| Mount Elbert | |
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Mount Elbert from U.S. Route 24 |
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| Elevation | 14,440 ft (4,401 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 9,073 ft (2,765 m) [2] |
| Listing | Ultra Colorado Fourteener U.S. state high point |
| Location | |
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Mount Elbert
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| Location | Lake County, Colorado, USA |
| Range | Sawatch Range |
| Coordinates | [1] |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Elbert |
| Climbing | |
| 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, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m), the highest of the fourteeners in Colorado, and the high point of the Sawatch Range. It is located in Lake County, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Leadville. It lies within the San Isabel National Forest.
The mountain was named after Colorado statesman Samuel Hitt Elbert, who was active in the formative period of the State.
Mount Elbert is the second highest mountain in the contiguous United States, after Mount Whitney in California, and is only 65 feet (20 m) shorter than Whitney's 14,505 feet (4,421 m).
There are three main routes up the mountain, all of which gain over 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of elevation. 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, and has 5,300 feet (1,600 m) of elevation gain. Nearby fourteeners include Mount Massive to the north and La Plata Peak to the south.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mount_Elbert Mount Elbert] at Wikimedia Commons
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