The following sortable table comprises the 100 most topographically prominent

mountain peaks A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a m ...

of the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

State of Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

. Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

as an

equipotential In mathematics and physics, an equipotential or isopotential refers to a region in space where every point is at the same potential. This usually refers to a scalar potential (in that case it is a level set of the potential), although it can al ...

gravitational In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the strong ...

surface. The

topographic prominence In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...

of a

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

is the elevation difference between that summit and the highest or key col to a higher summit. The

topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for major mountain ...

of a summit is the minimum

great-circle distance The great-circle distance, orthodromic distance, or spherical distance is the distance along a great circle. It is the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere, measured along the surface of the sphere (as opposed to a ...

to a point of equal elevation. This article defines a significant summit as a summit with at least of topographic prominence, and a major summit as a summit with at least of topographic prominence. An ultra-prominent summit is a summit with at least of topographic prominence. There are 126 ultra-prominent summits in the United States. All elevations include an adjustment from the

National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 The National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 is the official name since 1973 of the vertical datum established for vertical control surveying in the United States of America by the General Adjustment of 1929. Originally known as Sea Level Datum ...

( NGVD 29) to the

North American Vertical Datum of 1988 The North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) is the vertical datum for orthometric heights established for vertical control surveying in the United States of America based upon the General Adjustment of the North American Datum of 1988. ...

( NAVD 88). For further information, please see this United States National Geodetic Surveybr>note
If an elevation or prominence is calculated as a range of values, the

arithmetic mean In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean ( ) or arithmetic average, or just the ''mean'' or the ''average'' (when the context is clear), is the sum of a collection of numbers divided by the count of numbers in the collection. The colle ...

is shown.

Most prominent summits

Gallery

Mount_Elbert_June_2006.jpg, 1. Mount Elbert in the

Sawatch Range The Sawatch Range or Saguache RangeThe place name "Saguache” is pronounced “Sawatch” . This name derives from the Ute language noun "''sawup''" meaning "sand dunes" and is spelled using the Spanish language version of this name "Saguach ...

is the highest

peak Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-di ...

of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. Pikes Peak from the Garden of the Gods.jpg, 2. Pikes Peak is the second most

topographically prominent In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...

mountain peak A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. MtBlancaEast.jpg, 3. Blanca Peak is the highest

of the

Sangre de Cristo Mountains ) , country= United States , subdivision1_type= States , subdivision1= , parent= Rocky Mountains , geology= , orogeny= , area_mi2= 17193 , range_coordinates= , length_mi= 242 , length_orientation= north-south , width_mi= 120 , w ...

and the second most

topographically isolated The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum great-circle distance, distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and islands as wel ...

peak of

. Culebra Peak.jpg, 4. Culebra Peak is the southernmost 14,000-foot summit of the

. Crestone peaks fall.jpg, 5. Crestone Peak is the highest

of the

Crestones The Crestones are a group of four 14,000 foot (4,268 m) peaks (fourteeners) in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Crestone, central southern Colorado, comprising: #Crestone Peak (14,294 ft, 4,357 m) #Crestone Needle (14,197 ft, 4,327 m) # ...

and the seventh highest peak of the

. Uncompahgre peak.jpg, 6.

Uncompahgre Peak Uncompahgre Peak () is the List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains#Highest prominent summits, sixth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The Topographic prominence, prominent fourteener i ...

is the highest

of the San Juan Mountains and the sixth highest peak of the

. Mt_Lincoln.jpg, 10.

Mount Lincoln Mount Lincoln may refer to one of several mountains located in the United States: {{Mountainindex, Lincoln ...

is the highest

of the Mosquito Range and the eighth highest peak of the

. Castle Peak CO Full.JPG, 20. Castle Peak is the highest

of the Elk Mountains and the ninth highest peak of the

. Grays and Torreys Peaks 2006-08-06.jpg, 27. Grays Peak is the highest

of the Front Range and the tenth highest peak of the

. Mount Harvard (Colorado) - 2006-07-16.jpg, 51. Mount Harvard is the highest of the

Collegiate Peaks The Collegiate Peaks (or Collegiate Range) is a name given to a section of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains located in central Colorado. Drainages to the east include headwaters of the Arkansas River. The Collegiate Peaks include some of t ...

and the third highest peak of the

. Mount of the Holy Cross.jpeg, 72. This photograph of the legendary

Mount of the Holy Cross Mount of the Holy Cross is a high and prominent mountain summit in the northern Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The fourteener is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness of White River National Forest, west-southwest ...

was taken by

William Henry Jackson William Henry Jackson (April 4, 1843 – June 30, 1942) was an American photographer, Civil War veteran, painter, and an explorer famous for his images of the American West. He was a great-great nephew of Samuel Wilson, the progenitor of Ame ...

in 1874. 2007-06-24-plata-eve-close2.jpg, 99. La Plata Peak in the

is the fifth highest

of the

Notes

References

External links

United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Geographic Names Information System @ USGSUnited States National Geodetic Survey (NGS)

Geodetic Glossary @ NGS

NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 online elevation converter @ NGS

Survey Marks and Datasheets @ NGSBivouac.comPeakbagger.comPeaklist.orgSummitpost.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prominent Summits Of Colorado, List Of The Most Lists of landforms of Colorado Colorado, List Of The Most Prominent Summits Of Colorado, List Of The Most Prominent Summits Of Colorado, List Of The Most Prominent Summits Of

Most prominent summits

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links