MOUNT ELBERT IS THE HIGHEST SUMMIT OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE U.S. STATE OF COLORADO. ITS HEIGHT IS 4,401 M (14,440 FT), MAKING IT THE SECOND-HIGHEST SUMMIT IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES AFTER MOUNT WHITNEY.

Mount Elbert was named in honor of Colorado statesman Samuel Hitt Elbert, who was notable for his formative work while being the Governor of the Territory of Colorado between 1873 and 1874. It is located in Santa Isabel National Forest, 19.4 km (12.1 miles) southwest of the City of Leadville in Lake County, Colorado.

The mountain is visible from the town, often snow-capped even in the summer. Weather conditions around the mountain tend to change rapidly. Afternoon thunderstorms are very common in the summertime while hailstorms and snow are possible throughout the year. The first person to successfully attempt the ascent was Henry W. Stuckle of the Hayden Survey in 1874.

THE FIVE HIGHEST PEAKS IN COLORADO:

Mount Elbert – 4,401 m (14,440 ft), about 19 km (12 miles) southwest of the City of Leadville in Lake County, Colorado, United States.
Mount Massive – 4,398 m (14,428 ft), about 17 km (10 miles) west-southwest of the City of Leadville in Lake County, Colorado, United States.
Mount Harvard – 4,395 m (14,421 ft), about 19 km (12 miles) northwest of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.
La Plata Peak – 4,372 m (14,343 ft), about 36.5 km (22.7 miles) northwest of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.
Blanca Peak - 4,374 m (14,351 ft), about 15.5 km (9.6 miles) north of the Town of Blanca, Colorado, United States.