Editing Mount Elbert (section)

{{short description|Highest mountain in Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Mount Elbert
| etymology = [[Samuel Hitt Elbert]]
| photo = Mt. Elbert.jpg 
| photo_size =
| photo_caption = Mount Elbert seen from Turquoise Lake
| elevation_system = NAPGD2022
| elevation = 14438 feet (4401 m)
| elevation_ref = <ref name=NAPGD2022>{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s00190-024-01831-8|doi-access=free| title=Moving mountains: reevaluating the elevations of Colorado mountain summits using modern geodetic techniques|date=April 2024|first1=Kevin | last1=Ahlgren|first3=Brian|last3=Shaw|last2= Van Westrum | first2=Derek |journal=Journal of Geodesy|volume=98|article-number=29}} {{open access}}</ref>
| prominence = 9,093 feet (2772 m)
| prominence_ref = <ref name=PB>{{cite web|url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5736|title= Mount Elbert, Colorado|publisher=Peakbagger.com|access-date=December 30, 2015}}</ref>
| isolation = 671 miles (1079 km)
| isolation_ref = <ref name=PB/>
| parent_peak =
| map = Colorado
| map_caption = '''[[Colorado]]'''
| listing = {{unbulleted list
|[[List of the highest major summits of North America|North America highest peaks]] 27th
|[[List of the most prominent summits of North America|North America prominent peaks]] 23rd
|[[List of the most isolated major summits of North America|North America isolated peaks]] 8th
|[[List of the highest major summits of the United States|US highest major peaks]] 14th
|[[List of U.S. states by elevation|U.S. state high points]] 3rd
|[[List of the highest major summits of Colorado|Colorado highest major peaks]] 1st
|[[List of Colorado fourteeners|Colorado fourteeners]] 1st
|[[List of Colorado county high points|Colorado county high points]] 1st
}}
| location = [[List of Colorado county high points|High point]] of [[Lake County, Colorado|Lake County]] and the [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], [[United States|U.S.]]<ref name=PB/>
| range = [[List of mountain ranges of Colorado#Mountain ranges|Highest summit]] of the<br />[[Rocky Mountains]],<br />[[Southern Rocky Mountains]],<br />[[Sawatch Range]],<br />and [[Elbert Massif]]<ref name=PB/>
| coordinates = {{coord|39|07|03.9|N|106|26|43.2|W|region:US-CO_type:mountain|name=Mount Elbert|display=it}}
| range_coordinates = 
| coordinates_ref = <ref name=NGS/>
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey#Topographic mapping|USGS 7.5' topographic map]]<br />Mount Elbert, Colorado<ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=180381|name=Mount Elbert|access-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref>
| first_ascent = 1874 by Henry W. Stuckle
| easiest_route = Northeast Ridge: Hike, {{YDS|1}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.14ers.com/routelist.php?peakid=10001 | title = Mt. Elbert Routes | publisher = 14ers.com }}</ref>
}}

'''Mount Elbert''' is the [[List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains#Highest prominent summits|highest summit]] of the [[Rocky Mountains]] of North America. With an [[elevation]] of {{convert|4400.58|m|0|order=flip|comma=5}}, it is also the highest point in the [[United States|U.S.]] [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Colorado]] and the second-highest summit in the [[contiguous United States]] after [[Mount Whitney]], which is slightly taller. The [[Ultra-prominent peak|ultra-prominent]] [[fourteener]] is the highest peak in the [[Sawatch Range]], as well as the highest point in the entire [[Mississippi River#Watershed|Mississippi River drainage basin]]. Mount Elbert is located in [[San Isabel National Forest]], {{convert|19.4|km|order=flip}} southwest ([[Absolute bearing|bearing]] 223°) of the city of [[Leadville, Colorado|Leadville]] in [[Lake County, Colorado]].<ref name=NGS>{{cite ngs|pid=JL0883|name=MT ELBERT|accessdate=January 2, 2016}}</ref><ref name=PB/><ref name=GNIS/>{{efn|The elevation of Mount Elbert includes an adjustment of +1.995&nbsp;m (+6.55&nbsp;ft) from [[Sea Level Datum of 1929|NGVD&nbsp;29]] to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988|NAVD&nbsp;88]].}}

The mountain was named in honor of a Colorado statesman, [[Samuel Hitt Elbert]], who was active in the formative period of the state and [[Governor of Colorado#Governors of the Territory of Colorado|Governor]] of the [[Territory of Colorado]] from 1873 to 1874. Henry W. Stuckle of the [[Hayden Survey]] was the first to record an ascent of the peak, in 1874. The easiest and most popular climbing routes are categorized as [[Yosemite Decimal System|Class 1 to 2]] or A+ in [[mountaineering]] parlance. Mount Elbert is therefore often referred to as the "gentle giant" that tops all others in the Rocky Mountains.