silver mining districts of Colorado. The Western Slope is generally drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Notable to the south are the San Juan Mountains, an extremely rugged mountain range, and to the west of the San Juans, the Colorado Plateau, a high desert extending into neighboring states. Grand Junction is the largest city on the Western Slope. Grand Junction is served by Interstate Highway 70. To the southeast of Grand Junction is Grand Mesa, a large flat-topped desert mountain. Further east are the ski resort communities of Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs. The northwestern corner of Colorado bordering Northern Utah and Western Wyoming is mostly sparsely populated rangeland. From west to east, the state consists of desert basins, desert canyons and mesas, turning into desert plateaus, then alpine mountains, and then the grasslands of the High Plains. Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The famous Pikes Peak is just west of Colorado Springs. Its lone peak is visible from near the Kansas border on clear days. Climate statistics for selected cities See also Index of Colorado-related articles Colorado geographic regions Southern Rocky Mountains List of cities and towns in Colorado List of Colorado fourteeners List of counties in Colorado List of drainage basins of Colorado List of mountain passes in Colorado List of mountain peaks of Colorado List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains List of mountain ranges of Colorado List of rivers of Colorado List of waterfalls of Colorado Notes References External links State of Colorado website Geography of Colorado