What I Learned from Hiking the U.S. State High Points

At 11:30 PM on May 18th, 2013, the lights switched on and there was banging on the bunkhouse walls. “Wake up! Wake up! JJ, our lead guide, shouted. You have 30 minutes to get ready!” After a whopping 4 hours of sleep, the 18 of us groggily unzipped our sleeping bags at the RMI bunkhouse on Mount Rainier, 10,060 feet above the clouds. We had spent the better part of 8 hours that day hiking from the parking lot at Paradise to Muir Camp. With freezing temperatures and the wind blowing outside we would put on our down parkas, head lamps, crampons, 50 lb packs and head toward the summit of Mt Rainier.

As we ascended up the 3-foot wide ice ledges carved into the side of this massive glaciered volcano it became apparent to me that on this day I would not summit. I simply did not have the mountaineering experience on glaciers to safely continue forward and I made the wise decision to turn back.

The Summit of Mount Marcy – New York

Later that night as I lay in bed I was completely disillusioned. I questioned on whether I would ever climb or hike again. However, over the next few weeks my passion for the mountains held strong. I had heard about the High Pointers Club, a group dedicated to climbing the high points of all 50 U.S. states. I thought that this could be a perfect way to not only see the country but also to work my way back up to Rainier. The State High Points would provide me with the opportunity to train and test my skills on diverse mountainous environments. This would give me the experience to tackle some of the more advanced climbs in the United States.

There are some high points such as Britton Hill (Florida) and Jerimoth Hill (Rhode Island) that are simply a walk in the park but others are much more difficult and require peak physical conditioning combined with excellent mountaineering skills such as Mount Whitney (California), Mount Hood (Oregon), Granite Peak (Montana), and Gannett Peak (Wyoming).

Below is a list of the U.S. State High Points:

Rank by Elevation | U.S. State | Peak Name | Elevation

Alaska | Denali | 20,310 Feet
California | Mount Whitney | 14,495 Feet
Colorado | Mount Elbert | 14,433 Feet
Washington | Mount Rainier | 14,411 Feet
Wyoming | Gannett Peak | 13,804 Feet
Hawaii | Mauna Kea | 13,796 Feet
Utah | Kings Peak | 13,528 Feet
New Mexico | Wheeler Peak | 13,161 Feet
Nevada | Boundary Peak | 13,140 Feet
Montana | Granite Peak | 12,799 Fee
Idaho | Borah Peak | 12,662 Feet
Arizona | Humphreys Peak | 12,633 Feet
Oregon | Mount Hood | 11,239 Feet
Texas | Guadalupe Peak | 8,749 Feet
South Dakota | Harney Peak | 7,242 Feet
North Carolina | Mount Mitchell | 6,684 Feet
Tennessee | Clingmans Dome | 6,643 Feet
New Hampshire | Mount Washington | 6,288 Feet
Virginia | Mount Rogers | 5,729 Feet
Nebraska | Panorama Point | 5,426 Feet
New York | Mount Marcy | 5,344 Feet
Maine | Katahdin | 5,268 Feet
Oklahoma | Black Mesa | 4,973 Feet
West Virginia | Spruce Knob | 4,861 Feet
Georgia | Brasstown Bald | 4,784 Fee
Vermont | Mount Mansfield | 4,393 Feet
Kentucky | Black Mountain | 4,139 Feet
Kansas | Mount Sunflower | 4,039 Feet
South Carolina | Sassafras Mountain | 3,554 Feet
North Dakota | White Butte | 3,506 Feet
Massachusetts | Mount Greylock | 3,487 Feet
Maryland | Backbone Mountain | 3,36 Feet
Pennsylvania | Mount Davis | 3,213 Feet
Arkansas | Magazine Mountain | 2,753 Feet
Alabama | Cheaha Mountain | 2,405 Feet
Connecticut | Mount Frissell-South Slope | 2,372 Feet
Minnesota | Eagle Mountain | 2,301 Feet
Michigan | Mount Arvon | 1,978 Feet
Wisconsin | Timms Hill | 1,951 Feet
New Jersey | High Point | 1,803 Feet
Missouri | Taum Sauk Mountain | 1,772 Feet
Iowa | Hawkeye Point | 1,670 Feet
Ohio | Campbell Hill | 1,549 Feet
Indiana | Hoosier Hill | 1,257 Feet
Illinois | Charles Mound | 1,235 Feet
Rhode Island | Jerimoth Hill | 812 Feet
Mississippi | Woodall Mountain | 806 Feet
Louisiana | Driskill Mountain | 535 Feet
Delaware | Ebright Azimuth | 442 Feet
Florida | Britton Hill | 345 Feet

The Summit of Mount Mansfield – Vermont

Climbing has taught me a lot about life and one of the most important lessons that I have learned is that it is best to accomplish your big goals in small and manageable tasks. It might sound cliché, but by taking this approach you will focus on the journey not the destination. Each lesson and experience along your path will become a part of you and make you stronger for when you finally reach that big moment.

In my time since Rainier, the High Points challenge has taken me across the country. From Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York to Mount Washington, which had the second fastest recorded winds on Earth, I have been methodically ticking high point after high point off my list. While I would love to have this list completed in the next few years and take another shot at Rainier I know that it is best for me to take my time and enjoy the journey.

If you would like to learn more about our adventures click HERE or if you have hiked one of the U.S. State High Points we would love to hear about it just shoot us an email at info@explorerspassage.com.

I look forward to seeing you on the trail!

Cheers,

Jeff

Jeff Bonaldi
Founder & CEO
The Explorer’s Passage

About Jeff Bonaldi

Jeff Bonaldi is the Founder and CEO of The Explorer’s Passage, a premier adventure travel company. His mission is to provide travelers with the opportunity to transform their lives and the planet through the power of adventure.

Learn more about Jeff’s story and his company HERE.