| The Castles | |
| Elevation Ft: | 12296 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 452 |
| Isolation Mi: | 2.02 |
| Parent Peak: | West Elk Peak (13,042 ft) |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Colorado |
| Region: | Gunnison County |
| Region Type: | County |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | West Elk Wilderness |
| Range: | Rocky Mountains West Elk Mountains |
| Map: | Colorado#USA |
| Label Position: | bottom |
| Coordinates: | 38.7369°N -107.1687°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [2] |
| Topo: | USGS West Elk Peak |
| Rock: | Stratified Breccia[3] |
| Easiest Route: | climbing |
The Castles are pillars in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States.
The Castles, elevation 12,296-feet (3,748 m), are situated in the West Elk Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The landform is located 18miles northwest of Gunnison in the West Elk Wilderness on land managed by Gunnison National Forest. These 500-ft high pillars are the signature landmark of the West Elk Wilderness,[4] and are one of Colorado's most unique rock formations.[5] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains into Castle Creek → Ohio Creek → Gunnison River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2500feet above South Castle Creek in 1miles. The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[2]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, The Castles is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring.