Highpointing
LAST UPDATED: 5/11/24
This page is our digital scrapbook, chronicling our state highpointing adventures, especially those of Isaac, Haley, and me. What started as a spontaneous stop at Ohio’s highpoint has grown into a long-term quest that’s taken us to places we never would have explored otherwise.
What is State Highpointing?
State highpointing is the sport of ascending to the highest elevation in each of the 50 states (see Wikipedia: Highpointing). The Highpointers Club has one of the best U.S. Highpoint Guides, which lists the highest point in each state, its difficulty, and links to more information. We are members of the club.Total U.S. State Highpoints Visited:
- Justin: 20
- Isaac: 20
- Haley: 13
- Katelyn: 5
- Ella: 4
Memorable Highpoints:
- Favorite and Most Challenging: Mt. Elbert, CO
- Previous Favorites:
- Mount Rogers, VA (#16)
- Eagle Mountain, MN (#8)
- Best Views:
- Clingman's Dome, TN (#11)
- Mount Mitchell, NC (#14)
- Mt. Elbert, CO (#20)
Next goals:
- 25 State Highpoints (5 left)
- Finish all the states east of the Mississippi (9 states left): IL, MS, NY, CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, ME
#1 Campbell Hill, Ohio
Date: 4/28/17
Who: Justin & Isaac
Elevation: 1,550 ft Our first state highpoint! Isaac and I were driving through Bellefontaine, OH, and decided to stop at the highest point in Ohio.
Facebook Post with Pictures
#2 Hoosier High Point, Indiana
Date: 4/30/17
Who: Justin & Isaac
Elevation: 1,257 ft
On our way back from Wisconsin, we drove through Indiana and decided to check where the highest point was since we had visited Ohio’s on the way to Wisconsin.
#3 Mt. Davis, Pennsylvania
Date: 6/10/17
Who: Justin #3, Erin #1, Katelyn #1, Ella #1, Isaac #3 & Haley #1
Elevation: 3,213 ft
We stopped at Mt. Davis on our way to Ocean City, NJ. The girls were not thrilled that we added an hour to our trip. Ella said, “Dad, if you want to see a highpoint, just climb a tree!”
#4 Ebright Azimuth, Delaware
Date: 6/10/17
Who: Justin #4, Erin #2, Katelyn #2, Ella #2, Isaac #4 & Haley #2
Elevation: 448 ft
This was our second highpoint stop on the way to Ocean City, NJ. This highpoint ranks 49th in elevation. It's quite humorous that the USGS marker is about 1 inch below the surface of the grass.
#5 High Point, New Jersey
Date: 6/17/17
Who: Justin #5 & Isaac #5
Elevation: 1,803
#6 Britton Hill, Florida
Date: 3/12/18
Who: Justin #6, Erin #3, Katelyn #3, Ella #3, Isaac #6 & Haley #3
Elevation: 345
#7 Timm's Hill, Wisconsin
Date: 7/15/18
Who: Justin & Isaac
Elevation: 1,951
#8 Eagle Mountain, Minnesota
Date: 7/21/18
Who: Justin & Isaac
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 2,301 ft / 600 ft / 7 mi
Social Media posts:
#9 Mt. Arvon, Michigan
Date: 7/22/18
Who: Justin & Isaac
Elevation: 1,979
#10 Taum Sauk Mountain, Missouri
Date: 3/12/19
Who: Justin & Isaac
Elevation: 1,772
#11 Clingmans Dome, Tennessee
Date: 7/11/20
Who: Justin #11, Katelyn #4, Isaac #11, Haley #4
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 6,643 ft / 330 ft / 1.6 mi
#12: Brasstown Bald, Georgia
Date: 10/13/20 (Day 2 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin, Isaac & Haley #5
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 4,784 ft / 426 ft / 1.4 mi
#13: Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina
Date: 10/13/20 (Day 2 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin #13, Isaac #13 & Haley #6
Elevation: 3,560 ft
#14: Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina
Date: 10/14/20 (Day 3 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin #14, Isaac #14 & Haley #7
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 6,684 ft / 154 ft / .9 mi
#15 Black Mountain, Kentucky
Date: 10/15/20 (Day 4 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin #15, Isaac #15 & Haley #8
Elevation: 4,145 ft
It was a beautiful fall day to visit Kentucky’s highest point. The 1.5-mile road to the summit is an old coal mining road with several potholes. I was glad to have 4WD, but could have probably made it without 4WD. At the summit, there is a plaque honoring a WWII Veteran, innovator, and devotee of electronic technology, William Risden. Just behind the plaque is a rock with the USGS marker.
#16: Mount Rogers, Virginia
Date: 10/15/20 (Day 4 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin #16, Isaac #16 & Haley #9
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 5,729 ft / 1,523 ft / 9.9 mi
This was the most challenging highpoint so far, but we had great experiences and views along the way. We started at the Elk Garden Trailhead on RN 600. It was almost a 5-mile hike to the summit (10 mi roundtrip) along the Appalachian Trail with a 1,523 ft elevation gain. We saw wild ponies about 3 miles into the hike and got to pet them! Not much of a view at the top and the only thing that marks it are two USGS markers. Haley (age 6) lost her loose tooth at the summit, eating some Ritz Bitz. She was excited about both the ponies and losing a tooth. It took us about 7 hours roundtrip, and we hiked the last 30 minutes in the dark.
#17: Spruce Knob, West Virginia
Date: 10/16/20 (Day 5 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin #17, Isaac #17 & Haley #10
Elevation/Distance: 4,863 ft / .6 mi
We hiked the trail around the top of Spruce Knob and climbed the lookout tower. The USGS marker is embedded in the concrete at the SE corner of the lookout tower.
#18: Backbone Mountain, Maryland
Date: 10/17/20 (Day 6 of our Appalachian High Points Trip)
Who: Justin #18, Isaac #18, Haley #11
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 3,360 ft / 699 ft / 1.8 mi
This was the last highpoint on our Appalachian High Points Trip. It took us about 45 minutes to make the 1.18-mile hike to the summit, which has a 699-foot elevation gain. We ate a snack and took a few pictures, and then it only took about 30 minutes to hike back down to the car.
#19: Cheaha Mountain, Alabama
Date: 3/20/21
Who: Justin #19, Isaac #19, Haley #12, Katelyn #5, Erin #4, Ella #4
Elevation: 2,407 ft
We stopped here on our way back from spring break in Destin, FL. It’s located in a state park with camping near the summit, a gift store, and a restaurant. We found 2 USGS markers: one on the walkway in front of the building and one on a rock to the left of the building near the base of the radio tower. You can walk up to the top of the lookout tower to see the view.
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Date: 7/19/23
Who: Justin #20, Isaac #20, Jon #1 & Chris #1
Elevation/Gain/Distance: 14,439 ft / 5,000 ft / 15.3 mi
Isaac and I did this with my two brothers, Jon and Chris, the week before we went backpacking at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. This was our first 14er. We started on the trail at 4:30 am and made it back at 5:20 pm in just under 13 hours. We hiked up the steeper North Mt. Elbert Trail but hiked back on the longer South Mt. Elbert/Colorado Trail to make it easier on our knees.
Facebook post with pictures.
Haley's #13: Campbell Hill, Ohio
Date: 5/11/24
Who: Haley #13, Erin #5, Justin's 2nd Visit, and 15 other Scouts and Leaders with Scouts BSA Troop 417
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