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Needle Mountains
SanJuanCO.JPG
Needle Mountains seen from the San Juan Skyway.
Highest point
Peak Mount Eolus
Elevation 14,089 ft (4,294 m)
Dimensions
Length 54 mi (87 km) N-S
Width 21 mi (34 km) E-W
Area 728 sq mi (1,890 km2)
Geography
Country United States
State Colorado
Parent range
  • San Juan Mountains
  • Rocky Mountains

The Needle Mountains are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains located in the southwestern part of the U.S. State of Colorado. Much of the range is protected in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. The range is notable for having some of the most rugged mountains in the state, and includes many technical climbs and scrambles. A small but dramatic east-west subrange in the northern section is known as the Grenadier Range.

Geology

Unlike the rest of the San Juan Mountains, which are volcanic in origin, the Needle Mountains (along with the Grenadier Range) are a mass of uplifted Precambrian rocks. They consist chiefly of quartzite, granite, and amphibolite. The mountains are referred to as the Needle Mountains Uplift.

Notable peaks

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