Castle Peak, rising 14,279 feet in Colorado, is the state’s ninth highest summit, the highest point of the Elk Mountains and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, and the highest point in Gunnison and Pitkin counties. Named for its castle-like summit, it stands on the divide between Gunnison and White River national forests northeast of Crested Butte. Climbers usually ascend in summer and early fall by one of two Class 2 routes that use the Montezuma Glacier and either the Northwest or Northeast Ridge, each presenting different challenges. Nearby Conundrum Peak is often climbed with it, and Castle Peak also holds spiritual importance for the Aetherius Society as one of its 19 holy mountains.