| La Plata Peak | |
| Elevation System: | NAVD88 |
| Elevation: | 14,361 ft (4372 m) |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence: | 1836 ft (560 m) |
| Isolation: | 6.28 mi (10.11 km) |
| Location: | Chaffee County, Colorado, U.S. |
| Range: | Sawatch Range, Collegiate Peaks |
| Map: | Colorado |
| Coordinates: | 39.0294°N -106.4729°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [2] |
| Topo: | USGS 7.5' topographic map Mount Elbert, Colorado |
| First Ascent: | July 26, 1873 Hayden Survey |
| Easiest Route: | Northwest Ridge or Southwest Ridge: Hike (class 2) |
La Plata Peak is the fifth-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14343feet fourteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 36.5km (22.7miles) northwest by west (bearing 308°) of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.[1] [2]
"La Plata" is Spanish for "The Silver", a reference to the many silver deposits in the area. The nearby ghost towns of Winfield and Hamilton were prominent silver mining towns in the early part of the 20th century. A Hayden Survey team first climbed the peak on July 26, 1873.[3]
The elevation of 14,361 feet marked on the USGS Mount Elbert Quadrangle is incorrect, and should read 14,336 feet (in the NGVD 29 vertical datum).[4]
Northwest Ridge: This is the standard route used to climb the mountain. like most Sawatch range 14ers it is non-technical, but incredibly steep. The trail is 9.5 miles round trip, with 4,500 feet of elevation gain and class 2 hiking along the ridge.[5]
Ellingwood Ridge: Ellingwood Ridge is one of the most technically difficult alternate routes in the Sawatch range. it was first climbed by Albert Ellingwood in the 1930s.[6] It is rated as class 3, but the extremely difficult route finding and length of the climb make this a very challenging endeavor. Much of the climbing is off trail. The climb is 9.5 miles round trip, with 5,900 feet of elevation gain.[7]