The Rocky Mountains extend nearly 3,000 miles from northern British Colombia through western Canada and the United States to southern New Mexico. It is the largest of four major ranges in the western United States which includes the Coast, Sierra Nevada, and Cascades Ranges. The "Rockies," as they are often called, feature hundreds of peaks over 10,000 feet and many over 14,000 feet. Mt. Elbert, in Colorado, is the highest peak in the Rockies, rising to 14,433 feet. Nearby Pike's Peak is the nation's most visited mountain. Surprisingly, the Rockies are much younger than the eroded Appalachian Mountains to the east. The Rockies were formed between 80 and 55 million years ago, whereas the Appalachians are nearly 500 million years old. |
