North America's 100 Highest
Alaska/California/Colorado/Hawaii/Nevada/New Mexico/Utah/Washington/Wyoming, United States/Canada/Guatemala/Mexico, North America

North America's 100 Highest

Alaska/California/Colorado/Hawaii/Nevada/New Mexico/Utah/Washington/Wyoming, United States/Canada/Guatemala/Mexico, North America
gimpilator
gimpilator
Fletch
Fletch
Add photos See all photos
Page Type Page Type: List
Sign the Climber's Log
Sign the Climber's Log!

Overview

What is the most important characteristic when defining a peak? Climbers aspire to reach summits for a number of different reasons, altitude, first ascents, prominence, technical difficulty, landmass high-points, political high-points. The most common defining aspect is elevation. How high is it? This is arguably the single most important feature when comparing one mountain to another.

The following list contains the 100 highest summits in North America with at least 2,000 feet of clean prominence. Prominence is loosely defined as a summit's rise against the next highest saddle connecting the peak to another. Please visit this page for more information on the definition of prominence. This 2000P "clean" list eliminates sub-peaks and lesser peaks that are part of a general massif. All peaks are over 13,000 feet and the list is displayed using US measurements (feet).

This is a unique list not featured anywhere else. There are a very few other versions of North America 100 Highest, but they employ different rules of inclusion and therefore contain some different peaks. It's worth mentioning that Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, only barely fell short of the list, at #103.
Denali
The Highest - Denali
Logan massif from the south....
Second Highest - Logan
Orizaba
Third Highest - Orizaba

Many thanks to SP member Fletch, who is the original creator of this list. He put a lot of work into the research and html you see here. Please see the comments section for his original notes.

Distribution

State
/Province		# / %
Colorado36
Alaska21
Canada15
California12
Mexico7
Wyoming5
Guatemala3
New Mexico2
Other / US2
Elevation (ft)# / %
20,0001
19,0001
18,0002
17,0004
16,0005
15,0004
14,00035
13,00048

