How many 14ers are in Colorado? the complete list with heights and difficulty
Colorado has more peaks above 14,000 feet than any other state — and the question “how many 14ers does Colorado have” has a slightly complicated answer because it depends on how you count. The widely-used number is 58 named peaks, distributed across seven mountain ranges from the Front Range west of Denver to the San Juan Mountains in the southwest corner of the state. The stricter prominence-based count comes to 53. This guide answers the count question definitively, then provides the complete enumerated list with heights, ranges, and difficulty class for all 58. For the full Colorado 14ers framework see our Colorado 14ers master guide and our best mountains near Denver guide.
Colorado has 58 named peaks above 14,000 feet
The most widely-used list (used by the Colorado Mountain Club, 14ers.com, and most climbing communities) recognizes 58 named 14ers. A stricter count using a 300-foot topographic prominence rule produces 53 peaks. The difference comes down to whether you count subsidiary summits with limited prominence above their parent peak. Most Colorado climbers use the 58-peak list.
Why the count varies 53 vs 58
The disagreement on how to count Colorado’s 14ers comes from a single technical question: what counts as an independent peak versus a subsidiary summit. The standard test is topographic prominence — how much a peak rises above the lowest pass connecting it to a higher peak. The two main conventions:
- The 300-foot prominence rule (53 peaks) — only peaks with at least 300 feet of clean prominence above the connecting pass count. This is the stricter, more geographically pure definition.
- The “commonly recognized” rule (58 peaks) — includes named subsidiary summits that climbers historically treat as separate objectives even when they have less than 300 feet of prominence. This is the convention used by the Colorado Mountain Club, 14ers.com, and most climbing communities.
The five peaks that appear on the 58-peak list but not the 53-peak list are: North Maroon Peak, Conundrum Peak, Mount Cameron, El Diente Peak, and the Crestone Needle/Crestone Peak distinction. Each is a recognizable summit with its own climbing identity even though prominence purists argue it shouldn’t count as an independent peak.
The 58-peak list is the canonical Colorado 14er list. When you read “complete the 58 14ers” or see online climbing logs, you’re seeing this list. The 53-peak count appears occasionally in academic mountaineering contexts but is rare in actual climbing community usage.
The Colorado 14ers organized by mountain range
Colorado’s 58 14ers are distributed across seven mountain ranges, with the Sawatch and San Juan ranges containing the largest concentrations:
| Mountain range | 14ers | Highest peak | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawatch Range | 15 | Mount Elbert (14,440 ft) | Most 14ers, mostly class 1-2 |
| San Juan Mountains | 13 | Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft) | Remote, varied difficulty |
| Front Range | 9 | Grays Peak (14,278 ft) | Closest to Denver |
| Sangre de Cristo Range | 10 | Blanca Peak (14,351 ft) | Long approaches, class 2-4 |
| Elk Mountains | 7 | Castle Peak (14,279 ft) | Hardest range, class 3-4 |
| Mosquito Range | 3 | Mount Lincoln (14,293 ft) | Short, accessible peaks |
| Tenmile Range | 1 | Quandary Peak (14,265 ft) | Single peak near Breckenridge |
| Total | 58 | Mount Elbert (14,440 ft) | Spread across 7 ranges |
The complete list all 58 Colorado 14ers
Below is the complete enumerated list of all 58 Colorado 14ers, organized by mountain range. Each peak is listed with elevation and difficulty class (1 = walking trail, 2 = hiking with scrambling, 3 = scrambling with exposure, 4 = exposed scrambling near falls). Asterisks (*) mark the five peaks that appear on the 58-peak list but not the stricter 53-peak prominence list.
