53 = 26.4 miles 42.5 km
14	Mount Zwischen	Sangre de Cristo RangeSangre de Cristo Range The Sangre de Cristo Range is a narrow mountain range of the Rocky Mountains running north and south along the east side of ...	3660.910 = 12,011 feet 3661 m	0690.677 = 2,266 feet 691 m	00007.31 = 4.5 miles 7.3 km
15	Cerro Vista	Cerro Vista	3640.448 = 11,944 feet 3640 m	0767.791 = 2,519 feet 768 m	00022.83 = 14.2 miles 22.8 km
16	Mount PhillipsMount Phillips Mount Phillips is a mountain on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of Gold River and southeast ...	Cimarron Range	3579.985 = 11,745 feet 3580 m	0890.321 = 2,921 feet 890 m	00012.09 = 7.5 miles 12.1 km
17	Mount Mestas	Sierra Blanca	3527.603 = 11,574 feet 3528 m	0679.399 = 2,229 feet 679 m	00026.28 = 16.3 miles 26.3 km
18	Iron Mountain	Sierra Blanca	3479.509 = 11,416 feet 3480 m	0594.665 = 1,951 feet 595 m	00011.18 = 6.9 miles 11.2 km

Land management and recreation overview

Much of the mountains are within various National Forests: the Rio GrandeRio Grande National Forest

Rio Grande National Forest is a 1.86 million acreU.S....
and San IsabelSan Isabel National Forest

The San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado....
in Colorado, and the CarsonCarson National Forest

Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States....
and Santa FeSanta Fe National Forest

The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States....
in New Mexico. These publicly accessible areas are popular for campingFacts About Camping

Camping is an outdoor recreational activity, in which the campers get away from civilization and enjoy nature by spending on...
, hikingHiking

Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery....
, backpackingFacts About Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines hiking and camping in a single trip....
, climbingRock Climbing

Rock Climbing is the act of going up steep rock and cliff faces using pieces of gear and safety equipment specifically desig...
, and cross-countryCross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe and Canad...
and downhill skiing.

The mountains include two large wilderness areas, the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in Colorado and the Pecos WildernessPecos Wilderness

The Pecos Wilderness is a protected wilderness area located within the Santa Fe National Forest and Carson National Forest....
in New Mexico, as well as some smaller wilderness areas, such as Latir Peak WildernessLatir Peak Wilderness Summary

Latir Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area located within the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, USA....
. The Great Sand Dunes National Park and PreserveGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is United States National Park located in the southern part of the U.S....
lies on the southwest side of the mountains in Colorado.

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 either may refer to either 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 RiftRio Grande Rift

The Rio Grande Rift is a rift valley extending north from Mexico, near El Paso, Texas through New Mexico into central Colora...
, extending southeast from Poncha PassPoncha Pass

Poncha Pass is an important mountain pass in South-Central Colorado....
for about 75 miles (120 km) through south-central Colorado to La Veta Pass, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of WalsenburgWalsenburg, Colorado

Walsenburg is a city in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States....
. They form a high ridge separating the San Luis ValleySan Luis Valley Summary

San Luis Valley is a large broad alpine valley in the Rio Grande Basin of south-central Colorado....
on the west from the watershed of the Arkansas RiverFacts About Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River....
on the east.

Culebra Range

The Culebra Range runs almost due north and south, with its northern limit at La Veta Pass in Colorado, and its southern limit at Costilla Creek, just south of Big Costilla Peak in New Mexico. Its highest point is Culebra PeakCulebra Peak

Culebra Peak is the highest peak of the Culebra Range, a subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the United States....
(14,047 feet/4,282 m), which is notable for being the only fourteenerFourteener

In mountaineering in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet above mean sea level....
in Colorado which is on private land. Climbers wishing to ascend Culebra must pay a fee (currently US$United States dollar

For details of current paper money and coins, see Federal Reserve Note and United States coinage....
100 per person), and the number of climbers per year is limited. Standing to the east of the main crest are the two prominent Spanish PeaksSpanish Peaks

The Spanish Peaks are a pair of volcanic mountains in the southeastern part of the US State of Colorado....
(West: 13,626 feet/4,153 m; East: 12,860 feet/3,920 m). Unlike the rest of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, these are volcanicVolcano

A volcano is a geological landform on the surface of the Earth where magma from the planet's interior erupts to the surfac...
, with conical shapes and prominent dikeDike (geology)

A dike or dyke in geology refers to a tabular intrusive igneous body....
s radiating outward. These peaks were important landmarks on the mountain branch of the Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe Trail

The Santa Fe Trail was a historic 19th century transportation route across southwestern North America connecting Missouri wi...
.

Taos Mountains

The Taos Mountains span the western lobe of the range from Costilla Creek in the north, to Tres Ritos in the south. They include the highest point in New Mexico, Wheeler PeakWheeler Peak (New Mexico)

Wheeler Peak is the highest peak in the state of New Mexico in the United States, with an elevation of 13,161 feet....
(13,161 feet/4,012 m), which is part of the small Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Other notable peaks include Pueblo Peak (12,305 feet/3,751 m), which rises dramatically above Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo

__NOEDITSECTION__Taos Pueblo , continuously inhabited for more than 1000 years, is the ancient town of the Northern Tiwa sp...
, and Latir Peak (12,708 feet/3,873 m).
Taos Ski Valley lies just to the west of Wheeler Peak. Much of the central portion of the Taos Mountains are on Taos Pueblo land.

The southern portion of the Taos Mountains, between Palo Flechado Pass and Tres Ritos, 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 (12,441 feet/3,792 m). The Philmont Scout RanchPhilmont Scout Ranch

Philmont Scout Ranch is a large, rugged, mountainous ranch located near the town of Cimarron in the Sangre de Cristo Range o...
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 FeSanta Fe, New Mexico

official_name = Santa Fe, New Mexico...
and surrounds the Pecos WildernessFacts About Pecos Wilderness

The Pecos Wilderness is a protected wilderness area located within the Santa Fe National Forest and Carson National Forest....
, which protects the source watershedDrainage basin

A drainage basin is a region of land where water from rain or snowmelt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river...
of the Pecos RiverPecos River

The Pecos River or Rio Pecos, as it is known in New Mexico, rises near Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, and flows for 92...
. The peaks include Truchas PeakTruchas Peak

Truchas Peak is located 40 km NE of Santa Fe in the Sangre de Cristo Range of New Mexico....
(13,102 feet/3,994 m) as their highest point. Other notable peaks are Santa Fe BaldySanta Fe Baldy

Santa Fe Baldy, elevation 12,622 feet, is a summit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, United States....
(12,622 feet/3,847 m) and Jicarita Peak (12,835 feet/3,912 m). The Pecos Wilderness is crossed by many trails and is popular for backpacking and for fishing in its high alpine lakes.

In culture

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are referenced in the Paul SimonPaul Simon

Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who co...
song, Hearts and BonesFacts About Hearts and Bones

Hearts and Bones is a 1983 rock album by Paul Simon....
.

Mike Tramp of the band White Lion wrote a song called 'Sangre De Cristo' as the opening track off the band's 2008 release 'Return of the Pride.'

Sangre de Cristo Mountains

Prominent peaks

Land management and recreation overview

Subranges

Sangre de Cristo Range

Culebra Range

Taos Mountains

Cimarron Range

Rincon Mountains

Santa Fe Mountains

In culture

See also

External links