Mount Zirkel, Mountain summit in Routt National Forest, Colorado, US

Mount Zirkel is the highest peak of the Park Range in Colorado's Routt National Forest and dominates the landscape as a prominent summit in the central Rocky Mountains. The mountain is surrounded by an expansive wilderness area featuring alpine meadows, evergreen forests, and mountain lakes.

Mount Zirkel was named in honor of the German geologist Ferdinand Zirkel. The sources record only this origin of the name and give no date for the naming. The peak rises on the Continental Divide between Jackson and Routt counties, within the Mount Zirkel Wilderness of Routt National Forest.

The name honors Ferdinand Zirkel, a German geologist. The peak lies on the Continental Divide, the boundary between Routt and Jackson counties, and within the Mount Zirkel Wilderness of Routt National Forest. Hikers on the summit trail cross that county line and the divide itself.

The summit can be reached via established hiking trails, with the best climbing season between late spring and early fall when higher elevations are snow-free. Visitors should prepare for alpine conditions and start early in the day, as weather can change quickly at elevation.

Mount Zirkel ranks as the 1,661st-highest peak in Colorado and the 2,448th-highest in the United States, yet its 1,054-metre rise above surrounding terrain makes it the 14th-most prominent summit in the state and the 279th in the country. The summit sits on the Continental Divide, on the boundary between Routt and Jackson counties.