San Juan Mountains

a mountain range in SW Colorado and N New Mexico: a part of the Rocky Mountains. Highest peak, Uncompahgre Peak, 14,306 ft. (4360 m).

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Segment of the southern Rocky Mountains, southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico, U.S. The mountains extend from southwestern Colorado along the course of the Rio Grande to the Chama River in northern New Mexico.

Many peaks in the northern section exceed 14,000 ft (4,300 m), including Mounts Eolus, Sneffels, and Redcloud. Uncompahgre Peak is the highest, at 14,309 ft (4,361 m). Composed mainly of volcanic rocks, the mountains have a rugged, well-forested terrain.

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▪ mountains, Colorado, United States

  segment of the southern Rockies, extending southeastward for 150 mi (240 km) from Ouray, in southwestern Colorado, U.S., along the course of the Rio Grande to the Chama River, in northern New Mexico. Many peaks in the northern section exceed 14,000 ft (4,300 m), including Mts. Eolus, Sneffels, Handies, Sunshine, Wetterhorn, Redcloud, San Luis, and Windom, with Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft) being the highest. Few summits in New Mexico reach 11,000 ft. Composed mainly of volcanic rocks, which are highly mineralized in the north, the mountains serve as a source for headstreams of the Rio Grande and San Juan River and are embraced by Uncompahgre, San Juan, Rio Grande, and Carson national forests. Early Spanish explorers used Cumbres Pass (10,025 ft; near the New Mexico border), which is now crossed by road, as is Wolf Creek Pass (10,850 ft).

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