Many have heard about the state highpoints quest and contemplated it over a beverage or two. An experienced mountaineer or even someone who is fit and very determined could do most of the peaks. You could even get a little help, like on Rainier where climbers often use a guide service. Denali in Alaska however, is in a whole ‘nother league. Because of the high elevation (20,310 feet), extreme weather exposure, and long duration (17-21 days), Denali is considered a much more serious undertaking.

Denali, the hardest of them all

Highpointing is the term for seeking to reach the highest points in specified regions. The most recognized and prestigious list is probably the Seven Summits, or the highest points on each of the seven continents (Denali included). The state high points is another recognized list and even has a club, the Highpointers Club, which tracks those who have completed all 50 (nearly 300 people). They also track those who complete the 48 in the contiguous United States (over 500).

As you can see, while many people have traveled to each of the 50 states, very few have been to the summit of each one. Even within the lower 48, there is a wide discrepancy between the amount of effort involved in reaching these summits.

Ranking them by difficulty:

Denali (AK) Rainier (WA), Gannett (WY), Granite (MT) Hood (OR), Borah (ID) Whitney (CA), Kings (UT) Elbert (CO), Wheeler (NM), Boundary (NV), Humphreys (AZ) Guadalupe (TX), Katahdin (ME), Marcy (NY)

See the full list below.

The rest are not considered difficult. Most are relatively easy day-hikes, walks, or even drives. About 20 of them have roads that lead to a walk of less than a half-mile. Some of those that can be driven, Mt. Washington (NH) and Mt. Mitchell (NC) for example, have optional hiking trails that would make earning the summit much more rewarding. Mauna Kea in Hawaii has a road to the top, but the high elevation makes the short hike at the end still feel huge (it’s almost a Fourteener). Several of the “summits” aren’t mountains or peaks at all. Sunflower (KS) is in the middle of a field, and Ebright Azimuth (DE) is along a sidewalk, and the lowest high point in America, Britton Hill (FL), is in a flat county park.

The high points in Illinois and Kentucky are located on private property and require permission from the land owner to visit, not to mention that they have restricted “visiting hours.”

Mt. Mitchell, high by east coast standards

Below is a list of the 50 state high points from highest to lowest, except that Point Reno in Washington, D.C. has been added to the end for extra credit. See the map above to locate the high points by state.

Mountains on this map