| Mount Elusive | |
| Elevation Ft: | 11465 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 715 |
| Isolation Mi: | 1.78 |
| Range: | Chugach Mountains |
| Parent Peak: | Mount Gilbert Lewis (12,250 ft) |
| Location: | Chugach National Forest Valdez-Cordova Borough Alaska, United States |
| Map: | USA Alaska |
| Label Position: | left |
| Coordinates: | 61.4281°N -147.1267°W |
| Topo: | USGS Anchorage B-1 |
| First Ascent: | June 22, 1957[2] |
| Easiest Route: | South ridge |
Mount Elusive is an 114650NaN0 elevation glaciated summit located 360NaN0 northwest of Valdez in the Chugach Mountains of the U.S. state of Alaska. Set on land managed by Chugach National Forest, this remote peak is situated 30NaN0 northeast of Mount Edison, 30NaN0 southwest of Mount Valhalla, and 4.80NaN0 north of Mount Einstein, near the head Columbia Glacier. It is part of the Dora Keen Range, which is a 25-miles-long divide separating Harvard Glacier from Yale Glacier. The mountain was so named in 1957 by Lawrence E. Nielsen because of the peak's "elusive character in trying to locate its position on the map from aerial photos," and later officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in 1965.[3] Nielsen was leader of the Chugach Mountains Expedition which was sponsored by the Arctic Institute of North America. The first ascent of this mountain was made June 22, 1957, by Nielsen and expedition party via the south ridge.[4] He described the most distinguishing feature of this snow-covered mountain as being a spectacular north–south knife-edge summit ridge.
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Elusive is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers.[5] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Harvard and Columbia Glaciers surrounding this mountain. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing.