Mount Sneffels Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Mount Sneffels Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado
managed by the Uncompahgre National Forest
. It is about 5 miles (8 km) west of the town of Ouray
. The area is named for Mt. Sneffels
(14,150 ft / 4312 m) a prominent fourteener in the San Juan Mountains
. The word "Sneffels" is likely an Americanization of the Old Norse word for Snæfell "snow mountain," which is also the namesake of the Snæfellsnes
peninsula and Snæfellsjökull
volcano in Iceland.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
managed by the Uncompahgre National Forest
Uncompahgre National Forest
Uncompahgre National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 955,229 acres in parts of Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, San Juan, and Delta Counties in western Colorado...
. It is about 5 miles (8 km) west of the town of Ouray
Ouray, Colorado
The historic City of Ouray is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 813 at the U.S. Census 2000 and 1,000 as of the U.S. Census 2010...
. The area is named for Mt. Sneffels
Mount Sneffels
Mount Sneffels is a fourteen thousand foot mountain peak in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness of the northern San Juan Mountains, in Ouray County approximately 5 miles west of the town of Ouray. The summit of Mount Sneffels is the highest point in Ouray...
(14,150 ft / 4312 m) a prominent fourteener in the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
. The word "Sneffels" is likely an Americanization of the Old Norse word for Snæfell "snow mountain," which is also the namesake of the Snæfellsnes
Snæfellsnes
The Snæfellsnes is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western of Iceland.It has been named Iceland in Miniature, as many national sights can be found in the area, including the Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland. With its height of 1446 m, it...
peninsula and Snæfellsjökull
Snæfellsjökull
Snæfellsjökull is a 700,000 year old stratovolcano with a glacier covering its summit in western Iceland. The name of the mountain is actually Snæfell, but it is normally called "Snæfellsjökull" to distinguish it from two other mountains with this name...
volcano in Iceland.