(lat. 63.06989°N / long. 151.073°W)
Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America. Located in Denali State Park, McKinley is often referred to as Denali. The snowy mass is flanked by five giant glaciers and countless icefalls. Its steep southern slope rises 17,000 feet. Characterized by extremely cold weather, there is also a severe risk of altitude illness for climbers, due to its high elevation and high latitude. At the equator, a mountain as high as Mount McKinley would have 47% as much oxygen available on its summit as there is at sea level, but because of its latitude, the pressure on the summit of McKinley is even lower. It has two significant summits: the higher South Summit and the North Summit at 19,470 feet.
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(lat. 36.3445°N/ long. 118.1730°W)
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the continuous 48 states and is the 17th highest peak in America - the first 16 are all in Alaska. Located in the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, it reaches a height of 14,494 ft and is reachable via an 11-mile hiking trail. Interestingly enough, it is just 76 miles west of the lowest point in North America, in Death Valley (282 feet below sea level. Mount Whitney was named after Josiah Whitney, the State Geologist of California.
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(lat. 39.0704°N, long. 106.2641°W)
At 14,433 feet, Mount Elbert is the highest point in Colorado and in the Rocky Mountains. Elbert is a massive mountain, easily ascended by its long, smooth ridges. It was named after Samuel H. Elbert (1833-1899), who was active in the formative period of the state. The standard route ascends the peak from the east, starting from the Colorado Trail. The most difficult is the Black Cloud Trail, which takes ten to fourteen hours, depending on the pace.
(lat. 46.511°N/ long. 121.453°W)
Mount Rainier is the highest and third most voluminous volcano of the Cascade Range. The main cone of this stratovolcano has formed since 730,000 years ago. Mount Rainier is potentially the most dangerous volcano in the Cascades because it is very steep and covered in large amounts of ice and snow. Numerous debris avalanches start on the volcano with the largest traveling more than 60 miles to Puget Sound. The most recent eruption was about 2,200 years ago and covered the eastern half of the park with up to one foot of lapilli, blocks, and bombs. The summit is topped by two volcanic craters, each over 1,000 feet in diameter. Geothermal heat from the volcano keeps areas of both crater rims free of snow and ice, and has formed an extensive network of glacier caves within the ice-filled craters. On clear days, it can be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia.
(lat. 43.11045°N/ long. 109.3912°W)
Gannett Peak is the highest peak in the Wind River Range, and the highest peak in Wyoming. It rises on the Continental Divide, just southeast of Yellowstone National Park and the Teton range. It is a snow peak in a range of rock peaks. It is flanked by five glaciers and the summit is snow-capped. The peak was named in 1906 for American geographer Henry Gannett who was an early pioneer of geography and topography in the United States.
(lat. 19.4842°N/ long. 155.2815°W)
Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in the Hawaiian Chain, is a dormant volcano. Its summit rises to an elevation of 13,796 feet above sea level and it is located on the island of Hawaii. The summit of Mauna Kea was entirely covered by a massive ice cap during the Pleistocene ice ages. The summit shows evidence of four periods of glaciation during the last 200,000 years, the last ending about 11,000 years ago, when the most recent ice age finished. The summit of Mauna Kea is considered to be one of the best astronomical sites in the world. For this reason it is home to many of the world's leading astronomical observatories. The summit is above approximately 40% of Earth's atmosphere and 90% of the water vapor, allowing for exceptionally clear images of the night sky. Additionally, the peak is well above the inversion layer, allowing up to 300 clear nights per year.
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(lat. 40.4643°N/ long. 110.2228°W)
Located in the High Uintas Wilderness Area is Kings Peak - the highest peak in Utah. The Uintas is the only major mountain range in the United States that run in an east-west direction. Kings Peak rises just south of the main Uintas crest. Three popular routes to the summit await adventurers; a scramble up the east slope, a hike up the northern ridge, and a long but relatively easy hike up the southern slope. The peak was named for Clarence King, a surveyor in the area.
(lat. 36.3324°N/ long. 105.2459°W)
The Wheeler Peak Wilderness includes almost 20,000 acres. Lying along the top of the Sangre De Cristo mountain range, Wheeler Peak Wilderness is characterized by high rugged terrain. Elevations range from 7,650 feet to a 13,161 feet at Wheeler Peak, the highest point in the State of New Mexico. Named in honor of Major George Montague Wheeler (1832 - 1909) who led a party of surveyors and naturalists collecting geologic, biologic, planimetric and topographic data in New Mexico.
(lat. 37.5046°N/ long. 118.2100°W)
The Inyo National Forest is home to Nevada's smallest wilderness and its highest point. The peak overlooks the California border and rises above the White Mountains. It is located entirely within the state of Nevada, although it is only about half a mile from the California border.
(lat. 45.0948°N/ long. 109.4826°W)
The Custer National Forest is home to 12,799-foot Granite Peak, the tallest mountain in Montana. Granite Peak is located in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, a difficult 25-mile round-trip trek. It is one of the most difficult U.S. state highpoint ascents because of technical climbing, poor weather, and route finding.
