San Miguel Mountains

The San Miguel Mountains, often considered separate from the San Juans, are a high, rugged, and compact range to the west of Lizard Head Pass. From just about any vantage point, they are a powerful group of peaks, with three 14ers (plus one almost-14er) close together, all combining to create a majestic panorama many consider unequalled in Colorado. The Coors brewery, trying to trade in on the Rocky Mountain mystique of its beer, has featured the fantastic view of the San Miguels from Telluride very prominently in much of its advertising.

The San Miguel peaks are among the most difficult to climb in Colorado. Mount Wilson is a strong contender for the title of "most difficult 14er", and Lizard Head Peak is widely considered the most difficult single peak in Colorado to climb, requiring YDS 5.6 rock climbing skills.

Navajo Basin is the high bowl in the center of the high peaks of the San Miguel group, and it has a semi-permanent snowfield sometimes called Navajo Glacier, impressive at this latitude, overlooking the deserts of the southwest.

Note: Range borders shown on map are an approximation and are not authoritative.
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