List of hillside letters explained

See main article: Hillside letters. This is a list of hillside letters (also known as mountain monograms), large geoglyphs found primarily in the Western United States.^{[1] [2]} There are about 600 in total, but the status of many of these symbols are uncertain, due to vagueness in sources.

The states with the most hillside letters are:

• Montana: 86 monograms
• California: 83 monograms
• Utah: 83 monograms
• Arizona: 63 monograms
• Nevada: 47 monograms
• Oregon: 39 monograms
• Idaho: 36 monograms

United States

Arizona

See main article: List of hillside letters in Arizona.

California

See main article: List of hillside letters in California.

Colorado

At least 31 monograms, possibly 33.

Monogram	Town	Description	Coordinates
A		Colorado State University (formerly the Aggies)	40.561°N -105.151°W
B			37.0092°N -103.8815°W
C			38.443°N -105.25°W
D			37.6719°N -106.3588°W
D			40.2463°N -109.0064°W
F			39.1335°N -108.7336°W
G			39.7521°N -105.2066°W
GV			39.461°N -108.0542°W
GM			39.6964°N -105.1444°W
G			38.551°N -106.9144°W
H			38.7923°N -107.7008°W
LV			37.5224°N -105.007°W
LHS			37.1308°N -104.5724°W
L			39.1894°N -108.843°W
L			40.2095°N -105.2656°W
			39.7453°N -105.24°W
M			37.1564°N -105.9323°W
M			38.4783°N -107.8762°W
P (uncertain existence)			37.2677°N -107.01°W (uncertain location)
P			39.0914°N -108.3474°W
P			38.8596°N -107.5976°W
P		Primero High School	37.1241°N -104.7936°W
R		Rangely High School	40.0841°N -108.7999°W
R (uncertain existence)			39.5301°N -107.7832°W (uncertain location)
S			38.0837°N -106.1287°W
S			38.541°N -105.9876°W
SAN LUIS OLDEST TOWN IN COLO.			37.2004°N -105.4281°W
S			37.2487°N -105.8°W
SANTA MARIA	Santa Maria		39.4524°N -105.6307°W
SHS		Sheridan High School	39.639°N -105.0287°W
S			37.8177°N -107.6644°W
SL			39.8844°N -105.0971°W
			38.5274°N -106.9084°W

Idaho

See main article: List of hillside letters in Idaho.

Montana

See main article: List of hillside letters in Montana.

Nevada

See main article: List of hillside letters in Nevada.

New Mexico

At least 30 monograms, possibly 37

Monogram	Town	Description	Coordinates
A			32.9002°N -105.911°W
A			36.8357°N -108.0091°W
A			32.293°N -106.6979°W
B			35.3209°N -106.5295°W
B			36.7263°N -107.9799°W
C			33.5373°N -105.584°W
C			36.4992°N -104.9222°W
C			36.9888°N -105.5132°W
E			36.36°N -106.1801°W
E (uncertain existence)			35.9905°N -106.08°W (uncertain location)
F			36.7637°N -108.1909°W
G			35.1685°N -107.864°W (uncertain location)
H			35.5905°N -105.2059°W
H			33.3833°N -105.2537°W
KS		Kirtland Street High School	36.7591°N -108.3729°W
LA		Laguna-Acoma	35.0537°N -107.4387°W
L			32.3287°N -108.7268°W
LA			35.9°N -106.3329°W
LL			34.807°N -106.7914°W
L (uncertain existence)			36.1463°N -106.0056°W (uncertain location)
M			34.0949°N -107.2512°W
MV		Mesa Vista High School	36.3315°N -106.0391°W
M (uncertain existence)			35.974°N -105.3287°W (uncertain location)
A			32.2926°N -106.699°W
M		New Mexico Tech Miners	34.0723°N -106.9594°W
N		Newcomb Elementary School	36.2822°N -108.7112°W
N		Newcomb Middle School	36.2789°N -108.7128°W
P			36.1765°N -105.6845°W
P			35.892°N -106.021°W
Q			36.7099°N -105.5693°W
R			35.5805°N -105.2025°W
X (uncertain existence)			35.6813°N -105.9467°W (uncertain location)
S (uncertain existence)			36.7907°N -108.6828°W (uncertain location)
		St. Joseph's College (closed)	35.1414°N -106.7714°W
T			33.1191°N -107.2275°W
T			35.8557°N -108.7474°W
			35.1345°N -103.7°W
U (no longer exists)			35.0812°N -106.4816°W
WM			36.0051°N -104.7019°W
D		West Las Vegas High School Dons	35.5893°N -105.2047°W
W			32.8272°N -108.2489°W

