| Sierra Blanca | |
|---|---|
 Southwest aspect, from Interstate 10 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,892 ft (2,101 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 2,254 ft (687 m)[1] |
| Isolation | 26.82 mi (43.16 km)[3] |
| Coordinates | 31°15′08″N105°26′09″W / 31.2521271°N 105.4358751°W /31.2521271; -105.4358751[2] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | White Mountain |
| Geography | |
  Sierra Blanca Location of Sierra Blanca in Texas Show map of Texas Sierra Blanca Sierra Blanca (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hudspeth |
| Parent range | Sierra Blanca[1][4] |
| Topo map | USGSGunsight Hills South |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Oligocene |
| Mountain type | Laccolith[5] |
| Rock type | Intrusiveigneous rock (Rhyolite) |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 2hiking[3] |
Sierra Blanca is a 6,892-foot-elevation (2,101-meter)summit inHudspeth County, Texas, United States.
Sierra Blanca is set in theChihuahuan Desert, six miles (9.7 km) northwest of the town ofSierra Blanca which is named after this mountain.[6] The volcanic peak ranks as the highest point in the Sierra Blanca range,[1][4] the sixth-highest summit in the county and 54th-highest in the state.[3] It is a prominent landmark alongInterstate 10 in Texas, as it is ranked 10th intopographic prominence in the state.[1][3]Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,400 feet (732 m) above the surrounding terrain in two miles (3.2 km). The mountain is alaccolith composed of lateOligocenerhyolite which intruded sedimentary layers of limestone, shale, and sandstone ofCretaceous age.[5] Based on theKöppen climate classification, the mountain is located in ahot arid climate zone with hot summers and mild winters.[7] Any scant precipitation runoff from the peak's slopes drains to theRio Grande which is less than 20 miles to the southwest. The mountain's Spanish name translates as "White Mountain" which is attributable towhite flowers which grow on the slopes,[8][9] and may have been so named by the Spanish explorer,Francisco Vázquez de Coronado.[10] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by theUnited States Board on Geographic Names,[2] and has been reported in publications since at least 1890.[11] However, the town is named after the mountain, and the town was founded in 1881 at the completion point of a southerntranscontinental railway southeast of the mountain where a silver spike was laid.[12]
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