Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The
Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost
subrange of the
Rocky Mountains. They are located in northern
New Mexico and southern
Colorado in the
United States. The mountains run from Poncha Pass in southcentral Colorado, trending southeast and south, ending at a point southeast of
Santa Fe, New Mexico.The mountains contain a number of
fourteen thousand foot peaks in the Colorado portion, and the New Mexico portion contains all of the peaks in New Mexico which are over thirteen thousand feet.
The name,
Spanish 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. 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.
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are divided into various subranges, which we will describe from north to south. The northernmost portion of the mountains, entirely in Colorado between Poncha Pass and La Veta Pass, is known as the
Sangre de Cristo Range; see that article for more details. (Usage of the terms "Range" and "Mountains" is inconsistent, but we will reserve "Range" for that portion of the mountains.) Between La Veta Pass and Costilla Creek, spanning the Colorado-New Mexico border, is the Culebra Range. The rest of the subranges are entirely in New Mexico. Between Costilla Creek and Palo Flechado Pass lie the
Taos Mountains. Across the Moreno Valley, to the east of the Taos Mountains, is the Cimarron Range. Between Palo Flechado Pass and the
Pecos Wilderness lie the small subranges of the Fernando Mountains and the Rincon Mountains. The southernmost portion of the mountains, near Santa Fe, are usually just called the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and do not have a specific subrange name.
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 popular for
camping,
hiking,
backpacking,
climbing, and
cross-country and
downhill skiing.
The mountains include two large wilderness areas, the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in Colorado and the
Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico, as well as some smaller wilderness areas. The
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve lies on the southwest side of the mountains in Colorado.
See the
Sangre de Cristo Range article for the northernmost portion of the mountains.
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 Peak (14,047 feet/4,282 m), which is notable for being the only
fourteener in Colorado which is on private land. Standing to the east of the main crest are the two prominent
Spanish Peaks (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
volcanic, with conical shapes and prominent
dikes radiating outward. These peaks were important landmarks on the mountain branch of the
Santa Fe Trail.
Taos Mountains
The Taos Mountains span the western lobe of the range from Costilla Creek in the north, to Palo Flechado Pass in the south. They include the highest point in New Mexico,
Wheeler Peak (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 Pueblo, and
Latir Peak (12,708 feet/3,873 m).
Taos Ski Valley lies just to the west of Wheeler Peak. Much of the southern portion of the Taos Mountains are on Taos Pueblo land.
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 Ranch lies on the east side of the Cimarron Range.
Fernando and Rincon Mountains
These are minor subranges, significantly lower than the rest of the Sangre de Cristos.
Southern Sangre de Cristos
Rounding out the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the group of peaks near
Santa Fe and surrounding the
Pecos Wilderness, which protects the source
watershed of the
Pecos River. The peaks include
Truchas Peak (13,102 feet/3,994 m) as their highest point. Other notable peaks are
Santa Fe Baldy (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.
 |
The sun sets over New Mexico's Wheeler Peak in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. |
Robert Julyan,
The Place Names of New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press, 1998.
