List of extreme summits of the United States facts for kids

This article is about some of the most unique mountain peaks in the United States! These are mountains that are the highest for their location, whether they are the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, or westernmost peaks of a certain height.

Denali in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in the United States and North America. It's also one of the most important peaks on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua.

When we talk about how tall a mountain is, we can measure it in a few ways:

• Elevation: This is how high the mountain's top (called the summit) is above sea level.
• Prominence: This measures how much a mountain rises above the land right around it. Imagine it like a bump on a flat surface – a prominent mountain sticks out a lot!
• Isolation: This tells us how far a mountain is from another mountain that is just as tall or taller. A mountain with high isolation is pretty lonely!

Northernmost High Summits

These are the mountains that are the furthest north in the United States for their height. Alaska has many of these!

The Northernmost Tallest Mountains in the United States

Rank	Mountain Peak	State	Mountain Range	Elevation (meters)	Prominence (meters)	Isolation (kilometers)	Location
6	Mount Chamberlin	Alaska	Brooks Range	2713.03	1265.227	43.85	69°16′39″N 144°54′39″W / 69.2775°N 144.9107°W / 69.2775; -144.9107 (Mount Chamberlin)
5	Mount Isto	Alaska	Brooks Range	2735.89	2408.23	633.50	69°12′09″N 143°48′07″W / 69.2025°N 143.8020°W / 69.2025; -143.8020 (Mount Isto)
4	Hess Mountain	Alaska	Alaska Range	3639.319	758.954	4.47	63°38′18″N 147°08′54″W / 63.6382°N 147.1482°W / 63.6382; -147.1482 (Hess Mountain)
3	Mount Deborah	Alaska	Alaska Range	3760.935	1581.61	25.88	63°38′16″N 147°14′18″W / 63.6377°N 147.2384°W / 63.6377; -147.2384 (Mount Deborah)
2	Mount Hayes	Alaska	Alaska Range	4216.002	3507.341	202.00	63°37′13″N 146°43′04″W / 63.6203°N 146.7178°W / 63.6203; -146.7178 (Mount Hayes)
1	Denali	Alaska	Alaska Range	6190.5	6140.5	7,450.24	63°04′08″N 151°00′23″W / 63.0690°N 151.0063°W / 63.0690; -151.0063 (Denali)

Southernmost High Summits

These mountains are the furthest south in the United States for their height. Hawaii has some of the most interesting ones!

The Southernmost Tallest Mountains in the United States

Rank	Mountain Peak	State	Mountain Range	Elevation (meters)	Prominence (meters)	Isolation (kilometers)	Location
7	Mauna Loa	Hawaii	Island of Hawaiʻi	4169.368	2163.78	40.83	19°28′32″N 155°36′19″W / 19.4756°N 155.6054°W / 19.4756; -155.6054 (Mauna Loa)
6	Mauna Kea	Hawaii	Island of Hawaiʻi	4207.3	4207.3	3,947.00	19°49′15″N 155°28′05″W / 19.8207°N 155.4681°W / 19.8207; -155.4681 (Mauna Kea)
5	Mount Kaweah	California	Sierra Nevada	4208.51	617.831	17.27	36°31′34″N 118°28′43″W / 36.5261°N 118.4785°W / 36.5261; -118.4785 (Mount Kaweah)
4	Mount Whitney	California	Sierra Nevada	4421	3072.39	2,649.47	36°34′43″N 118°17′31″W / 36.5786°N 118.2920°W / 36.5786; -118.2920 (Mount Whitney)
3	Mount Fairweather	Alaska  British Columbia	Saint Elias Mountains	4671	3961	200.28	58°54′23″N 137°31′35″W / 58.9064°N 137.5265°W / 58.9064; -137.5265 (Mount Fairweather)
2	Mount Saint Elias	Alaska  Yukon	Saint Elias Mountains	5489	3429	41.25	60°17′34″N 140°55′51″W / 60.2927°N 140.9307°W / 60.2927; -140.9307 (Mount Saint Elias)
1	Denali	Alaska	Alaska Range	6190.5	6140.5	7,450.24	63°04′08″N 151°00′23″W / 63.0690°N 151.0063°W / 63.0690; -151.0063 (Denali)

Easternmost High Summits

These are the mountains that are the furthest east in the United States for their height. You'll find some of these in the Rocky Mountains!

