The Castles (Colorado)

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

The Castles
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,296 ft (3,748 m)[1][2]
Prominence	452 ft (138 m)[1]
Parent peak	West Elk Peak (13,042 ft)[1]
Isolation	2.02 mi (3.25 km)[1]
Coordinates	38°44′13″N 107°10′07″W[2]
Geography
The Castles Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado The Castles The Castles (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Gunnison County
Protected area	West Elk Wilderness
Parent range	Rocky Mountains West Elk Mountains
Topo map	USGS West Elk Peak
Geology
Rock type	Stratified Breccia[3]
Climbing
Easiest route	class 5.10 climbing[1]

Description

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

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

• Mountains portal
• List of mountain peaks of Colorado

Gallery

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References

1. "Castles East, The - 12,296' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
2. "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.

External links

• The Castles: weather forecast
• The Castles rock climbing: Mountainproject.com