| Mount Sunflower, Kansas. Ebright Azimuth, | | | | can manage to check off about 40 state |
| Delaware. Hawkeye Point, Iowa. Hoosier High | | | | highpoints! |
| Point, Indiana. | | | | |
| | | | Why do people get into highpointing? It's a |
| They may not have the name recognition of | | | | great way to see our country. You'll find |
| Mount McKinley (Denali), Mount Rainier, Mount | | | | highpoints in popular resort areas (Mount |
| Whitney, and Mount Hood. And they certainly | | | | Mansfield at Stowe in Vermont), National |
| are far, far easier to get to! But all these | | | | Parks (Clingmans Dome, in Great Smoky |
| places have something in common. Each is the | | | | Mountains, Tennessee), and State Parks (Mauna |
| highest natural spot in its state. | | | | Kea in Hawaii; Harney Peak in Custer State |
| | | | Park, South Dakota). But many highpoints are |
| Welcome to the world of Highpointing. | | | | well off the beaten path, and will take you |
| Thousands of otherwise sane people have set | | | | to beautiful and interesting parts of the |
| out to drive, stroll, hike, or climb to the | | | | country that you may have otherwise |
| highest point in each of the 50 states. Many | | | | overlooked. Eagle Mountain is in the Boundary |
| never plan to make it to the tougher | | | | Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Minnesota. |
| highpoints like Denali (in Alaska), Rainier | | | | Oklahoma's highpoint, Black Mesa, is near the |
| (in Washington) or Granite (in Montana), but | | | | very tip of the panhandle. Taum Sauk Mountain |
| they've discovered the fun in planning trips | | | | in Missouri is in a beautiful region of the |
| to locate the unusual "summits" of Sunflower | | | | Ozarks. Visit when the autumn leaves are at |
| (located on the flatlands of Kansas), Ebright | | | | their peak, climb the nearby Lookout Tower, |
| Azimuth (yes, a suburban neighborhood can be | | | | and prepare to be thrilled. |
| the site of a state highpoint), Hawkeye Point | | | | |
| (located at the end of a feeding trough on a | | | | There are also many interesting things to see |
| farm in Iowa), and Lakewood Park (turn right | | | | and do near the highpoints. Take in a concert |
| at the restrooms, and stroll a short way | | | | by the Boston Symphony Orchestra or Boston |
| along a path in a Florida park). | | | | Pops at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. Looking |
| | | | for something less cultured? How about the |
| Of the 50 state highpoints, 14 are drive-ups. | | | | Boll Weevil Monument in Florida? Or the |
| You drive right up to the highpoint, or so | | | | Wisconsin Concrete Park, featuring concrete |
| close to it you could toss a rock and hit it. | | | | sculptures of horses, soldiers, and heroes? |
| Probably 8 more are extremely easy, involving | | | | If food and drink are more to your liking, |
| a round-trip walk or hike of 30 minutes or | | | | don't miss a tour of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream |
| less. In fact, only about 9 or 10 of the | | | | Factory in Vermont, Great Adirondack Brewing |
| state highpoints involve more than a hike | | | | Company in New York, or stop in at the |
| along a good trail. OK, some of these trails | | | | Hilltop Restaurant in L'Anse, Michigan for |
| require long hikes that may gain a fair | | | | the most decadent (and largest) sweet rolls |
| amount of elevation. Still, if you're in good | | | | you can imagine. |
| condition, and can walk for many hours, you | | | | |