Big Hatchet Mountains
| Big Hatchet Mountains | |
|---|---|
Big Hatchet Peak at extreme northwest end of range
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Big Hatchet Peak-(northwest perimeter of range) (Big Hatchet Mountains) |
| Elevation | 8,356 ft (2,547 m) |
| Coordinates | 31°38′07″N 108°23′56″W / 31.63528°N 108.39889°W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 18 mi (29 km) NW-SE |
| Width | 8 mi (13 km) |
| Geography | |
 Big Hatchet Mountains
Big Hatchet Mountains-(Sheridan Wells, range center) in New Mexico
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Region |
New Mexico Bootheel ((northwest)-Chihuahuan Desert) |
| District | Hidalgo County NM |
| Settlement | Hachita, NM |
| Range coordinates | 31°35′50″N 108°20′14″W / 31.59722°N 108.33722°WCoordinates: 31°35′50″N 108°20′14″W / 31.59722°N 108.33722°W |
| Borders on |
Little Hatchet Mountains-NNW Hatchita Valley-N & NE Playas Valley-NW, W & SW Alamo Hueco Mountains-S |
The Big Hatchet Mountains are an 18 mi (29 km) long, mountain range in southeast Hidalgo County, New Mexico, adjacent the northern border of Chihuahua state, Mexico.
The range lies just south of a westerly excursion of the Continental Divide of the Americas; it lies on the eastern perimeter of the extensive, narrow, and north-south Playas Valley, and is the center range of three mostly arid, low to moderate-elevation ranges that lie on the valley's east perimeter. The mountain range lies in the extreme northwest of the Chihuahuan Desert.
The range is 18 mi long and only about 8 mi wide. It trends northwest by southeast as does the Alamo Hueco Mountains to the south; the Little Hatchet Mountains bordering the range northwest, trend similarly, but have a more true north traverse.
Geologically this range is part of the Basin and Range Province which spans much of the southwestern U.S. and parts of northern Mexico. It is a fault-block range made up of Paleozoic limestone and Cretaceous shale and sandstones.
Ecologically, the Big Hatchet Mountains lie near the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sonoran Desert, but their large relief provides many ecological niches more in keeping with the mountains to the north. Notable inhabitants include bats, raptors, bighorn sheep, and javelina.
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Wikipedia