Wheeler Peak
Trip Guide & 3D Map
Sangre de Cristo Mountains · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain
Planning snapshot
Wheeler Peak is a 13,161 ft summit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (USA). PeakAtlas rates it strenuous hike (Strenuous day hike); best season is Jun–Sep. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Taos (22 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
- 13,161 ft
- Prominence
- 3,409 ft
- Difficulty tier
- Strenuous hike
- Best season
- Jun–Sep
- Permits
- No special summit permit
- Staging
- Taos · 22 mi
- Mapped lodging
- Limited / none mapped
- Listed trails
- 2
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 Wheeler Peak, and what do you need before you go?
Wheeler Peak is listed as Strenuous day hike with a best season of Jun–Sep. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.
- Difficulty
- Strenuous day hike
- Best season
- Jun–Sep
- Access / staging
- Taos, New Mexico
How tall is Wheeler Peak, and where is it?
- Location
- New Mexico, USA
- Elevation
- 13,161 ft
- Prominence
- 3,409 ft
- Mountain range
- Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- Difficulty
- Strenuous day hike
What makes Wheeler Peak notable?
Highest point in New Mexico and a classic Taos alpine day hike.
New Mexico’s high point above Taos Ski Valley — a popular Williams Lake trail to an alpine summit in Carson National Forest.
After you check trip readiness for Wheeler Peak, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico, USA.
Closest places
- Taos — New Mexico via NM-150