The Easternmost Tallest Mountains in the United States

Rank	Mountain Peak	State	Mountain Range	Elevation (meters)	Prominence (meters)	Isolation (kilometers)	Location
18	Katahdin	Maine	Longfellow Mountains	1606.4	1308.509	254.82	45°54′16″N 68°55′17″W / 45.9044°N 68.9213°W / 45.9044; -68.9213 (Katahdin)
17	Mount Washington	New Hampshire	White Mountains	1916.606	1876.962	1,318.95	44°16′14″N 71°18′12″W / 44.2705°N 71.3032°W / 44.2705; -71.3032 (Mount Washington)
16	Mount Mitchell	North Carolina	Blue Ridge Mountains	2037.312	1856.693	1,913.49	35°45′54″N 82°15′54″W / 35.7649°N 82.2651°W / 35.7649; -82.2651 (Mount Mitchell)
15	Emory Peak	Texas	Chisos Mountains	2381	1370.079	74.32	29°14′46″N 103°18′19″W / 29.2460°N 103.3053°W / 29.2460; -103.3053 (Emory Peak)
14	Baldy Peak	Texas	Davis Mountains	2554.5	1195.733	153.55	30°38′08″N 104°10′25″W / 30.6356°N 104.1737°W / 30.6356; -104.1737 (Baldy Peak)
13	Fishers Peak	Colorado	Raton Mesa	2936.2	562.967	49.85	37°05′54″N 104°27′46″W / 37.0982°N 104.4628°W / 37.0982; -104.4628 (Fishers Peak)
12	East Spanish Peak	Colorado	Spanish Peaks	3867.158	726.34	6.78	37°23′36″N 104°55′12″W / 37.3934°N 104.9201°W / 37.3934; -104.9201 (East Spanish Peak)
11	West Spanish Peak	Colorado	Spanish Peaks	4154.681	1123.495	31.98	37°22′32″N 104°59′36″W / 37.3756°N 104.9934°W / 37.3756; -104.9934 (West Spanish Peak)
10	Pikes Peak	Colorado	Front Range	4302.31	1685.547	97.56	38°50′26″N 105°02′39″W / 38.8405°N 105.0442°W / 38.8405; -105.0442 (Pikes Peak)
9	Blanca Peak	Colorado	Sangre de Cristo Mountains	4374.12	1623.368	166.36	37°34′39″N 105°29′08″W / 37.5775°N 105.4856°W / 37.5775; -105.4856 (Blanca Peak)
8	Mount Harvard	Colorado	Sawatch Range	4395.6	719.329	24.01	38°55′28″N 106°19′15″W / 38.9244°N 106.3207°W / 38.9244; -106.3207 (Mount Harvard)
7	Mount Elbert	Colorado	Sawatch Range	4401.2	2771.552	1,079.15	39°07′04″N 106°26′43″W / 39.1178°N 106.4454°W / 39.1178; -106.4454 (Mount Elbert)
6	Mount Whitney	California	Sierra Nevada	4421	3072.39	2,649.47	36°34′43″N 118°17′31″W / 36.5786°N 118.2920°W / 36.5786; -118.2920 (Mount Whitney)
5	Mount Fairweather	Alaska  British Columbia	Saint Elias Mountains	4671	3961	200.28	58°54′23″N 137°31′35″W / 58.9064°N 137.5265°W / 58.9064; -137.5265 (Mount Fairweather)
4	Mount Saint Elias	Alaska  Yukon	Saint Elias Mountains	5489	3429	41.25	60°17′34″N 140°55′51″W / 60.2927°N 140.9307°W / 60.2927; -140.9307 (Mount Saint Elias)
3	Mount Moffit	Alaska	Alaska Range	3968.504	1210.058	16.41	63°34′06″N 146°23′54″W / 63.5683°N 146.3982°W / 63.5683; -146.3982 (Mount Moffit)
2	Mount Hayes	Alaska	Alaska Range	4216.002	3507.341	202.00	63°37′13″N 146°43′04″W / 63.6203°N 146.7178°W / 63.6203; -146.7178 (Mount Hayes)
1	Denali	Alaska	Alaska Range	6190.5	6140.5	7,450.24	63°04′08″N 151°00′23″W / 63.0690°N 151.0063°W / 63.0690; -151.0063 (Denali)

Westernmost High Summits

These mountains are the furthest west in the United States for their height. Many of these are volcanoes in Alaska's Aleutian Islands!

