The Most Majestic Mountain Peaks in Colorado Are Calling Your Name
These mountain peaks are worth the trip.
Colorado is the highest state in the nation, and not just because we were one of the first to legalize weed. With an average elevation of 6,800 feet above sea level, the Rocky Mountain State towers over the rest, home to 58 fourteeners (mountain lingo for peaks rising above 14,000 feet) and 15 mountain ranges. Sure, it would be almost impossible to not catch a glimpse of a peak (or a hundred) in Colorado, but not all mountain views are created equal. Here, a few of our favorite peaks, ranges, and local landmarks, which, depending on your preferred level of energy expenditure, can be viewed from a car window, the trail, or up close and personal on the rock itself.

Maroon Bells
Elk Mountain
Looming over Aspen, the one-two punch of Maroon Peak and North Maroon peak isn’t just an iconic sight in Colorado: The side-by-side crags are the most photographed peaks in North America. With their iron-enriched red hue and tendency to reflect off of the mirror-like lakes at their base, the Elk Mountain two fourteeners are also the centerpiece of some of the most beloved hiking trails in the entire state amid the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, a 182,000-acre natural area so rich in Alpine beauty you’ll be hearing about it again shortly.

Crested Butte
Elk Mountains
Not only is Crested Butte the moniker of a gorgeous 12,168-foot peak in Gunnison National Forest, it’s also the namesake of one of Colorado’s coolest towns and top ski resorts. The peak of Crested Butte towers over the famously laid-back, arts-centric town, with the world-class Crested Butte Mountain Resort perched on the north side of the mountain. Admire the ruggedly beautiful peak (part of the Elk Mountains) from hikes throughout town, and take in views of nearby Gothic Mountain for a classic introduction to this buzzworthy community’s resplendent scenery.

Pikes Peak
Colorado Front Range
Pikes is inarguably one of the most famous mountains in the world, and at 14,115, it’s also the highest point in the Colorado Front Range. More than half a million people make it to the top each year—whether by foot along Barr Trail, car via the Pikes Peak Highway, or by train on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway—with the added bonus of some pretty damn spectacular donuts: That’s right, one of the world’s greatest ascents comes with a taste of the world’s highest-elevation breakfast pastries, courtesy of Pikes Peak Summit House. For a view within a view, check out Pikes from Colorado Springs’ Garden of the Gods, whose red-rock spires offer up an eye-popping contrast to the towering, snow-covered crag lurking in the distance.

Capitol Peak
Elk Mountains
Another popular Elk Mountains fourteener inside the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, climbing Capitol Peak is a strenuous affair that will get you a lifetime-achievement badge for hiking. But hit the 15-mile Capitol Peak Trail and you'll catch the kind of 360-degree view that practically sears itself into your mind: Snowmass Mountain to the south, Maroon Bells to the east, and beyond them the silhouette of the Continental Divide. And if you aren’t in the mood to set your calves ablaze to get that view, Capitol Peak looks lovely from afar as well.

Handies Peak
San Juan Mountains
If you’re looking to bag your first fourteener, there may be no better effort-to-vistas ratio than Handies Peak in the San Juan Mountains. The accessible mountain is less than a six-mile round-trip hike (albeit with 2,500 feet of elevation gain packed into it), and it’s especially spectacular in July, when wildflowers paint the route. You’ll pass pristine alpine lakes, walk among peaks as far as your eye can see, and dodge the occasional marmot scurrying out of your way.

Lone Eagle Peak
Colorado Front Range
Lone Eagle Peak isn’t one of Colorado’s tallest—at 11,940 feet, it isn’t even close—but size doesn’t matter when you’ve got one of the most stunning set-ups in the Rockies. Its dramatic spire, rugged granite face, and perch on Mirror Lake make this a very sexy mountain. It takes some work to get to all this mountain sexiness, though, with many choosing to break up the 17-mile trek by backpacking to one of its 12 campsites. Besides your breathtaking destination, this challenging hike rewards you with loads of waterfalls and more Indian Peaks Wilderness scenery than you can shake a (walking) stick at.

Longs Peak
Rocky Mountain National Park
The highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park is an iconic landmark that can be spotted from many locations in and around the gateway town of Estes Park. Longs is also a popular spot for nontechnical climbers, who reach the 14,259-foot summit following a grueling 15-mile ascent when the route is passable in summer. On the drive into Rocky Mountain National Park, pause to admire a windshield filled with towering peaks such as Longs, Mount Meeker, and the majestic trio of Hallett Peak, Flattop Mountain, and Otis Peak as you drive through Estes Park along Route 36.

Pyramid Peak
Elk Mountains
Pyramid Peak towers over the Maroon Bells-Snowmass area’s Crater Lake and provides some of the most stunning views of the region’s wildflowers. For those with technical climbing skills, the Elk Mountain fourteeners are absolute adrenaline factories, where mountain goats provide signs of life on a journey that takes you well into the sky. For those who have to google “crampons,” this ascent is probably not for you. But that won’t matter when you’re catching views reflected in those crystal waters.

The Flatirons
Boulder
They may not be the biggest mountains in Colorado, but these majestic sloping beauties that backstop the free-spirited town of Boulder are some of the most recognizable images in the state. As the gateway to the Rocky Mountains perched along Colorado’s densely populated Front Range, the Flatirons are often the first mountains that new visitors fall in love with. These unique peaks can best be viewed from Boulder’s Chautauqua Park, where you’ll want to toss around the Frisbee and chill for a while.
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