The Brazos Mountains is a range in far northern

Rio Arriba County Rio Arriba County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,246. Its county seat is Tierra Amarilla. Its northern border is the Colorado state line. Rio Arriba County comprises the Española, N ...

, in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The range is part of the

Tusas Mountains The Tusas Mountains are a mountain range in northern New Mexico, extending slightly into southern Colorado. They are considered the southeasternmost part of the San Juan Mountains. Grouse Mesa, , is the highest peak in the range. The mountains a ...

(the southern portion of the San Juan Mountains), which extended slightly into Colorado. A high crest runs from the border with Colorado for over in a south-southeasterly direction. The high point of the range at is on Grouse Mesa, at the Brazos Benchmark. Two miles (3 km) to the southeast is the more distinctive Brazos Peak, at 11,288 feet (3440 m). The range is mostly located in the privately held Tierra Amarilla Land Grant (the

Carson National Forest Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows ...

is to the east and south). It is a distinctive part of the view from the west, including from Heron Lake. U.S. Route 64 crosses the southern end of the range at a 10,481 foot (3194 m) pass. This is the highest paved through road pass in New Mexico. Nearby are the photogenic Brazos Cliffs, headwaters of the Rio Brazos and part of the

Rio Chama The Rio Chama, a major tributary river of the Rio Grande, is located in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico. The river is about long altogether. From its source to El Vado Dam its length is about , from El Vado Dam to Abiquiu Dam is about ...

river system. These mountains overlook the Chama River, the largest tributary of the Rio Grande which lies to the east. In essence, these mountains are the southern extension of the South San Juan Range that lies in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Brazos Mountains New Mexico

Geology

The Brazos Mountains are the southwestern remnants of a Laramide peneplain resulting from the erosion of mountains formed 80 to 55 million years ago during the Laramide orogeny. To the east and northeast lie the

Sangre de Cristo Mountains ) , country= United States , subdivision1_type= States , subdivision1= , parent= Rocky Mountains , geology= , orogeny= , area_mi2= 17193 , range_coordinates= , length_mi= 242 , length_orientation= north-south , width_mi= 120 , w ...

which share a similar geological history. The Brazos Cliffs, which form a dramatic backdrop to Tierra Amarilla, are formed of Precambrian quartzite.

References

External links

* * {{Mountains of New Mexico Landforms of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Mountain ranges of New Mexico