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Fifteen of the Colorado’s 54 14,000-foot peaks crowd together in the Upper Arkansas River Valley. Some folks make it a life goal to summit them all; others are happy hiking and camping on the flanks. Most 14ers here are non-technical but always start before sunup and be prepared for whatever crazy brew of weather Mother Nature may be in the mood for. |
Mt. Elbert - This 11.6-mile route wanders through a lovely forest, climbs wind-swept slopes and ends with top-of-the-world vistas on Colorado’s tallest peak. |
Mt. Massive - This 11.2-mile hike strings together the five summits of Colorado’s second-highest peak where supreme vistas open over a landscape of glacial till and alpine lakes. |
Mt. Harvard - It’s a scholarly debate on which summit--Mount Columbia or Mount Harvard--is the best. So reserve a long weekend to climb both in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, and decide for yourself. |
La Plata Peak - Trek up sparsely-covered slopes and a broad talus ridge in the Sawatch Range to an overlook with endless alpine vistas. |
Mt. Antero - This 15.2-mile route runs over gemstone deposits of quartz and aquamarine to a rocky summit in the southern Sawatch Range. |
| Shavano - Link the bare summits of the Sawatch Range’s southernmost 14ers for far-reaching views over the San Isabel National Forest. |
| Mt. Tabeguache - Link the bare summits of the Sawatch Range’s southernmost 14ers for far-reaching views over the San Isabel National Forest. |
| Mt. Princeton - Drawn-out switchbacks lead past jumbled boulder gardens and old mining ruins to a sweeping finale above the high tundra. Post-trip bonus: Soak in the steamy baths at Princeton Hot Springs |
| Mt. Belford - String together three Sawatch summits on this popular circuit with long alpine traverses overlooking the Continental Divide. |
| Mt. Yale - A leg-busting 8.4-mile climb up Yale’s relentless southwest slopes culminates with soaring views over the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and Arkansas River Valley. |
| Mt. Oxford - String together three Sawatch summits on this popular circuit with long alpine traverses overlooking the Continental Divide. |
| Mt. Columbia - String together three Sawatch summits on this popular circuit with long alpine traverses overlooking the Continental Divide. |
| Mt. Missouri - String together three Sawatch summits on this popular circuit with long alpine traverses overlooking the Continental Divide. |
| Mt. Huron - A well-marked trail unfurls up this mountain and leads to sublime panoramas across a sea of granite and ice in the Sawatch Range. |
| Mt. of the Holy Cross - This 11-miler outside Vail is a leg- and lung-buster, but at the end of the day you’ll touch the sky on the summit of one of Colorado’s fabled Fourteeners. |
