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. Read more