Mount Elbert

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Mount Elbert
Mt. Elbert, with Turquoise Lake in the foreground
Elevation	14,440 ft (4,401 m)^[1]
Location	Colorado, United States
Range	Rocky Mountains, Sawatch Range
Prominence	9,100 ft (2,774 m)^[2]
Coordinates	39°07′03.90″N, 106°26′43.29″W^[3]
Topo map	USGS Mount Elbert
First ascent	1874 by H. W. Stuckle
Easiest route	hike (class 2)

Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is also the highest of the fourteeners in the US State of Colorado, and the high point of the Sawatch Range. It is located in Lake County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Leadville. It lies within the San Isabel National Forest.

Elbert is the second highest mountain in the contiguous United States, after Mount Whitney in California, and is but 65 feet (20 m) shorter than Whitney's 14,505 feet (4,421 m).

Elbert is a fairly easy climb (after adjusting to its elevation—see Altitude sickness), and is popular with hikers. There are three routes up the mountain. The standard route ascends the peak from the east, starting from the Colorado Trail. The most difficult is the Black Cloud Trail, which takes ten to fourteen hours, depending on the pace. Nearby fourteeners include Mount Massive to the north and La Plata Peak to the south.