A valley view at 9,000 feet Oct 6, 2021

A valley view at 9,000 feet

This is the Dallas Divide, but we"re hundreds of miles from (and 8,500 feet above) North Texas. This saddle amid the southwestern Colorado Rockies cuts a swath just north of the San Juan Mountains. Nestled in those peaks you"ll find Telluride, Silverton, and other former mining towns that got a boost from the Rio Grande Southern Railroad when it came to the Dallas Divide in 1890. Nowadays the divide hosts State Highway 62, a less-traveled byway for most Colorado travelers—but worth the detour if you"re keen on a sweeping valley vista.

© Ronda Kimbrow/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Oct 6, 2018A bite of ancient history
Oct 6, 2019Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
Oct 6, 2020Water colors
Oct 6, 2022International Geodiversity Day
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park
Oct 6, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Oct 6, 2026International Geodiversity Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 10, 2022Badlands National Park turns 44
Feb 15, 2025The natural ice wall of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
Oct 21, 2022Bald cypress trees in Georgia
Jul 11, 2020How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back
May 23, 2018Everybody loves World Turtle Day
Aug 7, 2021Salt of the earth
May 8, 2019’Chess on ice’
Jan 24, 2018Santo Antão Island in the Republic of Cabo Verde
Aug 30, 2018Castle Frankenstein in Darmstadt, Germany
Jun 14, 2021A Flag Day tradition
Mar 24, 2021A whale of a picture
Oct 27, 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Dec 28, 2021Kjell Henriksen Observatory
Oct 8, 2021An uncommonly cool critter
Dec 21, 2021Winter solstice
Dec 21, 2024Happy winter solstice!
Dec 15, 2021The Hermitage of Santa Justa
Sep 24, 2022National Public Lands Day
Nov 30, 2021Giving Tuesday
Jul 11, 2024World Population Day
Feb 27, 2022International Polar Bear Day
Feb 16, 2024Great Backyard Bird Count
Dec 1, 2020Giving Tuesday
May 3, 2022Teacher Appreciation Day
Nov 2, 2021Day of the Dead
Nov 9, 2020Autumn in Piedmont
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
Dec 7, 2020In memory of those lost
May 4, 2022Star Wars Day
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France