Oregon

See main article: List of hillside letters in Oregon.

Texas

Texas' 16 or more monograms are all in the westernmost mountainous, part of the state. There are six (in various states of repair) in El Paso alone, the most in any single city in the United States.

Monogram	Town	Description	Coordinates
A			30.3527°N -103.6564°W
A			31.7998°N -106.474°W
B			30.9757°N -103.7199°W
B/E			31.7861°N -106.4796°W
C (removed?)			31.7928°N -106.4813°W
E/B			31.7867°N -106.4803°W
FD			30.5784°N -103.893°W
I?			30.8999°N -101.8983°W
J			31.7865°N -106.4783°W
M			30.208°N -103.2222°W
M (uncertain existence)			30.3088°N -104.0207°W (uncertain location)
M			31.0998°N -102.1555°W
P (uncertain existence)			29.5644°N -104.3689°W (uncertain location)
S			30.1467°N -102.4004°W
S			29.8219°N -104.3041°W
SB			31.1878°N -105.3495°W
SR			30.3662°N -103.6474°W
SAFETY FIRST!			30.8994°N -101.8956°W
M		UTEP Miners	31.7767°N -106.5088°W
V			31.0585°N -104.8606°W

Utah

See main article: List of hillside letters in Utah.

Washington

Most of Washington's 18 to 19 monograms are in the arid Eastern part of the state.

Monogram	Town	Description	Coordinates
7			47.3204°N -119.5714°W
A			46.3407°N -117.0594°W
B			48.4827°N -122.325°W
C			47.5294°N -120.4678°W
C			46.45°N -117.047°W
C			48.5631°N -117.9009°W
C			47.7449°N -118.5289°W
E			47.4428°N -120.2824°W
FOSS			47.236°N -122.4937°W
G			45.8016°N -120.7957°W
K			46.1475°N -122.8962°W
KF			48.6164°N -118.04°W
K			45.8143°N -121.1493°W
L			46.5317°N -120.4639°W
OK			48.3658°N -119.5876°W
R			46.2364°N -119.3126°W
R			47.2282°N -117.3758°W
S			46.6318°N -120.5294°W
T (uncertain existence)

Wyoming

Between 24 and 25 monograms

Monogram	Town	Description	Coordinates
B			44.466°N -108.4315°W
C			44.5262°N -109.101°W
D			42.7524°N -105.3615°W
E			41.2583°N -110.9559°W
F			42.6807°N -111.0112°W
FORT WASHAKIE			43.0132°N -108.8805°W
G			42.8585°N -105.8511°W
GR			41.5147°N -109.4796°W
G			44.5°N -108.0742°W
G			42.2644°N -104.7335°W
H (uncertain existence)			42.3272°N -104.7272°W (uncertain location)
WORLDS LARGEST MINERAL HOT SPRING			43.6562°N -108.1929°W
K		This is an old location see below	41.7929°N -110.5265°W
K	Kemmerer	The new location.	41.788611°N 110.529444°W
L			44.8256°N -108.2971°W
M			44.1526°N -108.8703°W
M			44.1526°N -108.8703°W
MV			41.262°N -110.3408°W
R			44.3797°N -108.0575°W
RS			41.6°N -109.2136°W
			42.7302°N -110.9118°W
S			42.3307°N -104.7149°W
T			44.0448°N -107.4467°W
T			43.655°N -108.2064°W
W			41.3287°N -105.5721°W
W			44.0109°N -108.0055°W
WBS	McNutt	Wyoming Boys' School

