Sunlight Peak

Sunlight Peak
Sunlight Peak
	Sunlight Peak from Twin Lakes
Highest point
Elevation	14,065 ft (4,287 m)
Prominence	399 ft (122 m)
Isolation	0.48 mi (0.77 km)
Listing	Colorado Fourteener 39th
Coordinates	37°37′38″N 107°35′45″W / 37.6272215°N 107.5958933°W
Geography
	Sunlight Peak Location in Colorado
Location	La Plata County, Colorado, U.S.
Parent range	San Juan Mountains,; Needle Mountains
Topo map(s)	USGS 7.5' topographic map; Storm King Peak, Colorado
Climbing
Easiest route	South Face: Climb, class 4

Sunlight Peak is a high mountain summit of the Needle Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,065-foot (4,287 m) fourteener is located in the Weminuche Wilderness of San Juan National Forest, 28.5 miles (45.8 km) northeast by north (bearing 32°) of the City of Durango in La Plata County, Colorado, United States.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Sunlight Peak was so named in 1902; the name is likely descriptive.^[5]

Climbing

Sunlight Peak is one of three fourteeners in the Needle Mountains; the other two are Mount Eolus and Windom Peak. Windom and Sunlight lie on the east side of Twin Lakes, in upper Chicago Basin, while Eolus lies on the west side. All three peaks are relatively remote by Colorado standards, and have a strong wilderness character; however they can be popular in summer.

The standard route up Sunlight Peak is from the south, known as the "Red Couloir". It is a non-technical scramble, but achieving the top of the summit block does require an exposed rock climbing move.^[6]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sunlight Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.^[7] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring.