Mount Elbert
Mount Elbert rises to 4,401 m in Colorado. Mount Massive stands 4,398 m to the north-northwest, 5.1 miles off. The nearest named place is Bull Hill, a peak 1.6 miles away. Top of the Rockies passes 4.3 miles off.
The story
Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America. With an elevation of 14,440 ft (4,400 m), it is also the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney, which is slightly taller. The ultra-prominent fourteener is the highest peak in the Sawatch Range, as well as the highest point in the entire Mississippi River drainage basin. Mount Elbert is located in San Isabel National Forest, 12.1 mi (19.4 km) southwest (bearing 223°) of the city of Leadville in Lake County, Colorado. The mountain was named in honor of a Colorado statesman, Samuel Hitt Elbert, who was active in the formative period of the state, and governor of the Territory of Colorado in 1873-1874. Henry W. Stuckle of the Hayden Survey was the first to record an ascent of the peak, in 1874. The easiest and most popular climbing routes are categorized as Class 1 to 2 or A+ in mountaineering parlance. Mount Elbert is therefore often referred to as the "gentle giant" that tops all others in the Rocky Mountains.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q657225, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 4401.2 m
How to reach it
- 4.3 mi off the Top of the Rockies, National
- 9.2 mi off the Collegiate Peaks
Overlooks nearby
- Crystal Lake Overlook · 8 mi
- Waterfall Overlook · 20 mi
- Cabin ruins · 26 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Bull Hill: 1.6 mi
- Mount Cosgriff: 1.8 mi
- French Mountain: 2.1 mi
- Casco Peak: 2.6 mi
- Parry Peak: 2.9 mi
- Leadville National Fish Hatchery: 7.0 mi
- Bob Zaitz Park: 12.3 mi
- Ice Palace Park: 12.3 mi
- Snyder Park: 20.1 mi
- Ute Childrens Park: 20.1 mi
- Interlaken: 6.0 mi
- Columbine Mine: 7.9 mi
- Colorado & Southern 2-8-0 641: 12.5 mi
- Pyrenees Mine Headframe: 13.0 mi
- Matchless Mine: 13.3 mi
- Temple Israel: 12.0 mi
- Tabor Home Museum: 12.2 mi
- National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum: 12.3 mi
- The Leadville Heritage Museum: 12.3 mi
- Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin: 12.4 mi
- Independence: 8.6 mi
- Vicksburg: 9.0 mi
- Winfield: 9.1 mi
- Oro City: 13.1 mi
- Adelaide: 13.4 mi
- Stringtown Smelters: 11.2 mi
- The Boulevard to Soda Springs and Evergreen Lakes: 11.4 mi
- Dog Memorial: 11.6 mi
- Irish Immigrant Miners' Memorial: 12.0 mi
- Clear Grit Mill: 13.7 mi
- Lower Grotto Wall: 13.6 mi
- Lower Buttressess: 22.4 mi
- East Face: 22.4 mi
- Aspen Center for Environmental Studies: 20.8 mi
- Marolt Open Space: 21.6 mi
- Moore Open Space: 22.1 mi
- Emerald Lake: 3.2 mi
- Mount Elbert Picnic Area: 5.8 mi
- Cloud City Farm & Community Garden: 11.5 mi
- Ryks Waterfall: 12.5 mi
- Chromatic Gate: 21.2 mi
- White Water Spring: 24.4 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 13.5 miles of Mount Elbert. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Massive | NNW 341° | 4,398 m | 5.1 mi |
| La Plata Peak | SSW 194° | 4,372 m | 6.3 mi |
| Mount Belford | SSE 157° | 4,329.1 m | 11.8 mi |
| Mount Oxford | SSE 152° | 4,315.9 m | 12.0 mi |
| Missouri Mountain | SSE 163° | 4,289.8 m | 12.3 mi |
| Huron Peak | S 178° | 4,270.2 m | 11.9 mi |
| Grizzly Peak | WSW 238° | 4,258 m | 9.7 mi |
| Mount Hope | SSE 168° | 4,249 m | 6.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:43 | 19:18 |
| June solstice | 05:41 | 19:56 | 20:36 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:29 | 19:04 |
| December solstice | 07:22 | 16:05 | 16:47 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jun–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 34 | 44 | 53 | 59 | 57 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 21 |
| Precip in | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Twin Lakes Rsvr, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 180381 — Mount Elbert, Lake County, Colorado.
OpenStreetMap element node/358915477
Day trips start here
- Aspen · 21 mi
Take the scenic way to Mount Elbert.
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