of the
Colorado River in
Arizona in
Colorado Together with the
Pacific States of
Alaska,
California,
Hawaii,
Oregon, and
Washington, the Mountain states constitute the broader
region of the West, one of the four regions the United States Census Bureau formally recognizes (the
Northeast,
South, and
Midwest being the other three). The terrain of the Mountain West is more diverse than any other region in the United States. Its physical geography ranges from some of the highest mountain peaks in the continental United States to large desert lands and rolling plains in the eastern portion of the region. The
Great Basin Desert is located in almost all of Nevada, western Utah, and southern Idaho. Portions of the
Mojave Desert are located in California, but over half of the desert is located in southern Nevada, in the Mountain West. Meanwhile, the
Sonoran Desert is located in much of Arizona, and the
Chihuahuan Desert is located in most of southwestern and southern New Mexico, including
White Sands and
Jornada del Muerto. Colorado also has scattered desert lands in the southern and northwestern portions of the state, including the expansive
San Luis Valley. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona have other smaller desert lands, part of the
Colorado Plateau. The
Painted Desert is located in northern and northeastern Arizona, and the
San Rafael Desert is located in eastern Utah. New Mexico has other desert lands located in the northern and northwest. Colorado has large desert lands on the colorado plateau in the northwestern, western, and southern parts of the state. These desert lands in Colorado are located in and around areas such as
Royal Gorge,
Great Sand Dunes National Park,
Pueblo, the
San Luis Valley,
Cortez,
Dove Creek,
Delta,
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the
Roan Plateau,
Dinosaur National Monument,
Colorado National Monument, and the
Grand Mesa. The San Luis Valley is the largest high valley desert in the world. In the far-eastern portions of the Mountain West are the High Plains, a portion of the
Great Plains. These plains mainly consist of flat rolling land, with scattered
buttes, canyons, and forests located in these areas. The High Plains receive very little rainfall, and sit at high elevations, usually about . Many people view the High Plains as the point where one begins to enter the greater Mountain West region.
Mountain ranges are located throughout the Mountain West, although the highest mountains are located in the
Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. ==Climate==