Uncompahgre Peak Mountain

Address: Uncompahgre Peak, Uncompahgre Wilderness, Colorado, USA

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/

Hours: Public land-accessible year-round though conditions vary; check local ranger district for closures

Uncompahgre Peak is a mountain in western Colorado with a summit elevation of 4,365 meters (14,321 feet). It is the highest summit of the San Juan Mountains.

Hikers and mountaineers visit for the summit of a Colorado fourteener; standard routes are long day hikes or overnight climbs and involve sustained elevation gain of several hundred to over a thousand meters. The summit offers broad alpine views typical of the San Juans and tundra above tree line.

The peak takes its name from a Ute word often rendered as Uncompahgre. It has been a recognized mountaineering objective since the era of Colorado’s early climbing history and lies within designated wilderness to preserve its alpine environment.

Uncompahgre Peak is in southwestern Colorado, within the Uncompahgre Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains, in the vicinity of the towns of Ouray and Lake City in western Colorado.

• Elevation: Summit elevation is 4,365 meters, making it one of Colorado’s fourteeners.
• Access: Located within the Uncompahgre Wilderness, the peak is approached by long hiking routes that are non-technical in summer.

Uncompahgre Peak is accessed from trailheads off forest roads in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, usually via the Nellie Creek Trail or East Ridge approach. The nearest town with services is Lake City or Ouray, depending on the approach; consult the USDA Forest Service Gunnison and Uncompahgre district resources for current trail conditions.

• Start hikes early to avoid afternoon storms common in the Rockies.
• Altitude acclimatization is important-Uncompahgre Peak is one of Colorado's 'fourteeners' (14,321 ft / 4,365 m).
• Use a current trail map and check for seasonal closures; summer snowfields can linger into July on north-facing slopes.