Palo Pinto Mountains
Encyclopedia
The term Palo Pinto Mountains properly refers to a specific cuesta
-like range of hills in western Palo Pinto County
, Texas
. The name Palo Pinto roughly translates to "painted stick" in reference to the juniper
trees of the area. Isolated, rugged, and scenic, the ridge extends some fifteen miles, from near the intersection of Texas State Highway 16 and Farm to Market Road 207 in the southwest, to Crawford Mountain just south of the Fortune Bend on the Brazos River
in the northeast.
The Palo Pinto Mountains are located in, and form part of, the Carbonate Cross Timbers, a Level IV ecoregion
defined by the Environmental Protection Agency
. However, the term "Palo Pinto Mountains" is also used colloquially to refer to a much larger area, essentially the entire portion of the much more extensive Western Cross Timbers located north of I-20
. The mountains have been called a northern extension of the Hill Country
, and indeed they are both dissected plateau
s featuring karst topography
with similar vegetation, including Post Oak (Quercus stellata), Red Juniper (Juniperus virginiana
), and mesquite
. The smaller Carbonate Cross Timbers also has a limestone
substrate
, as does the Hill Country, although the surrounding Western Cross Timbers is underlain by sandstone
instead.
The high point of the range depends on which definition one is using; if referring to the specific line of hills, the high point is Crawford Mountain at the north end, with an elevation of 1470 feet (448.1 m) and about 360 feet (109.7 m) of prominence
. If referring to the broader hilly region, however, the highest point is the unnamed high point of Stephens County, at 1628 feet (496.2 m).
and Palo Pinto
counties, most of Stephens County
, large parts of Parker
, Montague
, and Wise
counties, and smaller portions of Young
, Cooke
, and Clay
counties. This area includes the towns of Bowie
(on the northwestern fringe), Graham
, Jacksboro
, Bridgeport
, Decatur
(on the eastern edge), Breckenridge
, Mineral Wells, and Springtown
. It also includes Possum Kingdom Lake
and its state park
.
Using the strict definition of the Palo Pinto Mountains, the only road that crosses the range is US 180, which enters from the east at a pass
known as Metcalf Gap
, although State Highway 16 south of US 180 runs adjacent to the eastern escarpment
of the cuesta. Speaking of the broader region, however, US 380 and State Highway 114 traverse the area's northern fringes, and US 281 runs north-south through the region; State Highway 59 also runs through the northeastern portion. Numerous Farm to Market Roads, most notably FM 4
, also cross the area.
Cuesta
In structural geology and geomorphology, a cuesta is a ridge formed by gently tilted sedimentary rock strata in a homoclinal structure. Cuestas have a steep slope, where the rock layers are exposed on their edges, called an escarpment or, if more steep, a cliff...
-like range of hills in western Palo Pinto County
Palo Pinto County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,026 people, 10,594 households, and 7,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 14,102 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The name Palo Pinto roughly translates to "painted stick" in reference to the juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
trees of the area. Isolated, rugged, and scenic, the ridge extends some fifteen miles, from near the intersection of Texas State Highway 16 and Farm to Market Road 207 in the southwest, to Crawford Mountain just south of the Fortune Bend on the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
in the northeast.
The Palo Pinto Mountains are located in, and form part of, the Carbonate Cross Timbers, a Level IV ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
defined by the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
. However, the term "Palo Pinto Mountains" is also used colloquially to refer to a much larger area, essentially the entire portion of the much more extensive Western Cross Timbers located north of I-20
Interstate 20 in Texas
Interstate 20 in Texas is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, running east from a junction with Interstate 10 east of Kent, Texas, through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the border with Louisiana near Waskom, Texas...
. The mountains have been called a northern extension of the Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
, and indeed they are both dissected plateau
Dissected plateau
A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity...
s featuring karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
with similar vegetation, including Post Oak (Quercus stellata), Red Juniper (Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
), and mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
. The smaller Carbonate Cross Timbers also has a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
substrate
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
, as does the Hill Country, although the surrounding Western Cross Timbers is underlain by sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
instead.
