Oddest Part of Reaching the Peak of Every US State: Florida

Britton Hill sits just 345 feet above sea level
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 13, 2017 5:13 PM CDT
Quirkiest Part of Reaching the Peak of Every US State: Florida
Britton Hill, in all its glory.   (Wikimedia Commons)

Traveling to all 50 states is a fairly common goal—summitting the highest peak in each state, less so. In fact, per records kept by the Highpointers Club, fewer than 300 people have managed the feat. Succeeding at the undertaking means climbing all 20,310 feet of Alaska's Denali—and all of Florida's Britton Hill, which sits 345 feet above sea level. The Wall Street Journal takes a quirky look at Florida's highpoint, which it points out is No. 50 out of 50 in terms of elevation and isn't even half as tall as Miami's tallest building. It's certainly not the only easy one to knock off the list: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Rhode Island also don't hit the 1,000-foot mark. Neither does Delaware, and CNN reports that getting to the sign marking its 442-foot highpoint, Ebright Azimuth, is as easy as pulling over alongside a suburban Wilmington road.

Gear Junkie reports at least 25% of states' highpoints are accessible via road, meaning you can drive your way to the top. But then it offers this foil: Wyoming’s Gannett Peak, which "requires up to 40 miles of roundtrip backcountry hiking in the remote Wind River Mountain Range." And then there are those in between, like South Dakota's 7,242-foot Harney Peak, which can be knocked off the list after a six-mile roundtrip hike. While United States Geological Survey data is what has been used to compile the official list, the Journal notes that there have long been whispers in Florida that somewhere in the woods near Britton Hill sits a point that actually measures a sky-high 352 feet above sea level. (Speaking of highpoints, this guy climbed Mount Everest in shorts.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X