List

Rank Image Mountain/Peak Name Elevation(ft) Prominence(ft) State/Province Parent Range
20,000 ft Peaks
1 Denali 20,320 20,156 AK Alaska Range
19,000 ft Peaks
2 Mt Logan 19,541 17,215 YT St Elias Mountains
18,000 ft Peaks
3 Pico de Orizaba 18,491 16,148 PU Cordillera Neovolcanica
4 Mt St Elias 18,008 11,184 AK/YT St Elias Mountains
17,000 ft Peaks
5 Volcan Popocatepetl 17,717 9,909 MR Cordillera Neovolcanica
6 Mt Foraker 17,400 7,200 AK Alaska Range
7 Mt Lucania 17,192 9,974 YT St Elias Mountains
8 Volcan Iztaccihuatl 17,126 5,053 EM Cordillera Neovolcanica
16,000 ft Peaks
9 King Peak 16,972 3,455 YT St Elias Mountains
10 Mt Bona 16,500 6,800 AK St Elias Mountains
11 Mt Steele 16,404 2,362 YT St Elias Mountains
12 Mt Blackburn 16,390 11,590 AK Wrangell Mountains
13 Mt Sanford 16,237 7,637 AK Wrangell Mountains
15,000 ft Peaks
14 Mt Wood 15,879 3,806 YT St Elias Mountains
15 Mt Vancouver 15,787 8,832 YT St Elias Mountains
16 Nevado de Toluca 15,354 7,250 EM Cordillera Neovolcanica
17 Mt Fairweather 15,325 12,963 AK/BC St Elias Mountains
14,000 ft Peaks
18 Mt Hubbard 14,950 7,995 AK/YT St Elias Mountains
19 Mt Bear 14,831 4,988 AK St Elias Mountains
20 Mt Walsh 14,783 4,416 YT St Elias Mountains
21 Mt Hunter 14,573 4,623 AK Alaska Range
22 Volcan La Malinche 14,501 6,299 TL Cordillera Neovolcanica
23 Mt Whitney 14,495 10,075 CA Sierra Nevada
24 University Peak 14,470 3,210 AK St Elias Mountains
25 Mt Elbert 14,433 9,073 CO Sawatch Range
26 Mt Harvard 14,420 2,327 CO Sawatch Range
27 Mt Rainier 14,411 13,211 WA Cascade Range
28 Blanca Peak 14,345 5,326 CO Sangre de Cristo Range
29 Uncompahgre Peak 14,314 4,277 CO San Juan Range
30 McArthur Peak 14,304 3,018 YT St Elias Mountains
31 Crestone Peak 14,294 4,534 CO Sangre de Cristo Range
32 Mt Lincoln 14,286 3,862 CO Mosquito Range
33 Grays Peak 14,270 2,750 CO Front Range
34 Mt Antero 14,269 2,503 CO Sawatch Range
35 Castle Peak 14,265 2,345 CO Elk Range
36 Mt Evans 14,264 2,754 CO Front Range
37 Longs Peak 14,255 2,940 CO Front Range
38 White Mountain Peak 14,246 7,196 CA Inyo White Mountains
39 Mt Wilson 14,246 4,024 CO San Juan Range
40 North Palisade 14,242 2,894 CA Sierra Nevada
41 Nevado de Colima 14,220 8,858 JA Cordillera Neovolcanica
42 Mt Princeton 14,197 2,157 CO Sawatch Range
43 Mt Wrangell 14,163 5,563 AK Wrangell Mountains
44 Mt Shasta 14,162 9,822 CA Cascade Range
45 Maroon Peak 14,156 2,316 CO Elk Range
46 Mt Sneffels 14,150 3,030 CO San Juan Range
47 Pikes Peak 14,110 5,510 CO Front Range
48 Mt Eolus 14,084 2,164 CO San Juan Range
49 Mt Augusta 14,070 5,015 AK/YT St Elias Mountains
50 Culebra Peak 14,047 4,807 CO Sangre de Cristo Range
51 San Luis Peak 14,014 3,113 CO San Juan Range
52 Mt of the Holy Cross 14,005 2,111 CO Sawatch Range
13,000 ft Peaks
53 Mt Humphreys 13,986 2,563 CA Sierra Nevada
54 Mt Ouray 13,971 2,659 CO Sawatch Range
55 Mt Strickland 13,911 2,494 YT St Elias Mountains
56 Vermilion Peak 13,894 2,105 CO San Juan Range
57 Atna Peaks 13,860 2,160 AK Wrangell Mountains
58 Regal Mountain 13,845 4,345 AK Wrangell Mountains
59 Volcán Tajumulco 13,845 13,058 SNM Guatemala Ranges
60 Mt Hayes 13,832 11,482 AK Alaska Range
61 Mt Silverheels 13,822 2,283 CO Front Range
62 Gannett Peak 13,804 7,076 WY Wind River Range
63 Mt Kaweah 13,802 2,027 CA Sierra Nevada
64 Volcan Cofre de Perote 13,780 4,331 VZ Cordillera Neovolcanica
65 Grand Teton 13,770 6,350 WY Teton Range
66 Mt Cook 13,760 7,660 AK/YT St Elias Mountains
67 Mt Morgan 13,748 2,628 CA Sierra Nevada
68 Mt Gabb 13,741 2,581 CA Sierra Nevada
69 Bald Mountain 13,684 2,099 CO Front Range
70 West Spanish Peak 13,626 3,666 CO Sangre de Cristo Range
71 Mt Powell 13,560 2,960 CO Gore Range
72 Hagues Peak 13,560 2,400 CO Front Range
73 Mt Dubois 13,559 2,319 CA Inyo White Mountains
74 Kings Peak 13,528 6,348 UT Uinta Mountains
75 Treasure Mountain 13,528 2,808 CO Elk Range
76 Mt Pinchot 13,494 2,077 CA Sierra Nevada
77 Mt Natazhat 13,435 5,935 AK St Elias Mountains
78 Mt Jarvis 13,421 4,721 AK Wrangell Mountains
79 Volcán Tacaná 13,343 3,379 SNM Guatemala Ranges
80 Mt Herard 13,320 2,000 CO Sangre de Cristo Range
81 Summit Peak 13,300 2,740 CO San Juan Range
82 Antora Peak 13,269 2,389 CO Sawatch Range
83 Hesperus Mountain 13,232 2,832 CO San Juan Range
84 Mt Silverthrone 13,220 3,240 AK Alaska Range
85 Jacque Peak 13,205 2,045 CO Gore Range
86 Wind River Peak 13,192 2,552 WY Wind River Range
87 Mt Waddington 13,186 10,758 BC Central Coast Mountains
88 Mt Marcus Baker 13,176 10,726 AK Chugach Mountains
89 Cloud Peak 13,167 7,067 WY Big Horn Range
90 Wheeler Peak 13,161 3,409 NM Sangre de Cristo Range
91 Twilight Peak 13,158 2,318 CO San Juan Range
92 Francs Peak 13,153 4,056 WY Absaroka Range
93 South River Peak 13,148 2,428 CO San Juan Range
94 Mt Ritter 13,143 3,957 CA Sierra Nevada
95 Bushnell Peak 13,105 2,385 CO Sangre de Cristo Range
96 Truchas Peak 13,102 4,001 NM Sangre de Cristo Range
97 Wheeler Peak 13,063 7,563 NV Snake Range
98 Mt Dana 13,057 2,417 CA Sierra Nevada
99 Spring Glacier Peak 13,045 2,218 YT St Elias Mountains
100 Volcán Acatenango 13,041 6,020 CMT Guatemala Ranges

