Sawatch Range
Mountain range in Colorado, United States
title: "Sawatch Range" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mountain-ranges-of-colorado", "ranges-of-the-rocky-mountains", "landforms-of-gunnison-county,-colorado", "landforms-of-lake-county,-colorado", "landforms-of-chaffee-county,-colorado", "landforms-of-eagle-county,-colorado", "landforms-of-saguache-county,-colorado", "san-isabel-national-forest"] description: "Mountain range in Colorado, United States" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawatch_Range" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Mountain range in Colorado, United States ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Sawatch Range |
| photo | Monarchpass.JPG |
| photo_caption | Sawatch Range seen from Monarch Pass |
| country | United States |
| state | Colorado |
| parent | Rocky Mountains |
| listing | Mountain ranges of Colorado |
| highest | Mount Elbert |
| elevation | 14440 ft |
| coordinates | |
| geology | |
| length_mi | 80 |
| length_orientation | NW/SE |
| map | USA Colorado |
| :: |
| name=Sawatch Range | other_name= | photo=Monarchpass.JPG | photo_caption= Sawatch Range seen from Monarch Pass | country=United States | state=Colorado | parent=Rocky Mountains | border= | listing = Mountain ranges of Colorado | highest=Mount Elbert | elevation=14440 ft | elevation_ref= | coordinates = | coordinates_ref= | geology= | period= | orogeny= | area_mi2= | length_mi=80 | length_orientation=NW/SE | width_mi= | width_orientation= | map= USA Colorado | map_caption= | range_coordinates = | range_coordinates_ref=
The Sawatch Range or Saguache Range is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14440 ft elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.
The range is oriented along a northwest–southeast axis, extending roughly 80 mi from in the north to in the south. The range contains fifteen peaks in excess of 14000 ft, also known as fourteeners. The range forms a part of the Continental Divide, and its eastern side drains into the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The western side of the range feeds the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River, the Eagle River, and the Gunnison River, tributaries of the Colorado River.
The Sawatch mountains in general are high, massive, and relatively gentle in contour. While some peaks are rugged enough to require technical climbing, most can be climbed by a simple, yet arduous hike. Notable summits include Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, La Plata Peak, Mount of the Holy Cross, and the Collegiate Peaks (Mounts Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Belford, and Oxford).
State Highway 82 traverses the range at Independence Pass. It is also traversed by Cottonwood Pass, which connects the town of Buena Vista with Gunnison County. Both Independence Pass and Cottonwood Pass are over 12000 ft, making them 2 of the highest passes in Colorado and are typically open only from late spring to mid autumn. Hagerman Pass is another pass to the north, connecting the Arkansas Headwaters near Leadville with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River. Hagerman Pass is traversable with four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot during summer and early autumn months. The range contains numerous hiking trails within the San Isabel National Forest and White River National Forest. TOC
Prominent peaks
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Mount_Aetna,_Taylor_Mountain.jpg" caption="m}}) and Taylor Mtn."] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Mount_Elbert2.JPG" caption="[[Mount Elbert]], the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains."] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Sawatch.JPG" caption="Sawatch Range near [[Buena Vista, Colorado]]."] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Tlhope.JPG" caption="Twin Lakes]]."] ::