Other states

Monogram	Town	State	Description	Coordinates
DAYTONA BEACH LPGA BLVD				29.2195°N -81.1035°W
PALM BAY				28.0356°N -80.6574°W
L				20.8876°N -156.6415°W
KS			Kansas State University (K built in 1921)	39.172°N -96.5522°W
MANHATTAN			Manhattan (built in 1927)	39.1925°N -96.5628°W
OP				38.3851°N -75.1782°W
NB			(Built 2010's)	41.6383°N -70.9247°W
C				42.8152°N -103.0028°W
POTTER				41.2041°N -103.3128°W
VALENTINE				42.8554°N -100.5419°W
	New York City (Manhattan)			40.8761°N -73.919°W
HOWE CAVERNS				42.6956°N -74.3989°W
M (uncertain existence)				41.7212°N -73.9477°W (uncertain location)
A				47.8295°N -103.6376°W
HOME ON THE RANGE			Home on the Range Ranch	46.9435°N -103.8693°W
K (uncertain existence)				48.6764°N -102.0814°W (uncertain location)
MANDAN				46.8336°N -100.8712°W
PRICE	Price			47.0818°N -100.9432°W
Z				47.2793°N -101.9328°W
AKRON				41.0403°N -81.4572°W^[4]
HOBAN				41.0622°N -81.498°W
LAZY S RANCH			Lazy S Ranch	34.349°N -97.1424°W
WELCOME TO HERSHEY				40.2941°N -76.6623°W
H				44.5073°N -103.851°W
SMD			South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (M-Hill)	44.0883°N -103.2494°W
			South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Fraternal Organizations (Smelter Hill)	44.0708°N -103.2013°W
LU				37.3595°N -79.1597°W
St. Marys Springs				43.7847°N -88.3847°W
			University of Wisconsin-Platteville (formerly the Miners)	42.7636°N -90.4066°W

More countries

Monogram	Town	Country	Description	Coordinates
LONGVIEW				50.5437°N -114.2189°W
PENTICTON		Canada		49.5158°N -119.574°W
		Canada		51.021°N -114.173°W
MOUNT PANORAMA			Mount Panorama Circuit (and surrounding neighbourhood)	-33.455°N 149.552°W
NZ				51.1941°N -1.7151°W
Z		United Kingdom	Two "Z"s on the A5103 roundabout
주체 조선의 태양 김정은 장군 만세!			"Long Live General Kim Jong-un the Shining Sun!"	41.3084°N 128.1575°W
JESUCRISTO ES EL SEÑOR				32.4753°N -116.9°W
CDJUAREZ LA BIBLIA ES LA VERDAD LEELA			"CIUDAD JUAREZ THE BIBLE IS THE TRUTH READ IT"	31.7047°N -106.5189°W
B				19.539°N -99.1602°W
X (no longer exists)				-12.052°N -76.9346°W
Q (no longer exists)			Juventud Torre Blanca football club?	-12.0014°N -76.9927°W
GB				-34.1684°N 18.8613°W

Messages are common on the bare mountains surrounding Lima, Peru; most of them are personal graffiti, not community symbols.

See also

• Gozan no Okuribi, Japanese festival involving giant hillside bonfires in the shape of characters

External links

• Mountain Monograms, a website explaining the origins and with an incomplete list and pictures
• Hillside Letters, a companion website to a book on the subject
• Letters on Hills, a category on waymarking.com for geocachers

Notes and References

1. Book: Corning, Evelyn. Hillside Letters A to Z : A Guide to Hometown Landmarks. Mountain Press Publishing Company. 2007. Missoula, Mont..
2. Parsons. James J.. Hillside Letters in the Western United States. Landscape. 30. 1. 15–23 . Santa Fe, N.M.. 1988. 2011-08-09.
3. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1817904,-77.1995232,3a,22.2y,93.84h,88.61t/data=!3m7
4. News: Mark J.. Price. Will Central Interchange project spoil view of Hoban letters?. Akron Beacon Journal. 2022-08-08. 2022-08-09.