La Sal mountain range as seen from Slickrock Trail in Moab, Utah.

The La Sal Range (or La Sal Mountains) is located in Grand and San Juan counties, near the eastern border of the state of Utah, and rising above the town of Moab. This range is part of the Manti-La Sal National Forest and the southern Rocky Mountains. The maximum elevation is at Mount Peale, reaching 12,721 feet (3,877 m) above sea level. The range contains three clusters of peaks separated by passes. The peaks span a distance of about 18 miles (25 km). The name of the range dates to Spanish times, when the Sierra La Sal (meaning the "Salt Mountains") were a prominent landmark on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. Mountain Bikers on the Slickrock Trail One of several steep hills on the Slickrock Trail The Slickrock Trail, located near Moab, Utah, is a popular mountain biking destination with worldwide fame. ... For other instances of Moab, see Moab (disambiguation). ... Grand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. ... San Juan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other instances of Moab, see Moab (disambiguation). ... La Sal mountain range as seen from Arches National Park First snow in La Sal Forest The Manti-La Sal National Forest covers 1,413,111 acres (5,718 km²) and is located in the U.S. state of Utah. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... The Old Spanish Trail is a historic trade route which connected the northern New Mexican settlement of Santa Fé with that of Los Ángeles in California. ...

The range formed as a result of intrusion of igneous rocks and subsequent erosion of the surrounding less-resistant sedimentary rocks. The most abundant igneous rocks are porphyritic, with phenocrysts of hornblende and plagioclase: these rocks are called diorite in some accounts but trachyte in at least one other source. Syenite, some containing the unusual mineral nosean, makes up a few percent of the igneous rocks present. Some of the igneous intrusions have the shapes of laccoliths. Ages of these igneous rocks fall in the interval 25 to 28 million years. The magmas were emplaced into sedimentary rocks with ages from Permian to Cretaceous. Volcanic rock on North America Plutonic rock on North America Igneous rocks (etymology from latin ignis, fire) are rocks formed by solidification of cooled magma (molten rock), with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. ... (For other meanings of Porphyr, see Porphyry) The baptismal font in the Cathedral of Magdeburg is made of rose porphyry from a site near Assuan, Egypt Porphyry is a very hard red, green or purple igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a... A phenocryst is a relatively large and usually conspicuous crystal formed in the mass of a porphyritic igneous rock. ... Amphibole (Hornblende) Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals. ... Lunar Ferroan Anorthosite #60025 (Plagioclase Feldspar). ... Categories: Mineral stubs | Igneous rocks ... A sample of trachyte Trachyte is an igneous, volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. ... Syenite leucocratic variety of nepheline syenite from Sweden (särnaite). ... Nosean, also known as Noselite, is a form of sodalite. ... A laccolith is an igneous intrusion (or concordant pluton) that has been injected between two layers of sedimentary rock. ... The Permian is a geologic period that extends from about 299. ... // The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ...

La Sal mountain range as seen from Arches National Park.

A bare peak of the La Sal Range in late June, as seen from La Sal Mountains Viewpoint in Arches National Park.

The La Sal Range rises high over the surrounding Colorado Plateau. Two other ranges on the Plateau, the Abajo Mountains and the Henry Mountains, formed around igneous intrusions of about the same age. Yet other nearby ranges, such as the Carrizo Mountains and Ute Mountain, formed about otherwise similar intrusions emplaced about 70 million years ago. Formation of these igneous rocks in two distinct time intervals has attracted the interest of scientists seeking explanations for magma production below relatively stable parts of the Earth's crust. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x681, 220 KB) Summary La Sal mountain range as seen from Arches National Park, selfmade photograph in September 04 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Manti-La Sal National Forest ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x681, 220 KB) Summary La Sal mountain range as seen from Arches National Park, selfmade photograph in September 04 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Manti-La Sal National Forest ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateaus Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. ... The Abajo Mountains, also called the Blue Mountains, are a small mountain range west of Monticello, Utah, south of Canyonlands National Park and north of Blanding, Utah. ... An image of peaks in the Henry mountains viewed from a high mountain road. ... The Carrizo Mountains (36°50 N, 109°7W) are a small range 15 to 20 km (9 to 12 miles) in diameter located on the Colorado Plateau in northeastern Arizona. ... Ute Mountain, also known as Sleeping Ute Mountain or Sleeping Man Mountain, is a small range of mountains in Montezuma County in extreme Southwestern Colorado, just northeast of the Four Corners Monument. ...

Mountain ranges associated with laccoliths and other igneous intrusions on part of the Colorado Plateau. The red dot marks the Four Corners, the intersection of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. L, La Sal Range; A, Abajo Mountains; S, (Sleeping) Ute Mountain; C, Carrizo Mountains; N, Navajo Mountain; H, Henry Mountains. Cropped, marked, and lower resolution from original image of NASA Visible Earth http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov//2883/4corners_2002160.jpg

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 480 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (900 × 1124 pixel, file size: 324 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mountain ranges associated with laccoliths and other igneous intrusions on the Colorado Plateau, southwestern United States. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 480 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (900 × 1124 pixel, file size: 324 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mountain ranges associated with laccoliths and other igneous intrusions on the Colorado Plateau, southwestern United States. ... A laccolith is an igneous intrusion (or concordant pluton) that has been injected between two layers of sedimentary rock. ... The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateaus Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. ... The Abajo Mountains, also called the Blue Mountains, are a small mountain range west of Monticello, Utah, south of Canyonlands National Park and north of Blanding, Utah. ... Ute Mountain, also known as Sleeping Ute Mountain or Sleeping Man Mountain, is a small range of mountains in Montezuma County in extreme Southwestern Colorado, just northeast of the Four Corners Monument. ... The Carrizo Mountains (36°50 N, 109°7W) are a small range 15 to 20 km (9 to 12 miles) in diameter located on the Colorado Plateau in northeastern Arizona. ... Navajo Mountain, in southeastern Utah, is a laccolith, a dome-shaped chunk of igneous rock that intruded into the sedimentary layers and lifted up the overlying layer. ... An image of peaks in the Henry mountains viewed from a high mountain road. ...

Peaks of the La Sal Range

The significant peaks of the La Sal Range are:

• Mount Peale - 12,721 feet (3877 m)
• Mount Mellenthin - 12,645 feet (3854 m)
• Mount Tukuhnikivatz - 12,482 feet (3805 m)
• Mount Waas - 12,331 feet (3758 m)
• Manns Peak - 12,272 feet (3741 m)
• Mount Laurel - 12,271 feet (3740 m)
• Mount Tomasaki - 12,239 feet (3730 m)
• Pilot Mountain - 12,200 feet (3719 m)
• Green Mountain - 12,163 feet (3707 m)
• Little Tuk - 12,048 feet (3672 m)
• Castle Peak - 12,044 feet (3671 m)
• La Sal Peak - 12,001 feet (3658 m)

References

Jules D. Friedman and A. Curtis Huffman, Jr., Coordinators, Laccolith Complexes of Southeastern Utah: Time of Emplacement and Tectonic Setting -- Workshop Proceedings, United States Geological Survey Bulletin 2158, 292 pages, 1998. http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/b2158/B2158.pdf

External links

• Manti La Sal National Forest
• Maps and aerial photos for 38°31′34″N 109°15′20″W / 38.526144, -109.255600Coordinates: 38°31′34″N 109°15′20″W / 38.526144, -109.255600
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  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA