Overview:
On Colorado Day, 57 teams will climb the state’s 14ers to mark Colorado’s 150th birthday and honor its outdoor legacy.
There is perhaps nothing more Coloradan than summiting a 14,000-foot mountain on the state’s 150th birthday. On Aug. 1, the Colorado Mountain Club, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and the America 250-Colorado 150 Commission will coordinate Summit 2026, an effort to place 57 separate teams on Colorado’s 14,000-foot-or-higher peaks (AKA 14ers) as part of the state’s sesquicentennial celebration.
“These 14ers are, in so many ways, the heart and soul of the state,” said Conor Hall, director of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry. “People have come here … in many parts due to the great outdoors and the way we’ve been able to protect these places and continue to access and enjoy them.”
The original plan was to have teams on all 58 peaks in Colorado, but an intense wildfire season and the lingering effects of a dry winter led to the closure of Mt. Massive.
“We are monitoring the fires the best we can,” said Madeline Bachner-Lane, CEO of Colorado Mountain Club. “We knew that was a risk coming into a summer with historically low snowfall.”
While there will not technically be a group on every single peak, organizers expect around 500 climbers. This is not the first time that hikers have simultaneously ascended Colorado’s highest peaks to commemorate the state’s history. In 1976, the Colorado State Centennial Commission organized an informal celebration in which 645 climbers summited 55 peaks on Aug. 1.
“The idea was [to] re-create it, but put our own contemporary spin on it,” Hall said.
While the 1976 celebration featured a lot of flag-waving, Nathan Richie, co-chair of the America 250-150 Commission and director of the Golden History Museum & Park, displayed a heightened awareness of today’s culture.
“In 2026, when you read the room, it’s just not that kind of vibe out there right now,” Richie said. “We’re not really looking to do a big flag planting, claiming the land kind of thing. This is really more about respect for our shared homeland now.”
Commissioners tried to ensure the celebration properly honored Indigenous groups and respected their ancestral homelands. Native elders will do a traditional sunrise blessing atop Mt. Blue Sky and Pikes Peak. There will also be a ceremony at Echo Lake Lodge to celebrate Indigenous stories and influence.
Organizers say celebrating Colorado’s history must include an acknowledgment of the groups who suffered as a result of its formation.
“It is a very complex and, at times, not great history,” Hall said. “We can both celebrate pieces of this and hold that truth as well.”
Organizers also want the summit teams to reflect Colorado today. Teams include adaptive athletes, groups like Latino Outdoors, Indigenous climbers and people from the 1976 expedition coming back for more.
Because team sizes are limited to reduce trail impact, some popular peaks are being assigned through a lottery system. Other routes are open for public sign-ups, with peaks ranked by difficulty so hikers can understand the preparation required before applying.
The 250-150 Commission and CMC worked together to make sure costs were not a barrier to ascending these peaks.
“We want to show that with the right planning, these places are accessible,” Hall said. “With the dollars from sponsors, we’re paying (the associated) costs and offering a small climber stipend.”
The CMC has been doing mountain expeditions for over 100 years.
“Part of the reason that CMC is involved is because of our track record in risk management,” Bachner-Lane said. “We are responsible for registering the teams, and we’ve provided some education for the leaders.”
Trainings included best practices in risk management and leave-no-trace principles to minimize impact on the trails. CMC is also reviewing applicants’ prior outdoor experience before peak assignments are finalized, according to event materials.
“Our mission is to foster connection to Colorado landscapes through community, education, outdoor recreation and stewardship,” Bachner-Lane said.
Participants’ days will vary depending on which mountain their team is summiting. Some peaks require an early approach to beat inclement mountain weather, so those teams will head up July 31 and camp. Others will gather at the trailhead around sunrise on the 1st.
“These peaks are all so different,” Hall said, nodding to the geographical diversity of the state. “Some of them, like Quandary, folks will probably be up and down before lunchtime. Some of them will take most of that day of pretty intense climbing.”
Afterward, there will be an Alpine After Party at the CMC Basecamp in Golden. The CMC encourages hikers and community members to RSVP to gather from 3-6 p.m.
“Colorado is one of those places that is just magnetic,” Richie said. “It’s a place where people want to be, not just a place where people are. I think the mountains are really a part of that.”
