Guadalupe Mountains

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Guadalupe Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains

The Guadalupe Mountains are a mountain range located in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The range includes the highest summit in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, and the "signature peak" of West Texas, El Capitan.

The range lies southeast of the Sacramento Mountains and east of the Brokeoff Mountains. It extends north-northwest and northeast from Guadalupe Peak in Texas into New Mexico. The northeastern extension ends about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Carlsbad, near Whites City and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The northwestern extension, bounded by a dramatic escarpment known as "The Rim", extends much further into New Mexico, to near the Sacramento Mountains. The range is bounded on the north by Four Mile Canyon; on the east by the valley of the Pecos River; and on the west by Piñon Creek, Big Dog Canyon, Valley Canyon, Middle Dog Canyon and West Dog Canyon.

Much of the range is built from the ancient undersea Capitán Reef. For detail on the area's geology, see Delaware Basin.

The range contains many world-class caves, including Carlsbad Caverns (the best known) and Lechuguilla Cave, discovered in 1986. The history of the range includes occupation by ancient Pueblo and Mogollon peoples, and by the Apache and various Anglo outlaws in the 19th century.[1]

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ Butterfield, Mike, and Greene, Peter, Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico, New Mexico Magazine Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-937206-88-1

[edit] See also

El Capitan in 1899.
El Capitan in 1899.