Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, or Rockies, are a major mountain range located in the west side of North America. The Rocky Mountains cover areas from New Mexico to British Columbia, Canada, spanning a massive area of over 3,000 miles!
The mountain chain holds a number of nature sanctuaries as well as tourist spots, including Rocky Mountain National Park, and a number of beautiful climbing and mountain recreation towns, including Keystone, Colorado and its popular ski resort, and also Colorado’s beloved Estes Park.
The Rocky Mountains were first formed 80 million to 55 million years ago, caused by the shifting of the Earth’s plates. They form North America’s Great Divide, or the Continental Divide of the Americas, which is the line at which waters flow either to the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.
Countries: United States, Canada
State/Province: (from north to south) British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
Major Mountain Ranges: The Rocky Mountains have several major mountain ranges within it, including Brooks Range, the Rocky Mountain System of Canada, Northern Rockies, Middle Rockies, and the Southern Rockies.
Highest Peak: Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet / 4,401 meters
Sources:
- Wikipedia: Rocky Mountains
- Google Maps
