Palmer Divide

The Palmer Divide is a ridge in central Colorado that separates the Arkansas River basin from the Missouri River (via the Platte River) basin. It extends from the Front Range of the Rockies in central Colorado eastward toward the town of Limon. The western end of the Palmer Divide is popularly considered to be at Palmer Lake, located south of Denver and north of Colorado Springs. However, the divide between the two river basins actually extends west and then north to a junction with the Continental Divide at McNamee Peak.

The Palmer Divide is named after William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs. For much of its length, it travels very roughly along the northern border of El Paso County. Thus, it forms a natural separator between the Denver and Colorado Springs metropolitan areas. The elevation along the divide varies between about 6,000 and 7,887 feet (1,829 and 2,404 m), with the high point being Bald Mountain in southern Douglas County. This peak can be seen from I-25 just northeast of Monument Hill.