The Westernmost Tallest Mountains in the United States

Rank	Mountain Peak	State	Mountain Range	Elevation (meters)	Prominence (meters)	Isolation (kilometers)	Location
12	Buldir Volcano	Alaska	Buldir Island	655.931	655.931	118.71	52°20′54″N 175°54′38″E / 52.3482°N 175.9105°E / 52.3482; 175.9105 (Buldir Volcano)
11	Kiska Volcano	Alaska	Kiska Island	1220.422	1220.422	137.74	52°06′10″N 177°36′11″E / 52.1027°N 177.6030°E / 52.1027; 177.6030 (Kiska Volcano)
10	Anvil Peak	Alaska	Semisopochnoi Island	1221.336	1221.336	112.63	51°59′09″N 179°36′08″E / 51.9859°N 179.6021°E / 51.9859; 179.6021 (Anvil Peak)
9	Gareloi Volcano	Alaska	Gareloi Island	1572.771	1572.771	46.09	51°47′17″N 178°47′38″W / 51.7880°N 178.7940°W / 51.7880; -178.7940 (Gareloi Volcano)
8	Tanaga Volcano	Alaska	Tanaga Island	1805.944	1805.944	655.53	51°53′02″N 178°08′34″W / 51.8838°N 178.1429°W / 51.8838; -178.1429 (Tanaga Volcano)
7	Mount Vsevidof	Alaska	Umnak Island	2149.149	2149.149	358.11	53°07′32″N 168°41′38″W / 53.1256°N 168.6938°W / 53.1256; -168.6938 (Mount Vsevidof)
6	Shishaldin Volcano	Alaska	Unimak Island	2869.393	2869.393	876.97	54°45′19″N 163°58′15″W / 54.7554°N 163.9709°W / 54.7554; -163.9709 (Shishaldin Volcano)
5	Haleakalā	Hawaii	Island of Maui	3055.017	3055.017	122.86	20°42′35″N 156°15′12″W / 20.7097°N 156.2533°W / 20.7097; -156.2533 (Haleakalā)
4	Mauna Loa	Hawaii	Island of Hawaiʻi	4169.368	2163.78	40.83	19°28′32″N 155°36′19″W / 19.4756°N 155.6054°W / 19.4756; -155.6054 (Mauna Loa)
3	Mauna Kea	Hawaii	Island of Hawaiʻi	4207.3	4207.3	3,947.00	19°49′15″N 155°28′05″W / 19.8207°N 155.4681°W / 19.8207; -155.4681 (Mauna Kea)
2	Mount Foraker	Alaska	Alaska Range	5303.531	2209.804	22.96	62°57′37″N 151°23′59″W / 62.9604°N 151.3998°W / 62.9604; -151.3998 (Mount Foraker)
1	Denali	Alaska	Alaska Range	6190.5	6140.5	7,450.24	63°04′08″N 151°00′23″W / 63.0690°N 151.0063°W / 63.0690; -151.0063 (Denali)

Images for kids

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  Denali in Alaska is the highest summit of the United States and all of North America.

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  Mount Saint Elias is the second highest summit of both Canada and the United States.

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  Mount Foraker is the second highest major summit of the Alaska Range.

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  Mount Fairweather lies on the Alaska-British Columbia international border.

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  Mount Whitney highest summit of the Sierra Nevada and California.

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  Mount Elbert is the highest summit of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.

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  Pikes Peak in Colorado was the inspiration for America the Beautiful.

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  Mount Hayes is the highest summit of the eastern Alaska Range.

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  Mauna Kea on the Island of Hawaiʻi is the tallest mountain on Earth as measured from base to summit.

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  Mauna Loa on the Island of Hawaiʻi is the most voluminous mountain on Earth.

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  Haleakalā is the highest summit of the Island of Maui.

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  Mount Shishaldin on Unimak Island in Alaska is the highest summit of the Aleutian Islands.

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  Mount Vsevidof is the highest summit of Umnak Island and the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

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  Mount Mitchell is the highest summit of North Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.

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  Mount Washington is the highest summit of the White Mountains and New Hampshire.

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  Tanaga Volcano is the highest summit of Tanaga Island and the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

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  Katahdin is the highest summit of the Longfellow Mountains and the U.S. State of Maine.

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  Gareloi Volcano is the apex of Gareloi Island in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

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  Kiska Volcano is the apex of Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

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  Buldir Volcano is the apex of Buldir Island in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

See also

• List of mountain peaks of North America
  • List of mountain peaks of Canada
  • List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
  • List of mountain peaks of the United States
    • List of the highest major summits of the United States
      • List of the major 4000-meter summits of the United States
      • List of the major 3000-meter summits of the United States
    • List of the most prominent summits of the United States
    • List of the most isolated major summits of the United States
    • List of mountain peaks of Alaska
    • List of mountain peaks of California
    • List of mountain peaks of Colorado
    • List of mountain peaks of Hawaiʻi
• United States of America
  • Geography of the United States
• Physical geography
  • Topography
    • Topographic elevation
    • Topographic prominence
    • Topographic isolation