Eldorado Mountain
| Eldorado Mountain | |
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Eldorado Mountain from the east in August 2007
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,344 ft (2,543 m) |
| Prominence | 640 ft (195 m) |
| Isolation | 1.76 mi (2.83 km) |
| Coordinates | 39°54′51″N 105°17′41″W / 39.9141531°N 105.2947131°WCoordinates: 39°54′51″N 105°17′41″W / 39.9141531°N 105.2947131°W |
| Geography | |
 Eldorado Mountain
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| Location | Boulder and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States |
| Parent range | Front Range |
| Topo map |
USGS 7.5' topographic map Eldorado Springs, Colorado |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | hike |
Eldorado Mountain is a mountain summit on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 8,344-foot (2,543 m) peak is located 8.1 miles (13.1 km) south by west (bearing 196°) of downtown Boulder, Colorado, United States. The mountain is largely in Boulder County but it straddles the border and its southern flanks are located in Jefferson County. Its name was probably borrowed from the nearby community of Eldorado Springs.
On the Boulder County side, about half of the mountain is owned by the City of Boulder; other large parcels are owned by Boulder County, Eldorado Canyon State Park and the Bureau of Land Management. On the Jefferson County side, various parcels are owned by private parties.
The lowest part of the mountain is its northeast toe with an elevation of about 5,800 feet (1,800 m)—giving the mountain a total height of about 2,500 feet (760 m). At its longest, the mountain measures about two miles (3 km) across on a south-east axis. The summit is owned by the City of Boulder. The City has a policy that restricts public access to this part of its holdings, and there is no trail going to the summit.
Near the top of the mountain is a large antenna field with two buildings overlooking the steep slope on the east. The radio station KBCO transmits from this site. The site is reached by a private dirt road that starts further south in Plainview (a small community with less than a dozen homes) and then climbs the steep southern flanks.
On the east flank of Eldorado Mountain is its largest cliff, Mickey Mouse Wall. When viewed from the north, two buttresses at the top of the cliff look like a pair of mouse ears. But, from the east, Mickey Mouse looks just like one of the flatirons. The only trail on this side of the mountain is a climber's trail accessing Mickey Mouse Wall. (As of September 2007, the City of Boulder was planning to re-align this trail.) Also on the east flank are the remains of the Conda Quarry, covering about 7 acres (28,000 m2). The quarry operated from the 1950s through the 1980s. In 1992, in order to preserve the land as open space, the City of Boulder purchased the quarry along with the underlying land and mining rights. Later, the City undertook a reclamation project on the site, although the quarry is still visible. Down from the quarry on the access road is the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram.
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Wikipedia