Nov 19 2023
Kaʻala | Mount Kaʻala Rising above the rugged Waiʻanae Range of western Oʻahu, Kaʻala, commonly called Mount Kaʻala, is the highest mountain on the island. Its summit is unlike the pointed crest many people imagine when they think of a mountain. Instead, Kaʻala ends in a broad, remarkably flat plateau frequently wrapped in cloud, mist, …
Nov 19 2023
Koʻolau Range Stretching across eastern Oʻahu like an enormous green wall, the Koʻolau Range is one of the most recognizable mountain landscapes in Hawaiʻi. Its razor-edged ridges, deeply carved valleys, cloud-covered summits, and sheer windward cliffs form the dramatic backdrop to Honolulu, Kāneʻohe, Kailua, and much of the island’s eastern coast. Despite its appearance, the …
Nov 19 2023
Mauna Loa Rising across more than half of Hawaiʻi Island, Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on Earth and one of the most extraordinary mountains anywhere in the world. Its name means “Long Mountain” in Hawaiian, an appropriate description of a volcanic shield so broad that its gently sloping flanks can make its immense …
Nov 19 2023
Kawaikini Hidden within the rain-soaked central highlands of Kauaʻi, Kawaikini is the highest point on the island and one of the most isolated major summits in the Hawaiian Islands. Reaching 5,243 feet (1,598 meters) above sea level, the mountain rises only slightly higher than neighboring Waiʻaleʻale, yet that small difference makes Kawaikini the true geographic …
Nov 16 2023
Grandfather Mountain Rising dramatically above the high country of northwestern North Carolina, Grandfather Mountain is one of the most distinctive peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the broader Appalachian Mountains. Its rocky summits, spruce-fir forests, exposed ridges, severe weather, rare wildlife, and famous Mile High Swinging Bridge have made it one of the best-known …
Nov 15 2023
Mount Assiniboine Rising in a near-perfect pyramid above the lakes, glaciers, and alpine meadows of the southern Canadian Rockies, Mount Assiniboine is one of Canada’s most recognizable mountains. Its steep triangular profile has earned it the enduring nickname “Matterhorn of the Rockies,” and from classic viewpoints around Lake Magog, the resemblance is easy to understand. …
Nov 15 2023
Mount St. Helens Few mountains in North America have changed as dramatically within living memory as Mount Saint Helens. Rising in southwestern Washington’s Cascade Range, this active stratovolcano became internationally famous on May 18, 1980, when a catastrophic landslide removed its northern flank and triggered one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in United States …
Nov 14 2023
Mount Massive Stretching across a huge section of Colorado’s Sawatch Range, Mount Massive lives up to its name. Rather than rising as a single sharp pyramid, the mountain spreads across a long summit crest containing multiple points above 14,000 feet, broad alpine slopes, glacial basins, and an enormous expanse of high-country terrain. For generations, Mount …
Nov 14 2023
Vinicunca (Montaña de Siete Colores, Montaña de Colores, Rainbow Mountain) Striped in bands of red, rose, gold, green, white, and earthy brown, Vinicunca is one of the most visually unusual landscapes in the Andes. Better known internationally as Rainbow Mountain or the Mountain of Seven Colors, this high ridge in Peru’s Cusco Region has transformed …
Nov 14 2023
Mount Rainier Rising almost three vertical miles above western Washington, Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in the Cascade Range, the highest point in Washington State, and one of the most visually dominant peaks in North America. Its enormous ice-covered volcanic cone towers above forests, cities, valleys, and Puget Sound, sometimes appearing to float above …
