Cannibal Plateau
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| Cannibal Plateau | |
|---|---|
 Cannibal Plateau viewed from the east | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,533 ft (3,820 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 402 ft (123 m)[2] |
| Isolation | 1.56 mi (2.51 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 38°06′24″N 107°13′45″W / 38.1065742°N 107.2290596°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Cannibal Plateau | |
| Location | Hinsdale County, Colorado, U.S.[1] |
| Parent range | San Juan Mountains[2] |
| Topo map(s) | USGS 7.5' topographic map Cannibal Plateau[1] |
Cannibal Plateau is a summit in Hinsdale County, Colorado, in the United States. The broad 12,533-foot (3,820 m) mountain is located in the San Juan Mountains and within the Powderhorn Wilderness, a protected area managed by the Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office and the Gunnison National Forest.[1][3]
Cannibal Plateau was named after an incident of cannibalism by Alferd Packer. The massacre site is near Lake City, 8 miles (13 km) southwest of the plateau.[4][3]
Cannibal Plateau is composed of basaltic lava flows of the Hinsdale Formation, which are dated as 16 to 19 million years old. These lava flows are thought to be among the last volcanic events within the San Juan volcanic field and are therefore some of the best preserved. The Hinsdale Formation lava flows form an expansive alpine highland where the two highest ridges are Cannibal Plateau and nearby Calf Creek Plateau.[5][6]
