Thirteener


In mountaineering in the United States, a thirteener is a mountain that exceeds above mean sea level, similar to the more familiar "fourteeners," which exceed. In most instances, "thirteeners" refers only to those peaks between 13,000 and 13,999 feet in elevation.
The importance of thirteeners is greatest in Colorado, which has the majority of such peaks in North America with over 600 of them. Despite the large number of peaks, over 20 peak baggers have reported climbing all of Colorado's thirteeners. Thirteeners are also significant in states whose highpoints fall between 13,000 and 13,999 feet. Regarding whether or not peaks in excess of 13,999 feet should be considered as "thirteeners", this article will count them as such for statistical purposes, but concentrate its focus on those peaks less than 14,000 feet since the higher peaks are already covered in the fourteeners list.
Not all summits over 13,000 feet qualify as thirteeners, but only those summits that mountaineers consider to be independent. Objective standards for independence include topographic prominence and isolation, or a combination. However thirteener lists do not always consistently use such objective rules. A rule commonly used by mountaineers in the contiguous United States is that a peak must have at least of prominence to qualify. According to the , it is standard in Alaska to use a prominence rule rather than a 300-foot rule. These are the standards applied for the lists below.

List of United States thirteeners by state

Thirteeners are found in nine U.S. states. This table summarizes their numbers based on each state's prominence criteria:
U.S. StateThirteenersFourteenersHighest 13er < 14,000 ftElevation
Colorado63753Grizzly Peak
California14912Mount Barnard
Alaska4120Mount Hunter, South Peak
Wyoming340Gannett Peak
Utah170Kings Peak
New Mexico30Wheeler Peak
Hawaii20Mauna Kea
Nevada20Boundary Peak
Washington01none-

, Colorado

Colorado

By the most detailed count, Colorado has 637 peaks that exceed and meet the prominence criteria, of which 53 are fourteeners. The highest of them less than 14,000 feet are as follows :
RankMountainElevationRange
54Grizzly PeakSawatch Range
55Stewart PeakSan Juan Mountains
56Columbia PointSangre de Cristo Range
57Pigeon PeakSan Juan Mountains
58Mount OuraySawatch Range
59Ice MountainSawatch Range
60Fletcher MountainTenmile Range
61Pacific PeakTenmile Range

Grizzly Peak is not only the name of Colorado's highest thirteener, but the state has four other Grizzly Peaks plus one Grizzly Mountain on the list:
RankMountainElevationRange
130Grizzly PeakSan Juan Mountains
142Grizzly MountainSawatch Range
145Grizzly PeakSan Juan Mountains
302Grizzly PeakFront Range
415Grizzly PeakSawatch Range

, Colorado
Other notable Colorado thirteeners include:
RankMountainElevationRange
66Mount AdamsSangre de Cristo Range
68Mount MeekerFront Range
82Crystal PeakTenmile Range
89Turret PeakNeedle Mountains
96Mount SilverheelsMosquito Range
131Argentine PeakTenmile Range
253North Arapaho PeakFront Range
304Mummy MountainMummy Range
324Parry PeakFront Range
451Hesperus MountainSan Juan Mountains
515Twilight PeakSan Juan Mountains
556Lizard HeadSan Juan Mountains

, California

California

has the second greatest number of thirteeners with 149 of them, of which 12 are fourteeners. The highest under 14,000 feet are as follows :
RankMountainElevationRange
13Mount BarnardSierra Nevada
14Mount HumphreysSierra Nevada
15Mount KeithSierra Nevada
16Mount StanfordSierra Nevada

Other notable California thirteeners include:
RankMountainElevationRange
19Mount Le ConteSierra Nevada
21Mount AgassizSierra Nevada
23Norman Clyde PeakSierra Nevada
26Mount DarwinSierra Nevada
27Mount KaweahSierra Nevada
29Mount WinchellSierra Nevada
30Mount Morgan Sierra Nevada
33Red KaweahSierra Nevada
38Black KaweahSierra Nevada
39Mount TomSierra Nevada
46Birch MountainSierra Nevada
53Palisade CrestSierra Nevada
69Montgomery PeakWhite Mountains
76Kaweah QueenSierra Nevada
120Red Slate MountainSierra Nevada
122Mount RitterSierra Nevada
123Mount BaxterSierra Nevada
126Mount LyellSierra Nevada
137Mount DanaSierra Nevada
149Mount Morgan Sierra Nevada

