Mendicant Ridge is a long, high ridge in western Colorado, about 9 miles east-southeast of Crawford in the Gunnison National Forest. Extending roughly 12 miles, it forms the western edge of the West Elk Mountains and rises about 5,000 feet above Crawford State Park, dominating the eastern skyline. The ridge runs generally northeast and has four distinct summits: Castle Rock, Mendicant Ridge South, a central summit, and Mendicant Ridge High Point at the northeast end. Its importance lies in the scale of the entire landform, which defines the range’s edge and strongly shapes the surrounding valley landscape.