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The Castles (Colorado)

Coordinates: 38°44′13″N 107°10′07″W / 38.7369392°N 107.1686626°W / 38.7369392; -107.1686626
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Castles
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation12,296 ft (3,748 m)[1][2]
Prominence452 ft (138 m)[1]
Parent peakWest Elk Peak (13,042 ft)[1]
Isolation2.02 mi (3.25 km)[1]
Coordinates38°44′13″N 107°10′07″W / 38.7369392°N 107.1686626°W / 38.7369392; -107.1686626[2]
Geography
The Castles is located in Colorado
The Castles
The Castles
Location in Colorado
The Castles is located in the United States
The Castles
The Castles
The Castles (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyGunnison County
Protected areaWest Elk Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
West Elk Mountains
Topo mapUSGS West Elk Peak
Geology
Rock typeStratified Breccia[3]
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 5.10 climbing[1]

The Castles are naturally occurring pillars of stone in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States.

Description

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The Castles, elevation 12,296-feet (3,748 m), are situated in the West Elk Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The landform is located 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Gunnison in the West Elk Wilderness on land managed by Gunnison National Forest. These 500-ft high pillars are the signature landmark of the West Elk Wilderness,[4] and are one of Colorado's most unique rock formations.[5] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains into Castle Creek → Ohio Creek → Gunnison River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,500 feet (762 m) above South Castle Creek in one mile (1.6 km). The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[2]

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, The Castles is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Castles East, The - 12,296' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "The Castles". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Vera Komárková, Forest Vegetation of the Gunnison and Parts of the Uncompahgre National Forests: A Preliminary Habitat Type Classification , (1988), USDA Forest Service, p. 3.
  4. ^ Backpacker, May 1998, p. 165.
  5. ^ Ralph Lee Hopkins, Lindy Birkel Hopkins (2000), Hiking Colorado's Geology, The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898867084, p. 150.
  6. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
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