Steamboat Rock (Dinosaur National Monument)
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Steamboat Rock
| photo = Dinosaur National Monument Steamboat Rock.jpg
| photo_caption = Steamboat Rock, south aspect
| elevation_ft = 6074
| elevation_ref = {{cite web|url=https://listsofjohn.com/peak/6464|title=Steamboat Rock - 6,074' CO|website=listsofjohn.com|accessdate=2020-10-02}}
| prominence_ft = 294
| isolation_mi = 0.9
| parent_peak = Jenny Lind Rock
| location = Dinosaur National Monument
Moffat County, Colorado, US
| map = Colorado#USA
| map_caption = Location in Colorado
| map_size = 230
| label_position = right
| coordinates = {{coord|40.5349638|N|108.9867849|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| range = Uinta Mountains
| topo = USGS Canyon of Lodore South
| rock = Weber Sandstone
| age = Permian-Pennsylvanian
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route = {{YDS|5+}} climbing
}}
Steamboat Rock, reaching an elevation of 6,074 ft (1,851 m) is a promontory located in the eastern Uinta Mountains, in Moffat County of northwest Colorado, United States.{{gnis|170661|Steamboat Rock}} This iconic landmark of Dinosaur National Monument is situated at the confluence of the Green River and Yampa River. Precipitation runoff from this feature drains into the Green River. This geographical formation was originally named "Echo Rock" in John Wesley Powell's 1875 report, The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons. The Steamboat name first appeared on a 1941 United States Geological Survey map of Dinosaur National Monument. The area around it still retains the Echo Park name applied by Powell during the Powell Geographic Expedition of 1869.
Geology
Steamboat Rock is a mile-long, 1,000-ft high, slender peninsular ridge within a meander of the Green River. It is composed almost entirely of Permian-Pennsylvanian Weber Sandstone, with a thin layer of Park City Formation caprock.H. E. Thomas, Hydrologic Reconnaissance of the Green River in Utah and Colorado, US Department of the Interior, 1962, page 10. It is located where the river exits Lodore Canyon and enters Echo Park. The river drops 15 feet as it courses around Steamboat Rock.
Gallery
File:Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado.jpg|From the SSW
File:Dinosaur National Monument's Steamboat Rock.jpg|From the SSW
File:Dinosaur National Monument, Steamboat Rock.jpg|The south end of Steamboat Rock
File:Confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers (17396238518).jpg|Confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers below the east wall of Steamboat Rock
File:Steamboat Rock, Dinosaur.jpg|From the southwest
File:Green River Steamboat Rock NPS1.jpg|From the west
View of the Green and Yampa River canyons from Harpers Corner, Dinosaur National Monument, 2009.jpg|Broad view from the west
File:Steamboat Rock 1871.jpg|Earliest known image of Steamboat Rock (1871)
Climate
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Steamboat Rock. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone, with temperatures averaging between 0 °F to 30 °F in January, and 50 °F to 100 °F in July.[https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/weather.htm Weather Dinosaur National Monument. National Park Service.gov] Typical of high deserts, summer temperatures can be exceedingly hot, while winter temperatures can be very cold. Snowfall is common, but the snow melts rapidly in the arid and sunny climate. Rainfall is very low, and the evaporation rate classifies the area as desert, even though the rainfall exceeds 10 inches.
{{Weather box
|location = Dinosaur National Monument
|single line = Yes
|Jan high F = 33.0
|Feb high F = 39.0
|Mar high F = 50.4
|Apr high F = 60.8
|May high F = 71.9
|Jun high F = 83.2
|Jul high F = 90.5
|Aug high F = 87.9
|Sep high F = 77.7
|Oct high F = 63.6
|Nov high F = 45.7
|Dec high F = 34.2
|year high F = 61.5
|Jan low F = 10.8
|Feb low F = 15.2
|Mar low F = 25.0
|Apr low F = 31.8
|May low F = 40.5
|Jun low F = 48.9
|Jul low F = 56.6
|Aug low F = 54.7
|Sep low F = 45.5
|Oct low F = 34.9
|Nov low F = 23.3
|Dec low F = 12.7
|year low F = 33.3
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.64
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.56
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.88
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.17
|May precipitation inch = 1.30
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.06
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.01
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.89
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.24
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.46
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.80
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.62
|year precipitation inch = 11.64
|Jan snow inch = 9.2
|Feb snow inch = 6.6
|Mar snow inch = 5.9
|Apr snow inch = 3.5
|May snow inch = 0.7
|Jun snow inch = 0.2
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.2
|Oct snow inch = 1.6
|Nov snow inch = 4.7
|Dec snow inch = 8.3
|year snow inch = 41.1
|source 1 = The Western Regional Climate Center{{cite web| url =http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?codino| title =Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information | accessdate =May 3, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center}}
|date=April 2011
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- Steamboat Rock: [https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-5582369/United%20States/Colorado/Moffat/Steamboat%20Rock Weather forecast]
Category:Dinosaur National Monument
Category:Mountains of Moffat County, Colorado