Discover Just How Tall Mount Bierstadt Really Is

Colorado is home to a lot of tall mountain peaks. The most impressive mountains in the state are called “fourteeners”, mountains with peaks that have an elevation of over 14,000 feet. Mount Bierstadt is counted among those high peaks, but it is not the tallest mountain in the state. Discover just how tall Mount Bierstadt really is, how it compares to other mountains in the state and around the U.S., and more!

Where Is Mount Bierstadt on a Map?

Mount Bierstadt is in the Mount Evans Wilderness, an area roughly located in central Colorado. The summit is located in the Front Range portion of the Rocky Mountains. The mountain is about 40 miles southwest of Denver, and it is near several other mountain peaks. Mount Blue Sky is the closest peak, just over a mile away to the northeast. Mount Warren, Geneva Mountain, Rosalie Peak, and Gray Wolf Mountain are close to Mount Bierstadt.

This particular peak is in a region with many other mountain peaks, but the map above will provide a good idea of the peak’s location.

How Tall Mount Bierstadt Really Is

Mount Bierstadt is 14,065 feet tall based on information from the National Geodetic Survey. This mountain is one of 53 fourteeners in the state of Colorado. The mountain’s prominence is just 720 feet, and its isolation is 1.12 miles. This mountain is shorter than most other fourteeners in the Centennial State. Now that we know how tall Mount Bierstadt really is, let’s take a closer look at some of the mountain’s other facets.

About Mount Bierstadt

Mount Bierstadt is a fourteener in Colorado, and it is one of the most popular mountains to climb in the Front Range. Some climbers consider this mountain one of the easiest of Colorado’s fourteener mountain peaks to summit.

Albert Bierstadt was the first person recorded to summit the mountain, and it bears his name. He undertook that adventure in 1863.

Today, many people who climb the mountain start out at Guanella Pass, an area northwest of the mountain peak. From there, they set out on the Bierstadt Trailhead where they must hike for about 3.6 miles each way, eventually reaching the mountain peak.

People with energy to spare can continue to hike after they summit Mount Bierstadt. After reaching the top of this fourteener, they can go to the nearby Mount Blue Sky by traveling along a ridge called The Sawtooth. However, only people who have a lot of climbing and hiking experience should take this route because it can be treacherous for inexperienced climbers.  

Comparing the Height of Mount Bierstadt to Other Colorado Mountains

Knowing just how tall Mount Bierstadt really is means that we can compare this peak to others in the region. Colorado has a lot of tall mountain peaks. The highest mountain peak in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado is called Mount Elbert. That mountain is 14,440 feet high, making it almost 400 feet taller than Mount Bierstadt.

Many other fourteeners taller than Mount Bierstadt exist in Colorado. In fact, Mount Bierstadt is ranked 38^th in terms of the tallest mountain peaks in the state. As the list above shows, the amount of elevation that separates these different mountains is not very great.

The 37^th ranked fourteener in Colorado is Humboldt Peak, another mountain in the Front Range. This mountain is 14,070 feet tall, just 5 feet taller than Mount Bierstadt. Some of these mountains are so close together in height that a remeasurement of the mountains could lead to changes in the order of these mountains.

Comparing This Peak to the Tallest in the United States

So, Mount Bierstadt is a mountain peak with significant height. However, it’s far from the tallest mountain in the state. Moreover, it is not even close to the tallest mountain in the United States. That honor belongs to Mount Denali, a mountain peak in Alaska. Formerly known as Mount McKinley, Mount Denali is the highest point in Alaska, and it measures 20,310 feet high!

So, Mount Bierstadt is over 6,000 feet shorter than the highest mountain peak in the United States. Moreover, it’s also more than 4,000 feet shorter than the second-tallest peak in the U.S., Mount Saint Elias. Although Mount Bierstadt is an impressive height, it is much shorter than the truly massive mountains.

What Wildlife Lives Near Mount Bierstadt?

Many animals live in the area around Mount Bierstadt. Take a look at a few of the creatures that call this area home, including:

• Bighorn sheep
• Mountain goat
• American pika
• Prairie lizard
• Mule deer
• Canada jay
• Western terrestrial garter snake
• American black bear
• Pacific marten

These are some of the creatures that thrive in this area, but many others also live around here.

Now that we know how tall Mount Bierstadt really is, it should be clear that this mountain is quite impressive. Not only is it one of the relatively few mountains in the country that measures over 14,000 feet, but it is also only moderately difficult to climb. The mountain is home to a variety of wildlife, too. Just don’t expect this mountain to top any list of the highest peaks in the state or country.  

The photo featured at the top of this post is © welcomia/iStock via Getty Images