The high point of the range depends on which definition one is using; if referring to the specific line of hills, the high point is Crawford Mountain at the north end, with an elevation of 1470 feet (448.1 m) and about 360 feet (109.7 m) of prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
. If referring to the broader hilly region, however, the highest point is the unnamed high point of Stephens County, at 1628 feet (496.2 m).
Human habitation and access
Using the broader colloquial definition of the Palo Pinto Mountains, they cover all of JackJack County, Texas
*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...
and Palo Pinto
Palo Pinto County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,026 people, 10,594 households, and 7,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 14,102 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
counties, most of Stephens County
Stephens County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,674 people, 3,661 households, and 2,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 4,893 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
, large parts of Parker
Parker County, Texas
As of the census of 2003, there were 98,495 people, 31,131 households, and 24,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile . There were 34,084 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, Montague
Montague County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,117 people, 7,770 households, and 5,485 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
, and Wise
Wise County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,793 people, 17,178 households, and 13,467 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 19,242 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
counties, and smaller portions of Young
Young County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,943 people, 7,167 households, and 5,081 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 8,504 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
, Cooke
Cooke County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,363 people, 13,643 households, and 10,000 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile . There were 15,061 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, and Clay
Clay County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
counties. This area includes the towns of Bowie
Bowie, Texas
Bowie is a city in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,219 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Bowie has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
(on the northwestern fringe), Graham
Graham, Texas
Graham is a city in north central Texas. It is the county seat of Young County, and as of the 2010 Census had a population of 8,903.-History:...
, Jacksboro
Jacksboro, Texas
Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. Jacksboro is located at the junction of U.S...
, Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Texas
Bridgeport is a city in Wise County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,309 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Bridgeport has a total area of 3.7 square miles , of which, 3.7 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square miles of it is...
, Decatur
Decatur, Texas
Decatur is a city located in Wise County, Texas, United States. This city was named after Stephen Decatur, Jr. The population was 5,201 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 6,432. It is the county seat of Wise County...
(on the eastern edge), Breckenridge
Breckenridge, Texas
Breckenridge is a city in Stephens County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,868 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County...
, Mineral Wells, and Springtown
Springtown, Texas
Springtown is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,062 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Springtown is located at ....
. It also includes Possum Kingdom Lake
Possum Kingdom Lake
Possum Kingdom Lake , is a reservoir on the Brazos River located primarily in Palo Pinto County Texas. It was the first water supply reservoir constructed in the Brazos River basin. The lake has an area of approximately with of shoreline...
and its state park
Possum Kingdom State Park
Possum Kingdom State Park is a state park in Palo Pinto County, Texas, that was built in the 1940s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It covers approximately , and lies in the Palo Pinto Mountains and Brazos River Valley of Texas. The park borders the large Possum Kingdom Lake, a lake known for...
.
Using the strict definition of the Palo Pinto Mountains, the only road that crosses the range is US 180, which enters from the east at a pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
known as Metcalf Gap
Metcalf Gap
Metcalf Gap is a pass through the Palo Pinto Mountains in western Palo Pinto County, Texas. The bluffs of the mountains form an escarpment running southwest to northeast, intersected by the Gap, and rise some 250-300 feet above the pastures to the southeast. The pass itself lies at an elevation...
, although State Highway 16 south of US 180 runs adjacent to the eastern escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
of the cuesta. Speaking of the broader region, however, US 380 and State Highway 114 traverse the area's northern fringes, and US 281 runs north-south through the region; State Highway 59 also runs through the northeastern portion. Numerous Farm to Market Roads, most notably FM 4
Farm to Market Road 4
Farm to Market Road 4, Farm Road 4, or FM 4 is a Texas state road that runs from Grandview north and west to Jacksboro.-History:The route was designated in 1942 between Santo and U.S. Highway 80, replacing Spur 40. The route was extended north to U.S. Highway 180 by 1945, replacing FM 130. The...
, also cross the area.