Wheeler Geologic Area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wheeler Geologic Area is a highly eroded outcropping of layers of volcanic ash, located in the La Garita Mountains of Mineral County, in southern Colorado in the western United States. The ash is the result of eruptions from the La Garita Caldera approximately 25 millions years ago.
The area was designated a National Monument from 1908 until 1950. It is now part of the La Garita Wilderness Area and administered by the Rio Grande National Forest. Lying just below the crest of the range at an elevation of 11,960 feet (3645 m), it can best be reached via the East Bellows Trail (FS790).
The formations are named after Captain George M. Wheeler, who explored and surveyed this area in 1874 for the U.S. Army.
[edit] Further Reading
"Hiking Colorado", by Caryn and Peter Boddie (1991). ISBN 1-56044-377-4
[edit] External Links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
