Crestone Needle - 14,196 Feet

Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak are in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Sangres), 40 miles northeast of Alamosa and 13 miles southwest of Westcliffe. If you visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, you'll be treated with an incredible view of these peaks when you drive into the park. The Needle is ranked 21st on the list of Colorado 14ers but if we were to rank peaks on appearance, it would be in the top 5. It is a stunning peak.

Climbing the Needle is more difficult and dangerous than most other Colorado 14ers, including Crestone Peak. The standard route requires Class 4 climbing skills along with solid route-finding skills so you'll definitely want a bunch of easier summits under your belt before you tackle this peak. It is no joke and many people have gotten off-route and died here. To climb the Needle, start by packing into South Colony Lakes for a high camp. This is a special place and camping near the lakes is an experience you will never forget. From your camp, start with Humboldt Peak, which does not require technical skills to reach the summit.
  360° Panorama from the summit of Crestone Needle.
360 Pano

Humboldt and The Crestones seen from 13er Colony Baldy.
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The Crestones seen from 13er Broken Hand Peak.
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The Crestones seen from the north.
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The Crestones seen from Kit Carson Peak.
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The Crestones and Kit Carson Mountain from 13er Little Horn Peak.
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Crestone Needle at sunrise.
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The Crestones from 13er Marble Mountain.
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Humboldt and The Crestones seen from 13er Marble Mountain.
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Crestone Needle from Lower South Colony Lake.
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The Crestones seen from west of Cottonwood Lake.
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The Crestones from Upper South Colony Lake.
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Crestone Needle from just above Lower South Colony Lake.
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Crestone Needle from Lower South Colony Lake.
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Climbing Crestone Needle.
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Crestone Needle from the summit of Crestone Peak.
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The Crestones seen from the west and south.
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Crestone Needle at sunrise.
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The Crestones seen from Humboldt Peak.
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Crestone Needle from the summit of Humboldt.
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A panoramic shot taken from San Luis Lake - 22 miles to the south.
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Challenger, Kit Carson and The Crestones behind the Great Sand Dunes.
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The Crestones, Challenger, and Kit Carson behind San Luis Lake.
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A close-up of The Crestones from the south.
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Sunset on The Crestones - taken from Colorado highway 17.
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