Doug’s travels have taken him to all 50 of the United States, but he has not photographed all 50 States. His current goal is to photograph as many of the States as he possibly can. Along the way, Doug has also sought to visit the highest point in each State. This is his journal of current highest points he has visited.
State High Point Map
Click on the map to see a readable version
List of State High Points
Listed by rank, highest to lowest, Doug’s list is marked in bold.
1. Alaska – Denali, 20,310′
2. California – Mount Whitney, 14,498′
3. Colorado – Mount Elbert, 14,433′
4. Washington – Mount Rainier, 14,411′
5. Wyoming – Gannett Peak, 13,804′
6. Hawaii – Mauna Kea, 13,796′
7. Utah – Kings Peak, 13,528′
8. New Mexico – Wheeler Peak, 13,161′
9. Nevada – Boundary Peak, 13,140′
10. Montana – Granite Peak, 12,799′
11. Idaho – Borah Peak, 12,666′
12. Arizona – Humphreys Peak, 12,633′
13. Oregon – Mount Hood, 11,239′
14. Texas – Guadalupe Peak, 8,749′
15. South Dakota – Black Elk Peak, 7,231′
16. North Carolina – Mount Mitchell, 6,684′
17. Tennessee – Clingmans Dome, 6,643′
18. New Hampshire – Mount Washington, 6,288′
19. Virginia – Mount Rogers, 5,729′
20. Nebraska – Panorama Point, 5,429′
21. New York – Mount Marcy, 5,344′
22. Maine – Katahdin, 5,268′
23. Oklahoma – Black Mesa, 4,973′
24. West Virginia – Spruce Knob, 4,861′
25. Georgia – Brasstown Bald, 4,784′
26. Vermont – Mount Mansfield, 4,393′
27. Kentucky – Black Mountain, 4,139′
28. Kansas – Mount Sunflower, 4,039′
29. South Carolina – Sassafras Mountain, 3,554′
30. North Dakota – White Butte, 3,506′
31. Massachusetts – Mount Greylock, 3,487′
32. Maryland – Backbone Mountain, 3,360′
33. Pennsylvania – Mount Davis, 3,213′
34. Arkansas – Mount Magazine, 2,753′
35. Alabama – Cheaha Mountain, 2,405′
36. Connecticut – Mount Frissell, 2,382′
37. Minnesota – Eagle Mountain, 2,301′
38. Michigan – Mount Arvon, 1,979′
39. Wisconsin – Timms Hill, 1,951′
40. New Jersey – High Point, 1803′
41. Missouri – Taum Sauk Mountain, 1,772′
42. Iowa – Hawkeye Point, 1,670′
43. Ohio – Campbell Hill 1,549′
44. Indiana – Hoosier Hill, 1,257′
45. Illinois – Charles Mound, 1,235′
46. Rhode Island – Jerimoth Hill, 812′
47. Mississippi – Woodall Mountain, 806′
48. Louisiana – Driskill Mountain, 535′
49. Delaware – Ebright Azimuth, 450′
50. District of Columbia – Point Reno, 415′
51. Florida – Britton Hill, 345′
15. South Dakota - Black Elk Peak, 7,231'
Doug’s 1st Highest Point
Known as Harney Peak at the time, Doug has climbed to this high point twice, in 1986 and 2002. In December of 2002 it was his first winter summit. The peak has since been re-named Black Elk Peak. It’s a 7.1 mile hike with a 1,469′ elevation gain. It was Doug’s first summit of any kind, first highest point. Even though Doug did not actively begin mountain climbing for nearly another decade, he points to this hike with his brother as the one that made the life-changing impact on his life, inspiring him to summit over one hundred summits during the climbing period of his life.
3. Colorado - Mount Elbert, 14,433'
Doug’s 3rd Highest Point
Doug has climbed Mt. Elbert twice, in 1999 and in 2000. Both climbs used the South Elbert Trail, 11 miles, 4600′ elevation gain.
Mount Elbert is the third highest point in the USA, second highest in the contiguous United States, the highest in Colorado, highest in the Sawatch Range. It is the highest point in the US that a dog can get to, the highest point of the Mississippi River drainage basin, and the highest point of the North America Rocky Mountains
20. Nebraska - Panorama Point, 5,429'
Doug’s 5th Highest Point
This drive-up experience is noteable because 1) you can’t get there from Nebraska, and 2) you have to drive through a bison ranch to get there. The access road comes up from Colorado and the bison ranch sits right on the border. Doug has visited several times, the first was in 2002.
23. Oklahoma - Black Mesa, 4,973'
Doug’s 7th Highest Point
Deep in the Oklahoma Panhandle is a dirt road that finds passage below a winding bluff. Eventually you come to a trailhead. You would think that the hike is just going to take you to the top of the bluff, but upon arriving at the “top” the cow-trail takes a straight shot out into open prairie. Doug made this discovery in 2003. The hike is about 4 miles and a couple hundred feet of elevation gain.
34. Arkansas - Mount Magazine, 2,753'
Doug’s 9th Highest Point
This 1.5 mile hike gains a few hundred feet and actually encircles the mount for ease of hiking. You could easily climb straight up, but the forest is muddy and quite dense, better to take the trail. What a beautiful area in the Fall of 2018! The drive to the visitor center near the top is absolutely gorgeous!
14. Texas - Guadalupe Peak, 8.749'
Doug’s 11th Highest Point
Take plenty of water with you and start early in the morning if you intend to climb this peak because that Texas sun is going to get hot. Doug followed this advice he had received in 2021. It’s a pleasant hike with expansive views of Texas and New Mexico over 8.4 miles and 3,000′ of elevation gain… and watch out for tarantulas!