Sawatch Range
15 peaks · Highest concentration of 14ers| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Elbert | 1 | 14,440 ft |
| 2 | Mount Massive | 2 | 14,428 ft |
| 3 | Mount Harvard | 2 | 14,421 ft |
| 4 | La Plata Peak | 2 | 14,343 ft |
| 5 | Mount Antero | 2 | 14,276 ft |
| 6 | Mount Shavano | 2 | 14,231 ft |
| 7 | Mount Belford | 2 | 14,203 ft |
| 8 | Mount Princeton | 2 | 14,204 ft |
| 9 | Mount Yale | 2 | 14,200 ft |
| 10 | Tabeguache Peak | 2 | 14,162 ft |
| 11 | Mount Oxford | 2 | 14,160 ft |
| 12 | Mount Columbia | 2 | 14,077 ft |
| 13 | Missouri Mountain | 2 | 14,074 ft |
| 14 | Huron Peak | 2 | 14,012 ft |
| 15 | Mount of the Holy Cross | 2 | 14,011 ft |
San Juan Mountains
13 peaks · Remote and varied difficulty| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Uncompahgre Peak | 2 | 14,309 ft |
| 17 | Mount Wilson | 4 | 14,246 ft |
| 18 | El Diente Peak * | 3 | 14,159 ft |
| 19 | Mount Sneffels | 3 | 14,150 ft |
| 20 | Mount Eolus | 3 | 14,083 ft |
| 21 | Windom Peak | 2 | 14,082 ft |
| 22 | Sunlight Peak | 4 | 14,059 ft |
| 23 | Handies Peak | 1 | 14,048 ft |
| 24 | Redcloud Peak | 2 | 14,034 ft |
| 25 | Wilson Peak | 3 | 14,017 ft |
| 26 | Wetterhorn Peak | 3 | 14,015 ft |
| 27 | San Luis Peak | 1 | 14,014 ft |
| 28 | Sunshine Peak | 2 | 14,005 ft |
Sangre de Cristo Range
10 peaks · Long approaches and dramatic ridges| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Blanca Peak | 2 | 14,351 ft |
| 30 | Crestone Peak | 3 | 14,300 ft |
| 31 | Crestone Needle | 3 | 14,203 ft |
| 32 | Kit Carson Peak | 3 | 14,171 ft |
| 33 | Challenger Point * | 2 | 14,087 ft |
| 34 | Humboldt Peak | 2 | 14,070 ft |
| 35 | Culebra Peak | 2 | 14,053 ft |
| 36 | Ellingwood Point | 2 | 14,047 ft |
| 37 | Mount Lindsey | 2 | 14,047 ft |
| 38 | Little Bear Peak | 4 | 14,041 ft |
Front Range
9 peaks · Closest to Denver, most visited| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | Grays Peak | 1 | 14,278 ft |
| 40 | Torreys Peak | 2 | 14,267 ft |
| 41 | Mount Evans / Mount Blue Sky | 1 | 14,265 ft |
| 42 | Longs Peak | 3 | 14,259 ft |
| 43 | Pikes Peak | 1 | 14,115 ft |
| 44 | Mount Bierstadt | 2 | 14,065 ft |
| 45 | Mount Cameron * | 2 | 14,238 ft |
| 46 | Mount Democrat | 2 | 14,148 ft |
| 47 | Mount Bross | 2 | 14,172 ft |
Elk Mountains
7 peaks · Hardest range, technical class 3-4| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Castle Peak | 2 | 14,279 ft |
| 49 | Conundrum Peak * | 2 | 14,060 ft |
| 50 | Maroon Peak (South Maroon) | 3 | 14,163 ft |
| 51 | North Maroon Peak * | 4 | 14,019 ft |
| 52 | Capitol Peak | 4 | 14,130 ft |
| 53 | Snowmass Mountain | 3 | 14,099 ft |
| 54 | Pyramid Peak | 4 | 14,025 ft |
Mosquito Range
3 peaks · Short, accessible, often combined| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | Mount Lincoln | 2 | 14,293 ft |
| 56 | Mount Sherman | 1 | 14,043 ft |
| 57 | Mount Democrat (Mosquito side) | 2 | 14,148 ft |
Tenmile Range
1 peak · Single peak near Breckenridge| # | Peak Name | Class | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Quandary Peak | 1 | 14,265 ft |
The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) classes used above are approximate and based on the standard route up each peak. Many 14ers have harder alternative routes — Longs Peak’s standard Keyhole Route is class 3, but its various technical routes range up to class 5.10+. Conditions also affect difficulty: a class 2 peak in dry summer can become class 4 with snow and ice. Always check current conditions before any 14er attempt.
