La
Plata
Peak
Routed from OpenStreetMap · elevations USGS 3DEP
The Spanish name, meaning 'the silver,' reflects the district's mineral wealth: the nearby ghost towns of Winfield and Hamilton were both prominent silver-mining camps in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A Hayden Survey party made the first recorded ascent on July 26, 1873, as the survey mapped and named peaks across the Sawatch Range. For decades the USGS Mount Elbert quadrangle listed the summit at 14,361 feet, an error later corrected downward to the currently accepted elevation.
Ellingwood Ridge, the peak's technical east-side route, is named for Albert Ellingwood, a pioneer of roped rock climbing in the western United States in the early 20th century. Rated Class 3, the ridge is regarded as one of the most technically demanding alternate lines in the Sawatch Range, mixing loose rock and exposed scrambling above timberline. La Plata is Colorado's fifth-highest peak and sits within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, part of San Isabel National Forest.
Paved: CO 82 west toward Independence Pass, 14.6 mi from US 24; marked lot on the left (14ers.com trailhead page sw10). Limited spaces plus roadside overflow.
No fees, no restrooms; usually open year-round. Do not camp in the trees by the lot — adjacent private property is actively enforced. Collegiate Peaks Wilderness regs apply. A brief Aug 2025 wildfire closure has since reopened. Source: 14ers.com trailhead page sw10 (reports through late 2025).
Peak data: La Plata Peak — Wikipedia