Alpine Summits & High Points

Mountain Peaks & Summits

From non-technical 14er ridge hikes to severe glaciated alpine ascents. Elevation metrics, topographic prominence, permit requirements, and seasonal windows.

Mount Whitney
Class 1
Sierra Nevada • California

Mount Whitney

The highest mountain summit in the contiguous United States, rising dramatically over 10,000 feet directly above the Owens Valley floor.

Summit14,505 ft
Prominence+10,080 ft
SeasonJuly to September
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Mount Rainier (Tahoma)
Class 5 (Technical)
Cascade Range • Washington

Mount Rainier (Tahoma)

An episodic active stratovolcano crowned with 26 major glaciers, holding more glacial ice than all other Cascade volcanoes combined.

Summit14,411 ft
Prominence+13,210 ft
SeasonLate June through August
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Grand Teton
Class 5 (Technical)
Teton Range • Wyoming

Grand Teton

The majestic centerpiece of Grand Teton National Park, rising abruptly 7,000 feet over the sagebrush plains of Jackson Hole with no foothills.

Summit13,775 ft
Prominence+6,530 ft
SeasonJuly to early September
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Mount Washington (Agiocochook)
Class 2
Presidential Range / White Mountains • New Hampshire

Mount Washington (Agiocochook)

The highest mountain in the Northeast, famed for extreme subarctic weather convergence, hurricane-force winds, and glacial cirque skiing.

Summit6,288 ft
Prominence+6,148 ft
SeasonLate June through September
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Denali (Mount McKinley)
Class 5 (Technical)
Alaska Range • Alaska

Denali (Mount McKinley)

The towering monarch of the Alaska Range and the highest summit in North America, with the greatest base-to-peak vertical rise on land in the world.

Summit20,310 ft
Prominence+20,146 ft
SeasonMay to early July
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Mount Elbert
Class 1
Sawatch Range / Rocky Mountains • Colorado

Mount Elbert

The 'Gentle Giant' of the Colorado Rockies, offering a non-technical yet breathless 4,700-foot climb to the highest summit in the Rocky Mountains.

Summit14,440 ft
Prominence+9,093 ft
SeasonJuly through September
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