The Pyramid Mountains are a 30 mi (48 km) long,

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

in central-east Hidalgo County,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

. The city of Lordsburg and

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally ...

lie at its northern border. The range lies between the northeast corner of the north-south

Animas Valley The Animas Valley is a lengthy and narrow, north–south long, valley located in western Hidalgo County, New Mexico in the Bootheel Region; the extreme south of the valley lies in Sonora-Chihuahua, in the extreme northwest of the Chihuahuan D ...

on the west and the

Playas Playa (plural playas) may refer to: Landforms * Endorheic basin, also known as a sink, alkali flat or sabkha, a desert basin with no outlet which periodically fills with water to form a temporary lake * Dry lake, often called a ''playa'' in the so ...

and Lordsburg valleys to the southeast and northeast respectively. The

continental divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, no ...

passes through the southern end of the range. The

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lowe ...

has its northwest extension into the foothills regions of the Pyramid Mountains.

Description

The Pyramid Mountains are a moderate altitude, north-south trending mountain range at the north of two valleys that also are north-south, and extensive, as the Continental Divide traverses due south through the ridgeline to enter northwest Chihuahua state, Mexico. The

lies west; the

Playas Valley The Playas Valley is a lengthy and narrow 60-mi (97-km) long, valley located in Hidalgo County, New Mexico in the Bootheel Region; the extreme south of the valley lies in Chihuahua. Playas, NM is located in the northeast. The valley is noteworth ...

lies east of this mountain-series ridgeline. The Pyramid Mountains are about 30 mi long, and about 12 mi at its widest. Various peaks and hills form the range as the

water divide A drainage divide, water divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting or height of land is elevated terrain that separates neighboring drainage basins. On rugged land, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a single ...

of the continental divide forms its southeast and south. But the water divide of the Animas Valley continues north 20 mi and then crosses to the north side of Lordsburg. Various semi-arid canyons, draws, and washes also are found in this linear range.

List of peaks and hills

The range consists of a north and south portions separated by a lower elevation pass () between Jose Placencia Canyon on the west and Muir Draw on the east.''Lordsburg, New Mexico,'' 30x60 Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1981 North: * Pyramid Peak, (highpoint) *Fourmile Hill, *Leitendorf Hills *Swallow Fork Peak, (west) *Cedar Mountain, (east) South: *Cedar Knob, (east) *Lightning Dock Mountain, (west) *Russel Hills (east) *Kink Peak, (west) *South Pyramid Peak, (continental divide) *Pinkey Wright Mountain, (continental divide)

Continental Divide

The

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, no ...

starts to leave the forested mountain regions as it goes southwest from Silver City. It passes from the southern

Little Burro Mountains The Little Burro Mountains are a short long mountain range located in Grant County, New Mexico. The range lies adjacent to the southeast border of the larger Big Burro Mountains. The Little Burro Mountains are located 8 mi southwest of Si ...

, crosses the Big Burro's, then on a circuitous route after skirting the northeast of the

Cedar Mountain Range The Cedar Mountain Range is a short 20 mi (32 km) long, mountain range in southwest Luna County, New Mexico, USA, just north of the Mexico–United States border with Chihuahua. The range lies in the northwest Chihuahuan Desert and the ...

, it passes across the

of the north

, west of Hachita. It finally enters a series of north-south ranges, including the

Animas Mountains The Animas Mountains are a small mountain range in Hidalgo County, within the " Boot-Heel" region of far southwestern New Mexico, in the United States. They extend north–south for about 30 miles (50 km) along the Continental Divide,Since ...

, and traverses south into northwest

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, Mexico. It turns from due-west to due-south at South Pyramid Peak, at the southern perimeter region of the Pyramid Mountains. Pinkey Wright Mountain lies 3 mi south on the divide.

References

{{Mountains of New Mexico Great Divide of North America Mountain ranges of Hidalgo County, New Mexico Mountain ranges of New Mexico