The Colorado 14er extremes highest, lowest, hardest, easiest
| Distinction | Peak | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Highest peak | Mount Elbert (14,440 ft) | Highest in Colorado and the entire Rocky Mountains |
| Lowest peak | Sunshine Peak (14,005 ft) | Just 5 feet above the 14,000 ft threshold |
| Easiest peak | Mount Bierstadt (or Mount Sherman) | Short, class 2, accessible trailhead |
| Hardest peak | Capitol Peak | Class 4 Knife Edge ridge with severe exposure |
| Closest to Denver | Mount Bierstadt | ~75 min drive from downtown Denver |
| Furthest from Denver | Wilson Peak / Mount Wilson | ~6-7 hr drive in southwest Colorado |
| Most climbed | Mount Bierstadt | ~20,000+ summits per year |
| Least climbed | Culebra Peak | Private land, paid permit access only |
| Highest range concentration | Sawatch Range (15 peaks) | Most 14ers in any single Colorado range |
14ers by difficulty class breakdown
The 58 Colorado 14ers break down roughly this way by class:
| Class | Approximate count | Examples | Skill level required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | ~10 peaks | Mount Elbert, Pikes Peak, Mt Sherman, Grays Peak, Handies Peak | Strong day hiker |
| Class 2 | ~30 peaks | Mount Massive, Mount Harvard, Quandary Peak, Mount Bierstadt | Confident scrambler |
| Class 3 | ~12 peaks | Longs Peak, Crestone Peak, Mount Sneffels, Wilson Peak | Experienced scrambler with route-finding |
| Class 4 | ~6 peaks | Capitol Peak, Pyramid Peak, Little Bear, North Maroon, Sunlight, Mount Wilson | Confident on exposed terrain, sometimes roped |
Most climbers attempting the 58 peaks build their progression from class 1 and class 2 peaks (Mount Bierstadt, Mount Sherman, Grays/Torreys, Quandary Peak as common starting points), through the class 3 peaks (Longs Peak is often the technical graduation peak for Front Range climbers), to the class 4 peaks last. Capitol Peak, Pyramid Peak, and the Maroon Bells are typically saved for the end because they require both technical confidence and accumulated experience reading mountain conditions. The full Front Range progression context is in our best mountains near Denver guide.
How long it takes to climb them all
Completing all 58 Colorado 14ers is a meaningful climbing achievement that most completers take between 5 and 20 years to finish. The realistic timeline distribution:
- 3-5 years: aggressive completion timeline for fit hikers who climb most weekends throughout the climbing season and prioritize the 14ers as a focused project.
- 5-10 years: the most common completion timeline for serious 14er climbers who balance the peaks with other life commitments.
- 10-20+ years: the casual completer pace, climbing 3-5 peaks per year as opportunity permits.
- Speed records: 14-20 days continuous for the fastest known times. These are not normal completion timelines.
The reasons completion takes years rather than months:
- Short climbing season: most 14ers are accessible only from June through September. Each season offers limited weekend windows.
- Weather windows: afternoon thunderstorms during the standard summer season require climbers to be off summits by 1 PM, limiting attempts.
- Drive times: the San Juan 14ers and Elk Mountain 14ers are 5-7 hours from Denver, requiring weekend or longer trips.
- Skill progression: the class 3 and class 4 peaks require prior experience building from easier peaks.
- Private access: Culebra Peak requires advance booking and paid access through private land.
Recommended progression the order most climbers follow
Most successful 14er completers follow a roughly similar progression that builds skill, fitness, and experience over time:
- First 14er: Mount Bierstadt or Mount Sherman as the gentle introduction to 14,000-foot terrain.
- Build the class 1-2 base: Grays + Torreys (combo day), Mount Elbert, Quandary Peak, Mount Massive, Mount Belford + Oxford.
- First class 3: Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route is the classic Front Range graduation peak. Crestone Peak in the Sangre de Cristo Range is the alternative.
- Build the class 3 portfolio: Crestone Needle, Mount Sneffels, Wilson Peak, Wetterhorn Peak.
- First class 4: Pyramid Peak or Little Bear Peak — both committing but accessible class 4 introductions.
- The hardest 14ers: Capitol Peak (the famous Knife Edge), North Maroon Peak, Mount Wilson, Sunlight Peak. Most climbers save these for the end.
- Logistical outliers: Culebra Peak (private permit), the far San Juan peaks (long drive), and any remaining isolated objectives.
Among 14er completers, the peaks most frequently cited as the “hardest” or “scariest” of the list are Capitol Peak’s Knife Edge, the Little Bear Hourglass, the Maroon Bells loose rock, and Sunlight Peak’s summit move. These class 4 peaks require not just technical skill but psychological commitment on exposed terrain where falls would be fatal.
