Colorado peaks

5,758 peaks

Highest peak

Mount Elbert

14,440 ft / 4,401 m

Most climbed peak

Mount Elbert

369 climbs

Most prominent peak

Mount Elbert

9,080 ft / 2,767 m prom

Colorado climbs

15,824 climbs

First Ascent Awards

2216 of 5,758 peaks 38%

Top climbing months

July 19%

August 17%

September 13%

Colorado mountains highlights

  • The Rocky Mountains reach their zenith in the heart of Colorado, with over 50 peaks reaching above 14,000 ft high.
  • The highest peak in Colorado, Mount Elbert 14,440 ft, is the highest in the Rocky Mountains and 2nd highest in the contiguous United States
  • One of the most famous and popular peak challenges in the world, the Colorado 14ers Peak Challenge, permeates every aspect of Colorado culture
  • Numerous mountain ranges, such as the Sawatch, Elk, San Juan, Sangre de Cristo, Mosquito, Ten Mile, and Front, contain a diverse collection of mountains worthy of exploration.
  • In summer months beware of near-daily afternoon thunderstorms up high. Best to start really early and plan to be off the top usually by 12-1pm at the latest.
"What a fun ascent! There's a good number of cairns near the summit that help locate the best path. If you venture off a bit, be prepared for some scrambles. Definitely recommend during the colder months." — alpine-jer • Mar 13, 2025
"2/9/25: Via the Mt. Morrison Trl/south face with Jackson and Audrey. Took advantage of an opportunity during a cold Jan/Feb to get a little scrambling in, give Audrey her first taste of some easy uncomitting scrambling, and knock off #24 of the Denver 25 as well. We kind of rambled up the various south steps for the last couple hundred feet to the summit. Most of the steps are C3- and C3, but we were even able to find some fun C3+ and easy C4 moves. Fun day! (3.8/1990)" — LoneWolf • Feb 9, 2025
"Lucked out and caught the grand opening of Beyond Bowl for the season. Amazing conditions with untouched bottomless powder. A great way to cap off the start of month 100 on skis :)" — wazoheat • Jan 5, 2025
"10/15/24: CMC hike. Short jaunt up from the “West TH” via the southwest ridge route. I tried to find the maximum scramble routes which made it a little more interesting, but it never exceeded C3-. Views at the summit are probably even better than Observatory Rock. (0.8/540)" — LoneWolf • Dec 15, 2024
"11/30/24: #23 of the Denver 25. Started at the Mayhem Gulch TH and went off trail towards the south summit near the junction with the main loop trail at the top. Pretty easy bushwhack up to the summit plateau with the views opening up pretty quickly. After a short break, I descended to the small saddle and found a social trail that took me up the south flank of the Cone to the rock bands and ledges. Totally hidden until this point, a short crack gully appeared on the climber’s left (west) which lead to an optional short, easy Class 3 scramble up to the summit area. Definitely some of the most expansive views for an 8K’er along the Front Range as the Cone is a very isolated sky island. Took the same route back to the saddle and then the double track that empties back onto the main loop trail. (9/2170)" — LoneWolf • Nov 30, 2024

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