Mount Zion, a 7,062-foot foothill on the eastern flank of Colorado’s Front Range just west of downtown Golden, rises prominently above the city and forms a familiar part of its landscape. Its most recognized feature is the large white “M” on the mountainside, maintained by the Colorado School of Mines. First created in 1908, the emblem became part of a campus tradition in which new students climb the mountain and add a rock, then may remove one at graduation. Permanently lighted since 1932, the “M” has made the peak a visible landmark linking Golden, the school, and the foothills at the edge of the Rockies.

Golden, Colorado · USA