One of the general goals we have for our travels with Loki is to get to the highest point, or the summit, in each State of the United States. Clearly this is a massive range from 345 feet in Florida to the 20,310 feet of Mount Denali in Alaska, so accessibility varies tremendously. We would love to get “as close as we can” on all of them someday. And just for comic relief we also created a list of the lowest points in the Unites State in case you are interested along with a list for all the U.S. State Capitals if there wasn’t enough already on the list.
Summit Point by State
Complete list of the official highest points in each U.S. state, with elevations and accessibility notes. Below we have linked to all the posts to each state, and then to the post for each “Highest Point Summit” if we have made it to the summit. If you would like to see all the posts we have done in each state, click on the state.
| State | Highest Point | Elevation (ft) | Accessibility Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Cheaha Mountain | 2,405 | Easy: Drive to Cheaha State Park, short trail to Bunker Tower at summit. |
| Alaska | Denali | 20,310 | Very difficult: Major mountaineering expedition with guides. |
| Arizona | Humphreys Peak | 12,637 | Moderate: Day hike (9-10 miles) in Coconino National Forest. |
| Arkansas | Magazine Mountain | 2,753 | Easy: Trails and drive-up access in Mount Magazine State Park. |
| California | Mount Whitney | 14,505 | Strenuous: 22-mile hike with permit (lottery). |
| Colorado | Mount Elbert | 14,440 | Moderate-strenuous: Day hike (9-14 miles); non-technical. |
| Connecticut | South slope of Mount Frissell | 2,386 | Easy-moderate: Short hike to boundary marker. |
| Delaware | Ebright Azimuth | 449 | Very easy: Drive-up roadside marker. |
| Florida | Britton Hill | 345 | Very easy: Drive to park, short walk. |
| Georgia | Brasstown Bald | 4,784 | Easy: Drive or shuttle; short paved trail. |
| Hawaii | Mauna Kea | 13,803 | Moderate: Hike or 4WD; altitude risk. |
| Idaho | Borah Peak | 12,668 | Strenuous: Steep day hike with scrambling. |
| Illinois | Charles Mound | 1,235 | Easy: Private land, open certain weekends. |
| Indiana | Hoosier Hill | 1,257 | Very easy: Drive-up with marker. |
| Iowa | Hawkeye Point | 1,671 | Very easy: Drive-up farmland. |
| Kansas | Mount Sunflower | 4,041 | Very easy: Drive-up private land. |
| Kentucky | Black Mountain | 4,139 | Easy: Drive-up road. |
| Louisiana | Driskill Mountain | 535 | Easy: Short trails on private land. |
| Maine | Mount Katahdin (Baxter Peak) | 5,270 | Strenuous: Day/multi-day hike in Baxter State Park. |
| Maryland | Hoye-Crest (Backbone Mountain) | 3,370 | Easy-moderate: Short trail. |
| Massachusetts | Mount Greylock | 3,489 | Easy-moderate: Drive-up or hike. |
| Michigan | Mount Arvon | 1,979 | Easy: Drive on logging roads. |
| Minnesota | Eagle Mountain | 2,302 | Moderate: 7-mile hike (permit needed). |
| Mississippi | Woodall Mountain | 807 | Easy: Drive-up road. |
| Missouri | Taum Sauk Mountain | 1,772 | Easy: Short paved trail in state park. |
| Montana | Granite Peak | 12,807 | Very difficult: Technical climb in wilderness. |
| Nebraska | Panorama Point | 5,432 | Easy: Drive on dirt roads. |
| Nevada | Boundary Peak | 13,147 | Strenuous: Long hike with scrambling. |
| New Hampshire | Mount Washington | 6,286 | Moderate: Drive-up, railway, or hikes. |
| New Jersey | High Point | 1,803 | Easy: Drive-up monument. |
| New Mexico | Wheeler Peak | 13,167 | Moderate-strenuous: Day hike. |
| New York | Mount Marcy | 5,343 | Strenuous: Long day hike (14-16 miles). |
| North Carolina | Mount Mitchell | 6,684 | Easy: Drive-up or short hike. |
| North Dakota | White Butte | 3,506 | Easy-moderate: Short trail (donation suggested). |
| Ohio | Campbell Hill | 1,548 | Easy: On school campus. |
| Oklahoma | Black Mesa | 4,975 | Moderate: 8-mile hike. |
| Oregon | Mount Hood | 11,249 | Difficult: Technical climb; often guided. |
| Pennsylvania | Mount Davis | 3,213 | Easy: Short trail to tower. |
| Rhode Island | Jerimoth Hill | 811 | Very easy: Short stroll. |
| South Carolina | Sassafras Mountain | 3,554 | Easy: Drive nearly to top, short path. |
| South Dakota | Black Elk Peak | 7,244 | Moderate: 7-mile day hike. |
| Tennessee | Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) | 6,643 | Easy: Drive + 0.5-mile paved trail. |
| Texas | Guadalupe Peak | 8,751 | Strenuous: 8-10 mile day hike. |
| Utah | Kings Peak | 13,534 | Strenuous: Multi-day backpack. |
| Vermont | Mount Mansfield | 4,395 | Moderate: Hike or toll road. |
| Virginia | Mount Rogers | 5,711 | Moderate: Hike from Appalachian Trail. |
| Washington | Mount Rainier | 14,411 | Very difficult: Guided glacier climb. |
| West Virginia | Spruce Knob | 4,862 | Easy: Drive-up road to tower. |
| Wisconsin | Timms Hill | 1,951 | Easy: Short trail to tower. |
| Wyoming | Gannett Peak | 13,809 | Very difficult: Multi-day trek with technical climb. |
This is a relatively new idea for us, so as we get photos of each summit we will link each post to the list above. Until then, enjoy the list as inspiration.
Other Travel Lists
Below are some of the other travel related lists we are working on as well.