Why Colorado has so many 14ers vs other states
Colorado has 58 14ers — more than any other state. The next closest is Alaska with about 21 peaks above 14,000 feet (mostly in the Alaska Range and Wrangell Mountains). California has 12, Washington has 2 (Mount Rainier and one subsidiary peak), and Wyoming has just Gannett Peak at 13,809 ft (not technically a 14er despite often being grouped with them). The geological reasons Colorado has so many 14ers:
- The Colorado Rockies are a uniquely uplifted region: the Laramide orogeny that built the Rocky Mountains uplifted Colorado terrain to high average elevations — Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any state (6,800 ft average).
- Multiple parallel ranges: seven distinct mountain ranges in Colorado each have their own 14ers rather than being concentrated in a single range.
- Erosion patterns: the Colorado Rockies have eroded enough to create distinct peaks rather than continuous high plateaus, while preserving enough elevation to keep peaks above 14,000 ft.
- Granite and metamorphic core: the bedrock geology produces durable peaks that resist erosion at high elevations.
Colorado’s 14ers are also generally lower than Alaska’s or California’s highest peaks — Mount Elbert at 14,440 ft is well below Denali (20,310 ft) or Mount Whitney (14,505 ft) — but Colorado has the largest *number* of peaks in the 14,000-14,500 ft range of any state. The broader US peak context is in our best beginner mountains guide and our intermediate climbing guide.
Colorado 14ers compared to other peak collections
| Collection | Number of peaks | Region | Comparison to Colorado 14ers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado 14ers | 58 peaks | Colorado | The standard reference |
| California 14ers | 12 peaks | Sierra Nevada, White Mountains | Higher peaks but fewer total |
| SoCal Six Pack of Peaks | 6 peaks | Southern California | Sub-14,000 ft challenge series |
| 14 Eight-Thousanders | 14 peaks | Himalaya, Karakoram | Asian 8,000+ meter peaks, dramatically harder |
| Seven Summits | 7 peaks | Highest peak on each continent | Global high points, expedition climbs |
| 50 US State High Points | 50 peaks | USA | Includes 27 Colorado 14ers + others |
| Alaska’s High Peaks | ~21 peaks | Alaska Range, Wrangells | Higher elevation, far more remote |
The Colorado 14ers are the most popular peak-bagging series in the United States, with active climbing communities, dedicated route-conditions reporting, and a 100+ year history of completion attempts. The framework for understanding how Colorado 14ers fit into broader peak progression is in our SoCal Six Pack training plan for the regional alternative, and our 14 eight-thousanders complete list for the global high-altitude comparison.
How to start your Colorado 14er journey
If you are considering starting the Colorado 14ers, the practical advice from completers:
- Start with Mount Bierstadt or Mount Sherman. Both are class 1-2, short (7-10 miles round trip), and have accessible trailheads. They establish whether 14er climbing is for you.
- Train for altitude. Climbing at 14,000 feet is physiologically demanding. Build cardiovascular fitness with regular hiking before attempting 14ers. The acclimatization framework is in our altitude acclimatization guide.
- Start early. 4-6 AM trailhead departures are standard for 14ers. Summer afternoon thunderstorms make 1 PM the absolute latest time to be on summits.
- Watch the weather. Mountain-Forecast.com and NOAA point forecasts for specific peaks. Check the day before and morning of.
- Tell someone your plan. Leave detailed plan with someone who will alert authorities if you don’t check in.
- Carry the gear. Layers, water, headlamp, first aid, navigation. Even on “easy” 14ers.
- Build progression patience. Don’t attempt class 3-4 peaks until you have multiple class 1-2 peaks under your belt. The skills transfer but the consequence of error doesn’t.
Colorado 14ers kill several climbers every year, most commonly from lightning strikes on exposed ridges, falls on steep technical terrain, and hypothermia from unexpected weather. The 14ers feel approachable because so many people climb them — but they are real mountains with real consequences. Respect the weather windows. Turn around when needed. The mountain will be there next weekend.
The full Colorado 14ers framework
Detailed peak profiles, route guides, seasonal recommendations, and the complete climbing framework for Colorado’s 58 fourteeners.
Read the master guide →The bottom line on Colorado 14ers
Colorado has 58 named peaks above 14,000 feet, distributed across seven mountain ranges from the Front Range west of Denver to the San Juan Mountains in the southwest. The list uses the widely-accepted 58-peak convention; a stricter prominence-based count produces 53 peaks. The highest is Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (also the highest peak in the entire Rocky Mountain range). The lowest is Sunshine Peak at 14,005 feet. Most climbers complete the 58 peaks across 5-20 years, building from class 1-2 Sawatch Range peaks through class 3 Sangre de Cristo objectives to the hardest class 4 peaks in the Elk Mountains. Colorado 14ers are the most popular peak-bagging series in the United States and a standard rite of passage for Colorado-based climbers. The full peak-by-peak framework is in our Colorado 14ers master guide, with the closer Front Range context in our best mountains near Denver guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many 14ers are in Colorado?
