The true number of 'fourteeners' in Colorado remains a widely debated topic

Serving as the scattered ceiling of the country's most elevated state, Colorado's 'fourteeners' have long held an undeniable allure. Whether these 14,000-foot mountains are being admired from afar or playing the role of a voiceless challenger for summit-seekers, their significance in Colorado's outdoor recreation space can't be ignored.

Many hikers in Colorado eventually get bitten by the 'fourteener bug,' casting safety and comfort aside as they add the task of reaching the top of each qualifying peak to a bucket list. Some will climb them all, but most will lose interest or be blocked by ability along the way. Either way, both groups of climbers have one important question to answer prior to embarking on their lofty quest – how many peaks actually count as 'fourteeners' in Colorado?

The answer to this question might seem straightforward – any peak above the arbitrary height of 14,000 feet – but it's given rise to plenty of debate over the years. Two key factors are at play – what actually counts as a 'fourteener' and how the height of a mountain can change over time.

Nowadays, 58 tends to be the most accepted number of fourteeners among Colorado's outdoor recreation community, though some have argued that there are as few as 10 fourteeners, while others suspect that there may be more than 100. The discrepancy between these numbers comes down to something called 'prominence.'

The 'prominence' of a mountain is simply defined as its elevation relative to surrounding terrain. This becomes a factor when accounting for peaks, as the amount of prominence is often used to define whether an elevated piece of terrain is a separate peak or part of an elevation point that's already recognized. If 3,000 feet of prominence from surrounding terrain is a requirement to qualify as a unique mountain, there are only 10 fourteeners in Colorado, while if that prominence threshold is lowered to about 40 feet, at least 74 fourteeners can be found around the Centennial State – probably a couple dozen more yet to be accounted for.

The most widely-accepted degree of prominence when it comes to Colorado's fourteeners is a prominence of 300 feet, though this rule isn't always followed.

For example, Mount Cameron – part of the widely popular four-peak Decalibron loop hike – only has a prominence of 118 feet. That being said, many still count this as a fourteener summit to be bagged, summit sign in tow as they walk across its hardly noticeable summit. Mount Cameron is one of five peaks commonly found on 'fourteener' lists that doesn't have at least 300 feet of prominence.

Another big factor in determining how many fourteeners are present in Colorado is properly assessing the height of each peak – with complications posed by shifting peaks and ever-changing technology.

While Colorado's peaks appear to be silent and still from a distance, a lot of movement is taking place. Sometimes, this movement can result in the summit of a peak climbing upward. For example, Mount Elbert was once measured at 14,433 feet, though it now measures at 14,440. Similarly, Pikes Peak was long considered to be 14,110 feet, though new measurements show that the mountain now stretches to an elevation of 14,115 feet above sea level.

Inconsistency in analysis can also pose a problem when it comes to accurately collecting measurements. Not only have different types of technology been used throughout the years to collect heights, the sheer mass of a mountain and the gravitational pull that comes with it can result in minor impacts to the effectiveness of some measurement tools.

An example of measurement complications have been seen in the past, when the elevation of Sunlight Spire – an elevation point that's typically left off nearly every 'fourteener' list – was recalculated at 14,001 feet, not the 13,995-foot measurement accepted by most. The change was attributed to the use of more accurate measurement tools.

Whether it's the mountain that's moving or technology that's improving, new measurements could bring big changes to Colorado's fourteener list in upcoming years and decades. Currently, eight qualified fourteeners are within 20 feet of losing their status and at least three 'thirteeners' are within 20 feet of gaining the 'fourteener' label.

Perhaps no peak better exemplifies how difficult it is to establish a single, universally accepted number of fourteeners in Colorado than the aforementioned Sunlight Spire. Once generally accepted as just a tall rock on the ridge, its new measurement at 14,001 feet has made that judgment more controversial.

While this height may justify Sunlight Spire's inclusion on the popular 58-peak list that also includes mountains like Mount Cameron, North Maroon Peak, and Conundrum Peak, the Spire would be skipped on lists of those respecting the 300-foot prominence rule, thanks to its prominence of about 215-feet. Adding Sunlight Spire to a fourteener list would also mean adding technical rock climbing to the mix, with the route to the Spire's summit rated as 5.10 – by far, more difficult than any other peak currently being climbed as a 'fourteener.'

Long story, short, there's no definitive answer regarding how many 'fourteeners' are found in Colorado.

Colorado Mountain Club says 54, the 300-foot prominence rule says 53, the current climbing community seems to accept 58 (including named peaks that don't meet the 300-foot rule and excluding Sunlight Spire), and those with a lower threshold for prominence that also accept unnamed peaks in their ranking have put the number of 'fourteeners' at more than 70, possibly more than 100.

One big question remains – does all of this really matter?

The mountains don't care what we call them and the 14,000-foot height means nothing to the 90 percent of the world that uses the metric system. Experienced mountaineers tend to focus more on peaks above 3,000 meters – about 10,000 feet – as this is where mountains can support glaciation, while those climbing peaks elsewhere in the country (and world) have their own local collections – the 48 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire, for example, collectively called the '4,000 footers.'

While having a peak-bagging checklist can be a motivator when it comes to achieving long-term goals, it's probably best that Colorado's peak baggers don't get caught up on the technicalities. Colorado's many peaks of all shapes and sizes deserved to be appreciated and respected, regardless of whether they hit 14,000 feet above sea level or not.

Below, find a comparison of a few different 'fourteener' lists that exist:

1 peak: If required prominence of a peak to count as a 'fourteener' was 9,000 feet or more, Mount Elbert would be the only fourteener in Colorado thanks to its prominence of 9,093 feet. The next-most prominent fourteener in Colorado is Pikes Peak, with 5,530 feet of prominence. No one is out there claiming that Colorado's home to a single fourteener, but this does show the wide range of prominence between different peaks.

10 peaks: Based on the Alaskan 3,000-foot prominence rule, this list includes Mount Elbert, Pike Peak, Blanca Peak, Culebra Peak, Crestone Peak, Uncompahgre Peak, Mount Wilson, Mount Lincoln, San Luis Peak, and Mount Sneffels. Longs Peak is close, with 2,955 feet of prominence.

20 peaks: If a 2,000-foot prominence rule is applied, there are 20 peaks in Colorado that would be considered fourteeners.

53 peaks: Named peaks that also have at least 300 feet of prominence. This is the list featured on 14ers.com.

54 peaks: The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) list isn't as strict regarding the 300-foot prominence rule, also including some peaks based on mountaineering aesthetics. One key difference between the CMC list of 54 peaks and the list of 53 (that's based strictly on the 300-foot prominence rule) is that Challenger Point (with 301 feet of prominence) isn't counted on CMC's list. Additionally, CMC counts El Diente and North Maroon Peak despite each missing the 300-foot rule. These two peaks are instead included due to their technicality and beauty.

58 peaks: Named points above 14,000 feet with the exception of Sunlight Spire. This includes peaks with less than 300 feet of prominence.

59 peaks: Named points above 14,000 feet, including Sunlight Spire.

74 peaks: This number comes from Gerry Roach's list of peaks, which also includes unnamed points of elevation above 14,000 feet that have at least 40 feet of prominence. It adds 15 unnamed 14,000-foot peaks to the named total of 59.

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