48. Louisiana - Driskill Mountain
Doug’s 13th Highest Point, Rodie’s 2nd
A roughly marked trail leads to a sign marking the highest point. Doug walked this trail with Rodie in 2022. It’s probably not much more than a mile total, with a 535′ elevation gain, muddy in spots but not hazardous.
25. Georgia - Brasstown Bald, 4,784'
Doug’s 15th Highest Point, Rodie’s 4th
This is a 1.4 mile hike, with a 426′ gain if you climb the tower. This is an exceptional monument with fabulous views of the lower Appalachians. There is a shuttle to the top from the parkinglot, but Doug and Rodie opted for the exercise in 2022.
16. North Carolina - Mount Mitchell, 6,684'
Doug’s 17th Highest Point, Rodie’s 6th
There is actually a trail to the top of this beautiful mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway that would rival Doug’s Colorado climb of Hallett Peak with over 3,000′ elevation gain. However, Rodie was suffering from bladder stones, so Doug elected to drive to the parking lot near the top and do the short walk to the monument in 2022. This would be an awesome place to visit in the Fall!
41. Missouri - Taum Sauk Mountain, 1,772'
Doug’s 19th Highest Point, Rodie’s 7th
It’s just a short flat walk through timber in Taum Sauk Mountain State Park to the grave-stone marker, if you can find it. Doug eventually found the stone under a fallen tree. After seeing the elaborate monuments and towers in the Appalachians, this is very anti-climactic. Sorry, Missouri.
13. Oregon - Mount Hood, 11,239'
Doug’s 2nd Highest Point
Doug completed a solo ice climb of Mount Hood in 1999, during the peak of his climbing experience. In 2002, four climbers died, and three others were critically injured, including national guardsmen aboard a rescue helicopter that crashed during the rescue attempt when nine people fell into a crevass – on the same rout that Doug used for his ascent. It’s a 6.8 mile hike with an elevation gain of 4,450′, not for the faint of heart!
30. North Dakota - White Butte, 3,506'
Doug’s 4th Highest Point
The hike itself is not much, a couple of miles and a few hundred feet of elevation gain, but what makes this high point noteable is that it is on private property, and yes, they do collect. In the middle of a December snow storm, an elderly woman in a very old pick-up truck met Doug and his climbing buddy at the trailhead to collect $20 each. It’s probably a good thing she showed up because from the “trailhead” in the blowing snow, you couldn’t even see where to go. The “summit” is not obvious. The woman’s directions were well worth the investment!
28. Kansas - Mount Sunflower, 4,039'
Doug’s 6th Highest Point
This drive-up experience will be disappointing if you really do look for a “mount”, or even a sunflower, except for the iron-art sunflower marking the spot. Doug visited the monument in 2003 with his two daughters on a very, very long road-trip excursion.
12. Arizona - Humphreys Peak, 12,633'
Doug’s 8th Highest Point
Humphreys Peak is the highest point of the San Francisco Mountains, a ring of mountain tips surrounding an ancient volcano. Getting to the top requires 10.1 miles and 3,382′ of elevation gain. Doug accomplished this in 2012. Most noteable, he left the trailhead with another much younger gentleman that hiked quite a bit faster and quickly gained several hundred feet of distance between them. The trail was muddy from recent rains and the young man’s prints lead up the mountain. At about the three mile mark, Doug was surprised to see a black bear print in the middle of the man’s print! The bear had passed between them only minutes before Doug arrived. He never did see the bear.
35. Alabama - Mount Cheaha, 2,405'
Doug’s 10th Highest Point
Driving to the top of Mount Cheaha provides wonderful views of the Alabama mountains.
44. Indiana - Hoosier Hill, 1,257'
Doug’s 12th Highest Point, Rodie’s 1st!
Finding this hill is a pleasant drive through rural Indiana. The site is on private property, but access is not restricted. There is a small parking lot where a trail leads a few dozen yards to a picnic table and a sign. This was the first highest point for Doug’s dog Rodie.
51. Florida - Britton Hill, 345'
Doug’s 14th Highest Point, Rodie’s 3rd
This is the lowest of State High Points out on the panhandle of Florida. On Doug and Rodie’s visit in 2022, the sign said “No Dogs” in the roadside park, but there was a second sign near the road that Rodie visited in a doggie-sort-of-way, so she gets to count it, too.
29. South Carolina - Sassafras Mountain 3,554'
Doug’s 16th Highest Point, Rodie’s 5th
It’s a short .2 walk from the parking area to a very elaborate monument platform. There was a wedding in progress during Doug and Rodie’s visit in 2022 so they kept their exploring to a minimum. It’s a beautiful drive, curvy, narrow and steep at times. You’ll be glad if you opted to bring your car and not your RV.
17. Tennessee - Clingmans Dome, 6,643'
Doug’s 18th Highest Point
No dogs allowed! Booooo Tennessee!!! Actually, it’s not Tennessee’s rule. This trail is under the control of the National Park Service. Getting to the top is a short 1.2 mile hike round trip on a paved path. This is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and third highest point east of the Mississippi River. Only Mount Mitchell and Mount Craig, both in North Carolina, rise higher. The tower on the summit offers a 360 degree view of the Smaoky Mountains for those willing to climb the steep stairs.
47. Mississippi - Woodall Mountain 806'
Doug’s 20th Highest Point, Rodie’s 8th
This was Doug’s 9th Highest Point of 2022. It was a good year for Highest Points. Woodall Mountain is a drive-up experience through beautiful forest. With its high vantage point, you can understand the Civil War significance of this high mound.