Colorado has 58 named peaks above 14,000 feet using the most commonly accepted definition, though counts range from 53 to 58 depending on which prominence criterion is applied. The most widely-used list (used by the Colorado Mountain Club and 14ers.com) recognizes 58 peaks. A stricter prominence-based count produces 53 peaks. The 58 peaks are distributed across the Front Range, Sawatch, Mosquito, Tenmile, Sangre de Cristo, Elk, and San Juan ranges, with the Sawatch Range containing the most 14ers of any single range.
What is the highest 14er in Colorado?
Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (or 14,433 ft depending on the survey used) is the highest peak in Colorado and the highest peak in the entire Rocky Mountains. Located in the Sawatch Range near Leadville, Mount Elbert is widely considered one of the easier major 14ers, with a class 1 standard route accessible to fit hikers. Mount Massive at 14,428 feet is the second-highest peak in Colorado, also in the Sawatch Range. Mount Harvard at 14,421 feet is third. The three highest peaks all sit in the Sawatch Range within roughly 30 miles of each other.
What is the easiest 14er in Colorado?
Mount Bierstadt at 14,065 feet is widely considered the easiest 14er in Colorado, with a 7-mile round trip class 2 standard route from Guanella Pass. Other commonly-cited easy 14ers include Mount Sherman (Mosquito Range, class 1-2), Quandary Peak East Ridge (Tenmile Range, class 1), Grays Peak and Torreys Peak (Front Range, class 1-2, often combined), and Mount Elbert (class 1 despite being the highest peak). The “easiest” designation depends on length, elevation gain, technical difficulty, and trailhead accessibility — Bierstadt scores well on most metrics for first-time 14er climbers.
What is the hardest 14er in Colorado?
Capitol Peak in the Elk Range at 14,130 feet is widely considered the hardest standard 14er in Colorado due to its committing class 4 climbing on the famous Knife Edge ridge. Other notoriously hard 14ers include Pyramid Peak (class 4, loose rock), Little Bear Peak (class 4, Hourglass section), Crestone Needle (class 3 with exposure), the Maroon Bells North and South Maroon (class 4 with rotten rock), and Sunlight Peak (class 4 summit move). Hardness depends on the metric used — pure technical difficulty, length, objective hazards like rockfall, or psychological exposure all produce different rankings.
What are the Colorado 14ers by class?
Colorado 14ers are rated using the Yosemite Decimal System for difficulty class. Class 1 (about 15-20 peaks) are walking trails like Mount Bierstadt and Mount Elbert. Class 2 (about 20 peaks) involve hiking with some scrambling, like Mount Sherman and Grays Peak. Class 3 (about 15 peaks) require non-technical scrambling with hands required for balance, like Longs Peak and Crestone Peak. Class 4 (about 5-10 peaks) involve exposed scrambling where falls would be serious, like Capitol Peak, Pyramid Peak, and Little Bear. The class system is approximate and varies somewhat between sources.
How long does it take to climb all 58 Colorado 14ers?
Most climbers who complete all 58 Colorado 14ers take between 5 and 20 years to do so. Aggressive hikers can complete the full list in 3 to 5 years with dedicated weekend trips throughout each climbing season. The fastest known speed records for the 58 peaks span just 14 to 20 days continuously, but those records are physically extraordinary and not the typical timeline. The average completer climbs 5 to 10 peaks per year, building up to harder peaks as fitness and experience accumulate. The class 4 peaks in the Elk Range typically come last because they require the most prior experience.
What is the difference between 53 and 58 Colorado 14ers?
The difference between the 53-peak and 58-peak Colorado 14er counts comes down to prominence — how much a peak rises above the lowest pass connecting it to a higher peak. The stricter 300-foot prominence rule produces a count of 53 peaks. The looser convention (used by the Colorado Mountain Club and 14ers.com) recognizes 58 peaks including some lower-prominence summits like North Maroon Peak, Conundrum Peak, Mount Cameron, El Diente, and the Crestone Needle/Crestone Peak distinction. The 58-peak list is more widely cited and is the convention used by most climbing communities.