Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park. Credit: NPS

Which state is the most mountainous? There are probably several that come to mind with that question. Alaska has both the tallest mountains and the most mountains of any state in the U.S.. But Alaska’s average elevation is far below many other states in the country. On the other hand, Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any U.S. state but a fairly large portion is near flat. The other claims to the title come from West Virginia and Nevada.

YouTuber Urgently Firing covered the four states, discussing the pros and cons to their claims.

Which U.S. state is the most mountainous? Hikers, backpackers, travelers, and residents of the western U.S. alike often disagree about this because they’re using different definitions of what makes a place “mountainous.” Alaska, Colorado, West Virginia, and Nevada all have the strongest claims to being the most mountainous state in America. So in today’s video we’re looking into the different ways that you can define a place being mountainous. And then applying those to the 4 strongest contenders… as well as to a few runner-ups.

Personally I think Alaska has to be given the title of the most mountainous state because of the high number of mountains and the fact that it includes the tallest mountain in North America. Colorado should absolutely be considered the highest state, but I don’t know if it can claim the most mountainous. That’s just my opinion, though.

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