::data[format=table title="The 18 Mountain Peaks of the Sawatch Range With At Least 500 Meters of Topographic Prominence"]
| Rank | Mountain Peak | Elevation | Prominence | Isolation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | summit]] of Mount Elbert is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains and the State of Colorado. NGS | 4401.200 = 14,440 feet | ||
| 4401 m | 2771.546 = 9,093 feet | |||
| 2772 m | 01079.22 = 670.6 miles | |||
| 1079.2 km | ||||
| 2 | Mount Massive | 4397.607 = 14,428 feet | ||
| 4398 m | 0591.617 = 1,941 feet | |||
| 592 m | 00008.15 = 5.1 miles | |||
| 8.2 km | ||||
| 3 | Mount Harvard NGS | 4395.6 = 14,421 feet | ||
| 4395 m | 0709.270 = 2,327 feet | |||
| 709 m | 00024.01 = 14.9 miles | |||
| 24.0 km | ||||
| 4 | La Plata Peak | 4371.7 = 14,343 feet | ||
| 4372 m | 0561.137 = 1,841 feet | |||
| 561 m | 00010.10 = 6.3 miles | |||
| 10.1 km | ||||
| 5 | Mount Antero NGS | 4351.400 = 14,276 feet | ||
| 4351 m | 0762.914 = 2,503 feet | |||
| 763 m | 00028.56 = 17.7 miles | |||
| 28.6 km | ||||
| 6 | Mount Princeton NGS | 4329.300 = 14,204 feet | ||
| 4329 m | 0663.550 = 2,177 feet | |||
| 664 m | 00008.36 = 5.2 miles | |||
| 8.4 km | ||||
| 7 | Mount Yale NGS | 4328.810 = 14,202 feet | ||
| 4329 m | 0571.805 = 1,876 feet | |||
| 572 m | 00008.93 = 5.5 miles | |||
| 8.9 km | ||||
| 8 | Mount of the Holy Cross NGS | 4270.510 = 14,011 feet | ||
| 4271 m | 0643.433 = 2,111 feet | |||
| 643 m | 00029.81 = 18.5 miles | |||
| 29.8 km | ||||
| 9 | Grizzly Peak NGS | 4265.600 = 13,995 feet | ||
| 4266 m | 0581.558 = 1,908 feet | |||
| 582 m | 00010.89 = 6.8 miles | |||
| 10.9 km | ||||
| 10 | Mount Ouray NGS | 4255.400 = 13,961 feet | ||
| 4255 m | 0810.463 = 2,659 feet | |||
| 810 m | 00021.86 = 13.6 miles | |||
| 21.9 km | ||||
| 11 | Mount Jackson PB | 4168.538 = 13,676 feet | ||
| 4169 m | 0551.688 = 1,810 feet | |||
| 552 m | 00005.16 = 3.2 miles | |||
| 5.2 km | ||||
| 12 | Bill Williams Peak PB | 4080.878 = 13,389 feet | ||
| 4081 m | 0512.674 = 1,682 feet | |||
| 513 m | 00006.51 = 4.0 miles | |||
| 6.5 km | ||||
| 13 | Antora Peak PB | 4046.274 = 13,275 feet | ||
| 4046 m | 0734.263 = 2,409 feet | |||
| 734 m | 00010.86 = 6.7 miles | |||
| 10.9 km | ||||
| 14 | Henry Mountain PB | 4042.037 = 13,261 feet | ||
| 4042 m | 0510.235 = 1,674 feet | |||
| 510 m | 00018.55 = 11.5 miles | |||
| 18.6 km | ||||
| 15 | Park Cone PB | 3689.953 = 12,106 feet | ||
| 3690 m | 0621.792 = 2,040 feet | |||
| 622 m | 00005.53 = 3.4 miles | |||
| 5.5 km | ||||
| 16 | Red Table Mountain PB | 3670.656 = 12,043 feet | ||
| 3671 m | 0614.782 = 2,017 feet | |||
| 615 m | 00016.56 = 10.3 miles | |||
| 16.6 km | ||||
| 17 | Tomichi Dome PB | 3496.225 = 11,471 feet | ||
| 3496 m | 0708.660 = 2,325 feet | |||
| 709 m | 00021.39 = 13.3 miles | |||
| 21.4 km | ||||
| 18 | Castle Peak PB | 3439.719 = 11,285 feet | ||
| 3440 m | 0926.592 = 3,040 feet | |||
| 927 m | 00030.47 = 18.9 miles | |||
| 30.5 km | ||||
| :: |
References
References
- The place name "Saguache” is pronounced “Sawatch” {{IPAc-en. s. ə. ˈ. w. ɑː. tʃ. This name derives from the [[Ute language]] [[noun]] "''sawup''" {{IPAc-en. s. ə. ˈ. w. ʌ. p meaning "sand dunes" and is spelled using the [[Spanish language]] version of this name "Saguache".
- ''Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary'', Third Edition (1997), p. 1060 s.v. Sawatch Range.
- Merkl, Dameon. (February 26, 2013). "What's in a Colorado name pronunciation?". [[The Denver Post]].
- The [[summit (topography). summit]] of [[Mount Elbert]] is the [[elevation. highest point]] of the [[Rocky Mountains]] and the [[State of Colorado]].
- The elevation of this summit has been converted from the [[National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929]] (NGVD 29) to the [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]] (NAVD 88). [http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/faq.shtml#WhatVD29VD88 National Geodetic Survey]
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