Nov 09 2023
Bald Rock Mountain Rising above the valleys between Birmingham and Pell City, Bald Rock Mountain is one of the most topographically significant summits in central Alabama. At 1,586.6 feet (483.6 meters), it is not among the very highest mountains in the state, yet its approximately 856 feet of prominence makes it a substantial independent landform …
Nov 09 2023
Lookout Mountain Stretching for more than 80 miles across Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, Lookout Mountain is one of the most distinctive long ridges of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Its sandstone-capped plateau rises abruptly above Chattanooga at its northern end, continues through northwestern Georgia, and extends deep into northeastern Alabama before finally descending toward Gadsden. Lookout …
Nov 08 2023
Cheaha Mountain | Mount Cheaha Rising above the forested ridges of east-central Alabama, Cheaha Mountain is the highest natural point in the state and the dominant summit of the Talladega Mountains. Modern LiDAR places its summit at 2,407.8 feet (733.9 meters), making Cheaha modest by the standards of the Rockies or higher Appalachians but remarkably …
Nov 08 2023
Red Mountain Rising immediately south of downtown Birmingham, Red Mountain is one of the most historically consequential ridges in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Its elevation is modest, with the familiar Birmingham crest reaching roughly 1,025 feet (312 meters), yet few American mountains have influenced the creation and identity of a major city as directly as …
Nov 07 2023
Half Dome Rising almost 5,000 vertical feet above Yosemite Valley, Half Dome is one of the most recognizable mountains in the Sierra Nevada and one of the defining natural landmarks of the American West. Its smooth rounded summit, enormous sheer northwest face, and exposed granite shoulders form a silhouette so distinctive that it has become …
Nov 07 2023
Monte Sano Mountain Rising immediately east of downtown Huntsville, Monte Sano Mountain is one of the most recognizable summits in northern Alabama and one of the most accessible mountain landscapes at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Its broad sandstone-capped summit rises sharply above the Tennessee Valley, while forested slopes hide springs, limestone outcrops, …
Nov 07 2023
Sentinel Dome Rising above the south rim of Yosemite Valley, Sentinel Dome is one of the most accessible panoramic summits in Yosemite National Park and one of the clearest examples of a classic exfoliation dome in the Sierra Nevada. Its smooth granodiorite slopes culminate at a broad, exposed summit with unobstructed views toward Half Dome, …
Nov 07 2023
Handies Peak Rising above the spectacular wildflower meadows and glacial basins of southwestern Colorado, Handies Peak is one of the most approachable fourteeners in the San Juan Mountains—but its relatively straightforward standard route should never be confused with an easy mountain. The summit rises above 14,000 feet, thunderstorms can develop with remarkable speed, access involves …
Nov 07 2023
El Capitan Few rock formations are as instantly recognizable—or as deeply intertwined with the history of climbing—as El Capitan. Rising more than 3,000 feet above Yosemite Valley in California, this enormous granite wall forms one of the most dramatic landmarks in Yosemite National Park. From the meadows below, the cliff appears almost impossibly steep, its …
Nov 05 2023
Porong Ri Rising to approximately 7,292 meters (23,924 feet) in the central Himalayas, Porong Ri is one of the world’s great 7,000-meter mountains, yet it remains remarkably obscure compared with the neighboring giants of the region. The peak stands in southern Tibet, extremely close to the border with Nepal, and forms part of the mountain …
