No place else in the continental United States has a higher concentration of peaks over fourteen-thousand feet, aka Fourteeners. For this reason, each summer legions of peak baggers descend on the region testing their endurance and determination on their quests to summit one of the area's 15 Fourteeners. For those with less ambitious goals, the flanks of the Fourteeners offer days of exploring wandering trails, willdflower meadows, discovering meandering streams and cool, crisp waterfalls.

The area's Fourteeners are magnets for peak baggers, that curious breed of hiker that's happiest when their trek ends at the top of a craggy peak. Each summer, thousands of these ambitious outdoor enthusiasts flock to the Upper Arkansas Valley, where they can score multiple Fourteeners in just a few days. Not for the faint of heart, peak bagging involves pre-dawn wake-up calls, long slogs up steep trails, and demanding hours-on-end of mental and physical endurance. Rewards include an immense sense of satisfaction and achievement as well as jaw-dropping views that, on the clearest days, stretch to New Mexico to Wyoming. For detailed trail descriptions, visit fourteeners.com