Front Range, an eastern range of the U.S. Rocky Mts., bordering the Great Plains and extending c.300 mi (480 km) S from SE Wyo. to the Arkansas River, S central Colo. It has several peaks, including Gray's Peak and Pikes Peak, that are more than 14,000 ft (4,270 m) high. The Arkansas and the South Platte rivers are the largest streams rising in the range. Most of Colorado's population is located along the range's eastern foothills. The Front Range was scouted by U.S. explorers Zebulon Pike, in 1806–7, and Stephen Long, in 1819–20. In 1858 gold was discovered at Cripple Creek, Colo., and goldseekers rushed into the S Front Range. Most of the range is in national forests; Rocky Mt. National Park is located in the north.
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