{{Short description|Group of mountains in Colorado, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Crestones | image = Crestone peaks fall.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle seen from the south | etymology = | country = United States | subdivision1_type = State | subdivision1 = Colorado | parent = Sangre de Cristo Range | geology = | orogeny = | area_mi2 = | area_ref = | length_mi = | length_ref = | length_orientation = | width_mi = | width_ref = | width_orientation = | highest = Crestone Peak | elevation = {{convert|14300|ft|m|0}} | elevation_ref = <ref name=otm>{{cite opentopomap|Crestone Peak|37.966667|-105.585287|2023-01-02}}</ref> | coordinates = {{coord|37.9666665|N|105.5852865|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}} | coordinates_ref = <ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=192423|name=Crestone Peak|access-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> | listing = Mountain ranges of Colorado <!-- *** Map section *** --> | map = USA Colorado | map_size = | map_caption = | range_coordinates = {{coord|37.9668400|N|105.5853471|W|region:US-CO|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | range_coordinates_ref = <ref name=gnis_range>{{cite gnis|id=203952|name=Crestone Peaks|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref> }} The '''Crestones''' are a group of four {{convert|14,000|ft|m|adj=on}} peaks (fourteeners) in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Crestone, central southern Colorado, comprising: #Crestone Peak ({{convert|14,294|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) #Crestone Needle ({{convert|14,197|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) #Kit Carson Mountain ({{convert|14,165|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) #Humboldt Peak ({{convert|14,064|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )

Snow is usually mostly melted by early July. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

==Climbing== *Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle are rock scrambles (Class 3) with some exposure. *Kit Carson Mountain is a walk-up (Class 2), but only if the correct route is carefully followed; it has claimed more lives than Crestone Peak or Crestone Needle. Challenger Point ({{convert|14,081|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) and Columbia Point ({{convert|13980|ft|m|0|adj=on}}) are sub-peaks of Kit Carson Mountain. *Humboldt Peak is the easiest of the four, with a straightforward walk-up route. Sometimes Humboldt is not included in the term "The Crestones."

Broken Hand Peak, {{convert|13573|ft|m|abbr=on}}, southeast of Crestone Needle, is included within the official name "Crestone Peaks".<ref name=gnis_range/> Mount Adams ({{convert|13,931|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) is a notable peak just to the north of the Crestones, and is quite rugged.

Note that Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle are somewhat more technical climbs than many Colorado fourteeners; caution is advised. About one person per year is killed on the Crestones; occasionally they are skilled mountaineers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/plano/2010/08/03/Plano-mountaineers-fall-to-their-deaths-4533|title=Plano mountaineers fall to their deaths in Colorado|first=Matthew|last=Haag|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|date=August 3, 2010|access-date=January 16, 2018}}</ref>

==See also== {{portal|Geography|North America|<!-- Northern America -->|United States|Colorado|Mountains}} **Rocky Mountains ***Southern Rocky Mountains ****Sangre de Cristo Mountains *****Sangre de Cristo Range *Geography of Colorado **Mountain ranges of Colorado ***Mountain peaks of Colorado ***Mountain passes of Colorado *Outline of Colorado *Index of Colorado-related articles {{clear}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=37.97&lon=-105.5805&size=m&symshow=n&datum=nad83&layer=DRG100&s=200 The Crestones on TopoQuest] *{{gnis|203952|Crestone Peaks or Crestone Group}} *[http://14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9185 Well illustrated trip report of climbs of Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak via Broken Hand Pass] {{Commons category|Crestones|position=left}}

{{Colorado|state=collapsed}}

Category:Fourteeners of Colorado Category:Sangre de Cristo Mountains Category:Mountains of Custer County, Colorado Category:Mountains of Saguache County, Colorado