5-830: Chicago Basin comprises the upper portion of the Needle Creek watershed in the Needle Mountains (Colorado) , a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the US State of Colorado . It lies within the Weminuche Wilderness , part of the San Juan National Forest . Needle Creek is an east-side tributary of the Animas River . The basin is a popular destination in summer for climbers and backpackers. The upper portion of
10-555: A location near the confluence of Needle Creek and the Animas. Visitors to Chicago Basin typically ride the train from Durango or Silverton, get off at Needleton, and hike about 6 miles up Needle Creek to the basin itself. There are mountain goats at Chicago Basin. Many backpackers continue over Columbine Pass to the watershed of Vallecito Creek . 37°36′35″N 107°36′34″W / 37.6096°N 107.6094°W / 37.6096; -107.6094 This Colorado state location article
15-475: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Needle Mountains (Colorado) The Needle Mountains are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains located in the southwestern part of the U.S. State of Colorado . Much of the range is protected in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest . The range is notable for having some of the most rugged mountains in
20-462: The basin is surrounded by three fourteeners : Mount Eolus , Windom Peak , and Sunlight Peak . Columbine Pass lies to the east of the lower basin. The standard route of access to Chicago Basin is somewhat unusual. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad , driven by a historical steam locomotive , runs through the canyon of the Animas River. It makes a stop (when requested) at Needleton,
25-672: The state, and includes many technical climbs and scrambles . A small but dramatic east–west subrange in the northern section is known as the Grenadier Range . Unlike the rest of the San Juan Mountains, which are volcanic in origin, the Needle Mountains (along with the Grenadier Range) are a mass of uplifted Precambrian rocks. They consist chiefly of quartzite , granite , and amphibolite . The mountains are referred to as
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