Elk Mountains (Colorado)


The Elk Mountains are a high, rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of west-central Colorado in the United States. The mountains sit on the western side of the Continental Divide, largely in southern Pitkin and northern Gunnison counties, in the area southwest of Aspen, south of the Roaring Fork River valley, and east of the Crystal River. The range sits west of the Sawatch Range and northeast of the West Elk Mountains. Much of the range is located within the White River National Forest and the Gunnison National Forest, as well as the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and Raggeds Wilderness. The Elk Mountains rise nearly 9,000 ft. above the Roaring Fork Valley to the north.
The highest peaks in the range are its fourteeners, Castle Peak, Maroon Peak, Capitol Peak, Snowmass Mountain, Pyramid Peak, and North Maroon Peak. Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak are collectively known as the Maroon Bells, a popular destination for recreation alpinism. Mount Sopris sits at the northwest end of the range and dominates the skyline of the lower Roaring Fork Valley and the town of Carbondale, Colorado, serving as an unofficial symbol of the area.
Additional notable peaks in the range include:
The range provides a formidable barrier to travel and is traversed only by backroad passes and trails, including Schofield Pass, Pearl Pass, and Taylor Pass. State Highway 133 traverses McClure Pass, at the western end of the range. The range has been the site of mining activity since the days of the Colorado Silver Boom, which saw the founding of mining towns such as Aspen and Ashcroft. In the late 19th century, the western and southern flank of the range became the site of intense coal mining activity which continues to the present day. Treasure Mountain, overlooking the town of Marble, is home to the famous Yule Marble Quarry. Quarried marble was used to create The Tomb of the Unknowns, the Lincoln Memorial, Denver Post Office and other buildings. The range receives a great deal of snowfall due to its position to the west of the continental divide and the westerly origin of many winter storms. This is exploited by the ski areas in the vicinity of Aspen, which are located on the flanks of smaller mountains alongside the Roaring Fork Valley.

Prominent peaks

RankMountain PeakSubrangeElevationProminenceIsolation
1Castle Peak Elk Mountains4352.200 = 14,279 feet
4352 m		0720.852 = 2,365 feet
721 m		00033.71 = 20.9 miles
33.7 km
2Maroon Peak Elk Mountains4317.000 = 14,163 feet
4317 m		0712.013 = 2,336 feet
712 m		00012.97 = 8.1 miles
13.0 km
3Capitol PeakElk Mountains4308.816 = 14,137 feet
4309 m		0527.304 = 1,730 feet
527 m		00011.98 = 7.4 miles
12.0 km
4Snowmass Mountain Elk Mountains4297.300 = 14,099 feet
4297 m		0345.034 = 1,132 feet
345 m		00003.77 = 2.3 miles
3.8 km
5Pyramid Peak Elk Mountains4274.700 = 14,025 feet
4275 m		0493.166 = 1,618 feet
493 m		00003.36 = 2.1 miles
3.4 km
6Cathedral Peak Elk Mountains4252.100 = 13,950 feet
4252 m		0153.314 = 503 feet
153 m		00002.10 = 1.3 miles
2.1 km
7Treasure Mountain Elk Mountains4125.342 = 13,535 feet
4125 m		0859.841 = 2,821 feet
860 m		00011.13 = 6.9 miles
11.1 km
8Mount Owen Ruby Range 3983.800 = 13,070 feet
3984 m		0413.918 = 1,358 feet
414 m		00012.81 = 8.0 miles
12.8 km
9West Elk Peak West Elk Mountains3975.200 = 13,042 feet
3975 m		0943.356 = 3,095 feet
943 m		00022.18 = 13.8 miles
22.2 km
10Chair Mountain Elk Mountains3879.100 = 12,727 feet
3879 m		0750.113 = 2,461 feet
750 m		00014.30 = 8.9 miles
14.3 km
11Mount Gunnison West Elk Mountains3878.700 = 12,725 feet
3879 m		1081.735 = 3,549 feet
1082 m		00019.05 = 11.8 miles
19.1 km
12Gothic Mountain Elk Mountains3850.036 = 12,631 feet
3850 m		0501.396 = 1,645 feet
501 m		00005.16 = 3.2 miles
5.2 km
13Whetstone Mountain West Elk Mountains3818.100 = 12,527 feet
3818 m		0748.589 = 2,456 feet
749 m		00015.11 = 9.4 miles
15.1 km
14East Beckwith Mountain West Elk Mountains3792.100 = 12,441 feet
3792 m		0759.562 = 2,492 feet
760 m		00011.01 = 6.8 miles
11.0 km
15Anthracite Peak West Elk Mountains3777.800 = 12,394 feet
3778 m		0647.700 = 2,125 feet
648 m		00007.68 = 4.8 miles
7.7 km
16Matchless Mountain Elk Mountains3776.279 = 12,389 feet
3776 m		0537.362 = 1,763 feet
537 m		00015.47 = 9.6 miles
15.5 km
17Crested Butte Elk Mountains3708.918 = 12,168 feet
3709 m		0786.994 = 2,582 feet
787 m		00007.49 = 4.7 miles
7.5 km
18Carbon Peak West Elk Mountains3684.300 = 12,088 feet
3684 m		0664.159 = 2,179 feet
664 m		00006.31 = 3.9 miles
6.3 km
19Mount Guero West Elk Mountains3675.400 = 12,058 feet
3675 m		0741.274 = 2,432 feet
741 m		00010.27 = 6.4 miles
10.3 km
20Huntsman Mountain Northwest Elk Mountains3614.201 = 11,858 feet
3614 m		0936.346 = 3,072 feet
936 m		00016.58 = 10.3 miles
16.6 km
21Marcellina Mountain West Elk Mountains3460.528 = 11,353 feet
3461 m		0831.494 = 2,728 feet
831 m		00008.18 = 5.1 miles
8.2 km