, Atna Peaks, and Mount Blackburn, Alaska

Alaska

has at least 41 thirteeners that meet its more stringent prominence criteria of 500 ft, of which 20 are also fourteeners. Different sources list varying numbers of 13,000+ ft peaks in the state, mainly because many of the peaks are unnamed and have no spot elevations given on the USGS topographical maps. Using a 300' interpolated prominence criterion, there are 61 13,000+ ft peaks in Alaska. The following list may miss a few peaks that should be included:
, Alaska
RankMountainElevationRange
21Mount Hunter, South PeakAlaska Range
22Atna PeaksWrangell Mountains
23Regal MountainWrangell Mountains
24Mount HayesAlaska Range
25Mount CookSaint Elias Mountains
26Mount Sanford, South PeakWrangell Mountains
27Mount Quincy AdamsFairweather Range
28Ocypete PeakSaint Elias Mountains
29East Kahiltna PeakAlaska Range
30Mount NatazhatSaint Elias Mountains
31Mount JarvisWrangell Mountains
32Mount Hunter, Middle Peak + Alaska Range
33Mount Bona, East Peak Saint Elias Mountains
34Mount Hayes, South PeakAlaska Range
35Celeno Peak + Saint Elias Mountains
36Parka PeakWrangell Mountains
37Mount SilverthroneAlaska Range
38Mount Marcus BakerChugach Mountains
39Mount Jarvis, North PeakWrangell Mountains
40Mount MoffitAlaska Range
41Mount ZanettiWrangell Mountains

, Wyoming

Wyoming

has 34 thirteeners with at least 300 ft of prominence, but no fourteeners. 30 of the 34 are located in the rugged and remote Wind River Range. The highest of them are:
, Wyoming
RankMountainElevationRange
1Gannett PeakWind River Range
2Grand TetonTeton Range
3Fremont PeakWind River Range
4Mount WarrenWind River Range
5Mount HelenWind River Range
6Turret PeakWind River Range
7Mount SacagaweaWind River Range
8Jackson PeakWind River Range
9Mount Woodrow WilsonWind River Range
10Bastion PeakWind River Range
11Mount FebbasWind River Range
12Flagstone PeakWind River Range
13Sunbeam PeakWind River Range
14Pinnacle RidgeWind River Range
15Downs MountainWind River Range

, Wyoming
Other notable Wyoming thirteeners include:
RankMountainElevationRange
20Wind River PeakWind River Range
23Cloud PeakBig Horn Mountains
26Francs PeakAbsaroka Range
33Black Tooth MountainBig Horn Mountains

Utah

has 17 thirteeners with at least 300 ft of prominence, but no fourteeners. All of them are located in the remote Uinta Mountains near the Wyoming border. The highest of the thirteeners are:
RankMountainElevationRange
1Kings PeakUinta Mountains
2South Kings PeakUinta Mountains
3Gilbert PeakUinta Mountains
4Mount EmmonsUinta Mountains

New Mexico

has 3 thirteeners, all located within about of each other in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
RankMountainElevationRange
1Wheeler PeakSangre de Cristo Mountains
2Truchas PeakSangre de Cristo Mountains
3North Truchas PeakSangre de Cristo Mountains

, Hawaii

Hawaii

has two thirteeners, the great shield volcanoes which comprise the bulk of the Big Island of Hawaii.
RankMountainElevationRange
1Mauna KeaIsland of Hawaii
2Mauna LoaIsland of Hawaii

Nevada

has only a single thirteener that meets the threshold for inclusion, Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park with an impressive of prominence. However, the highest point in the state is Boundary Peak, which is a sub-peak of California's Montgomery Peak with only of prominence.
MountainElevationRange
Boundary PeakWhite Mountains
Wheeler PeakSnake Range

Washington

is the only mountain in Washington state that exceeds, and it has two summits that meet the prominence criteria, both of which are included on the list of fourteeners.