Florida Mountains

The Florida Mountains are a small 12-mi (19 km) long,[1] mountain range in New Mexico. The mountains lie in southern Luna County about 15 mi southeast of Deming, and 20 mi north of Chihuahua, Mexico; the range lies in the north of the Chihuahuan Desert region, and extreme southwestern New Mexico.

Florida Mountains
Needle's Eye, east side of range
Highest point
PeakFlorida Peak, Florida Mountains-(north)
Elevation7,295 ft (2,224 m)
Coordinates32°07′27″N 107°37′18″W
Dimensions
Length12 mi (19 km) NNW-SSE
Width6 mi (9.7 km)
Geography
Florida Mountains
in New Mexico
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
Region(northwest)-Chihuahuan Desert
CountyLuna
Cities & TownsDeming, Sunshine, Waterloo, Columbus
Carne, Myndus
Range coordinates32°05′20″N 107°37′26″W
Borders onDeming, NM & Cookes Range-N
West Potrillo Mountains-E
Cedar Mountain Range-WSW
Topo mapUSGS Gym Peak
Sunrise on Florida Peak

The Florida Mountains are east and adjacent to New Mexico State Road 11, the north–south route to Chihuahua; it becomes Highway 23 in Chihuahua and connects to Mexican Federal Highway 2, the major east–west route of the north Chihuahuan Desert adjacent the U.S.-Mexico border.

Description

The Florida Mountains are a small, compact range about 12-mi long, with various peaks from 5000 to 7000 ft. The range highpoint is Florida Peak, 7,295 feet (2,224 m),[2] which lies near the north. Other high peaks in the center-south, are Gym, Baldy, and South Peak. Four other peaks are in the extreme northwest; besides Florida Peak, the tallest of the other four is Capitol Dome, at 5,962 feet (1,817 m).

Most of the land surrounding the prominent rise of the mountain range are flatlands. Deming, and its suburbs directly south, form the northwest and west border of the range's minor foothills. Populated flatlands are northeast, with open flatlands to the east and southeast.

New Mexico 193 lies at the range's north and northeast, the location of Rockhound State Park. The park is nestled between the Florida Mountains, and a 3-mi (4.8 km) long mountain range called the Little Florida Mountains.

Environment and ecology

Persian (Bezoar) Ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus) have been introduced into the region, and have an established population.[3]

See also

References

  1. New Mexico Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, c. 2009, p. 54-55.
  2. New Mexico Atlas & Gazetteer, p. 54.
  3. "Creature of Controversy: The Persian Ibex" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

Peaks

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