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Viewing: 1-11 of 11
ericnoel

ericnoel - Apr 15, 2011 5:33 pm - Voted 10/10

Text

Nice page. This might be just the way the page is rendered in my browser but the black text on the dark blue background for the #/% fields is pretty much impossible to read. So you might want to lighten up that blue background or something. Very minor issue. Nice choice on using a high prom cutoff. For an area as large as North America you want to get significant mtns instead of little 14er bumps and that high cutoff achieves that worthy end.

Steve Gruhn - Apr 26, 2011 7:26 pm - Voted 10/10

Border Peaks?

Not sure if you can have multiple state/province listings for the peak locations, but you list only AK for the border peaks. These border peaks (Saint Elias, Fairweather, Hubbard, Augusta, and Cook) are also in Canada (YT, BC, YT, YT, and YT, respectively).

Steve Gruhn - Mar 16, 2012 4:46 am - Voted 10/10

Guatemala Peaks

There are three Guatemalan peaks that have been omitted from this list - Tajumulco, Tacana (partially in Mexico), and Acatenango. All warrant inclusion, depending upon the elevation used for West Elk Peak (sources vary).

gimpilator

gimpilator - Mar 18, 2012 12:10 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: Guatemala Peaks

Thank you for your excellent attention to detail. The list would not be accurate without your corrections. I have made the appropriate changes and I also updated the locations which you mentioned in the previous comment.

Steve Gruhn - May 26, 2012 3:57 pm - Voted 10/10

Spring Glacier?

Is there a reason that you omitted Spring Glacier Peak (elevation of about 13045 feet, prominence of about 2218 feet) in the Yukon Territory?

gimpilator

gimpilator - Jun 4, 2012 7:25 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: Spring Glacier?

Steve, nice job finding this peak. It's certainly prominent enough to be included. I will add it to the list. The reason it was not originally included is due to the fact that it is not an officially named peak. The name does not appear on maps and so it is not yet listed on sites like peakbagger.com but it did turn up on bivouac.com and google maps. It makes me wonder how many other unofficially named peaks are out there with enough prominence to qualify.

Noondueler

Noondueler - Oct 19, 2015 10:33 am - Voted 10/10

+Williamson

Where's Mt. Williamson. Should be between Rainier and Blanca.

gimpilator

gimpilator - Oct 19, 2015 11:05 am - Voted 10/10

Re: +Williamson

Williamson has 1643 feet of prominence and thus misses the cutoff. Essentially it's a very high peak with relatively little prominence. Elevation is only one way to measure the stature of a mountain. If considering both elevation and prominence in combination, then you get a much clearer idea of which peaks are most notable and significant. With this criteria in mind, you can see that only 9 peaks in the Sierra Nevada qualify.

Noondueler

Noondueler - Oct 19, 2015 3:25 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: +Williamson

Well according to those stats I guess... otherwise Williamson is easily the biggest and most prominent peak in the Sierra, interesting.

gimpilator

gimpilator - Oct 19, 2015 6:31 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: +Williamson

Well, I don't mean to argue, but prominence is a word that is used loosely in regular everyday language, but when it comes to mountains, there is a strict definition, just like sea-level elevations. By this very definition, Williamson only stands up 1643 feet above the saddle connecting to the next higher peak (Whitney). I have no doubt that Williamson is an important peak for California by elevation alone, and a worthy mountaineering objective to boot. In fact I plan to climb it myself, likely this year. But this list was specifically tailored to exclude high peaks which don't stick up much on their own and are generally part of a larger massif. Without this measure the list would have been skewed in favor of areas like Colorado and the Sierra Nevada where there are a lot of high peaks with very little true prominence. Have you ever read the formal definition of prominence in regards to mountains? I can offer a link if you are interested. I'm actually not surprised if you have not seen this information clearly defined before. Most people I have talked to have no idea what true prominence is outside the loose connotations of the word.

Noondueler

Noondueler - Oct 19, 2015 8:29 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: +Williamson

Oh, I don't really care that much i was just making an observation I think it's at least 300' up from a col constitutes a peak or something like that. Enjoy your climb of Williamson!

Viewing: 1-11 of 11


Images

View North America's 100 Highest Image Gallery - 2 Images

Table of Contents
Geography
Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.

Album76 Mountains & Rocks
Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Elevation ListsLists