What is the highest mountain in the Rocky Mountains of North America?

Mount Elbert is the highest mountain in the Rocky Mountains of North America, reaching 4,401 metres (14,440 feet) above sea level.

The peak stands in Colorado’s Sawatch Range, west of Leadville. It is named for Samuel Hitt Elbert, a nineteenth-century Colorado governor, and lies within the San Isabel National Forest. Its broad summit rises above several other major Colorado fourteeners.

Mount Elbert is often confused with Mount Whitney, which is higher but belongs to California’s Sierra Nevada, not the Rocky Mountains. Mount Robson is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies, while Grand Teton is the highest point of Wyoming’s Teton Range.

The standard route up Mount Elbert is non-technical in summer, although its elevation makes altitude, weather and navigation important considerations. The mountain was first climbed in 1874 by members of the Hayden Survey, including Henry Gannett and Henry St. John.