Mount Elbert, mountain in Lake county, west-central Colorado, U.S., whose peak is the highest point (14,440 feet [4,401 metres]) in Colorado and in the American Rocky Mountains. Mount Elbert lies 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Leadville, in the Sawatch Range and White River National Forest. Laced with well-maintained hiking trails, the heavily visited mountain is renowned for its many false summits and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.