Colorado, USA

Capitol Peak

Trip Guide & 3D Map

Elk Mountains · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain

Planning snapshot

Capitol Peak is a 14,130 ft summit in the Elk Mountains (USA). PeakAtlas rates it scramble (Class 4 scramble); best season is Jul–Sep. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Aspen (20 mi). PeakAtlas lists 3 OpenStreetMap lodging pins near the summit — coverage is often thinner outside well-mapped regions. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.

Elevation
14,130 ft
Prominence
1,750 ft
Difficulty tier
Scramble
Best season
Jul–Sep
Permits
No special summit permit
Staging
Aspen · 20 mi
Mapped lodging
3 OSM places
Listed trails
1

As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.

How hard is Capitol Peak, and what do you need before you go?

Capitol Peak is listed as Class 4 scramble with a best season of Jul–Sep. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.

Difficulty
Class 4 scramble
Best season
Jul–Sep
Access / staging
Aspen, Colorado

How tall is Capitol Peak, and where is it?

Elevation
14,130 ft
Prominence
1,750 ft
Mountain range
Elk Mountains
Difficulty
Class 4 scramble

What makes Capitol Peak notable?

Colorado’s knife-edge fourteener near Aspen.

An Elk Mountains knife-edge classic near Aspen, one of Colorado’s more committing fourteeners.

After you check trip readiness for Capitol Peak, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Elk Mountains, Colorado, USA.

Closest places

  • Aspen — Colorado via CO-82

Notable trails & routes

  • Northeast Ridge
  • Knife Edge