North Table Mountain
Encyclopedia
North Table Mountain is a mesa
located just northeast of downtown Golden, Colorado in Jefferson County, Colorado
. Its most distinctive feature is its cap off basaltic rock formed from Tertiary
lava flows from the nearby Ralston Dike. North Table Mountain is a popular scenic and recreational destination of the Denver metro area, and it is preserved as public open space by Jefferson County
and the Access Fund. Recent and ongoing projects by Jefferson County Open Space have resulted in the construction of several new trails and eliminated large numbers of unofficial trails. The mountain has a twin of the same formation nearby, known as South Table Mountain
, separated by the canyon that Clear Creek
has cut in between.
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
located just northeast of downtown Golden, Colorado in Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
. Its most distinctive feature is its cap off basaltic rock formed from Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
lava flows from the nearby Ralston Dike. North Table Mountain is a popular scenic and recreational destination of the Denver metro area, and it is preserved as public open space by Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
and the Access Fund. Recent and ongoing projects by Jefferson County Open Space have resulted in the construction of several new trails and eliminated large numbers of unofficial trails. The mountain has a twin of the same formation nearby, known as South Table Mountain
South Table Mountain (Colorado)
South Table Mountain is a mesa located just southeast of downtown Golden, Colorado in Jefferson County, Colorado. Its most distinctive feature is its cap of basalt rock formed from ancient lava flows. South Table Mountain is a popular scenic and recreational destination of the Denver metro area,...
, separated by the canyon that Clear Creek
Clear Creek (Colorado)
Clear Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States. The creek flows through Clear Creek Canyon in the Rocky Mountains directly west of Denver, descending through a long gorge to emerge on the Colorado Eastern Plains where it...
has cut in between.
Fire
On July 22, 2005, more than 200 acres (81 hectares) were set ablaze. Two fifteen year old boys were charged with first-degree felony arson and misdemeanor fourth-degree arson for lighting fireworks. They claimed to have shot off a roman candle, which started several small spot fires at the base of the north face. After fleeing the scene, an area resident witnessed the act and reported them to the police after the fire escalated. They were soon found by the police and were cooperative. The fire only burned one structure, a toolshed, and some other small miscellaneous pieces of property. The fire cost more than 100,000 dollars (U.S. currency) to contain and extinguish. The fire was contained later the same day, but being summer and the prairie grass conditions, the fire spread rapidly.Wildlife
Among the animals known to frequent the mesa through time according to local newspaper accounts include mountain sheep, mountain lions, deer, elk and more. Several areas are closed seasonally to protect several species of nesting raptors. Of these most except for the mountain sheep continue to live upon the mountain today. In the late 19th century bees also nested in the cliffs.