Crestone Needle
Trip Guide & 3D Map
Sangre de Cristo · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain
Planning snapshot
Crestone Needle is a 14,197 ft summit in the Sangre de Cristo (USA). PeakAtlas rates it scramble (Class 3 scramble); best season is Jul–Sep. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Westcliffe (18 mi). Limited lodging data is mapped from OpenStreetMap for this region — stage in the listed town rather than expecting a full hotel directory. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.
- Elevation
- 14,197 ft
- Prominence
- 457 ft
- Difficulty tier
- Scramble
- Best season
- Jul–Sep
- Permits
- No special summit permit
- Staging
- Westcliffe · 18 mi
- Mapped lodging
- Limited / none mapped
- 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 Crestone Needle, and what do you need before you go?
Crestone Needle is listed as Class 3 scramble with a best season of Jul–Sep. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.
- Difficulty
- Class 3 scramble
- Best season
- Jul–Sep
- Access / staging
- Westcliffe, Colorado
How tall is Crestone Needle, and where is it?
- Location
- Colorado, USA
- Elevation
- 14,197 ft
- Prominence
- 457 ft
- Mountain range
- Sangre de Cristo
- Difficulty
- Class 3 scramble
What makes Crestone Needle notable?
One of Colorado’s most striking 14ers; often linked with Crestone Peak.
A sharp Sangre de Cristo 14er beside Crestone Peak — classic Class 3 scrambling on solid rock via Ellingwood Arete or the standard South Face.
After you check trip readiness for Crestone Needle, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Sangre de Cristo, Colorado, USA.
Closest places
- Westcliffe — Colorado via South Colony Rd
- Crestone — Colorado via CR-T
Notable trails & routes
- South Colony Lakes Trail