At 14,433 feet, Mt. Elbert is the tallest mountain in Colorado. The climb to the top is very steep and strenuous, but it's easier than a lot of other climbs in Colorado in that it doesn't take very long to reach the summit (about 3 hours up, 2 hours down) and the weather conditions at the top are pretty mild. The view from the top is spectacular. You really do feel like you are on top of the world. I started early in the morning, and was fortunate enough not to see another human being the entire way to the summit. (I saw a hundred or two on the way down.)

Mt. Elbert is located in central Colorado. The nearest town is Leadville. There's not much to see there, but there are a couple comfortable campsites.