Several of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks are partially located on parcels of private land, some of which even include the summit, but one mountain stands out among the rest. The entire western half of Culebra Peak (14,053 feet), located near the southern border of Colorado, is located on private land, including the summit.
Culebra Peak is part of Cielo Vista Ranch, spanning over 83,000 acres. It’s not a notably difficult mountain, with the trail only being about 5 miles long from the 4WD trailhead, yet it’s still arguably one of the hardest 14ers to summit in Colorado solely because of the logistics. As Culebra Peak is entirely on private land, the ranch owners require $150 reservations to access the trail. There is no other way to climb the mountain without trespassing.
Reservations to climb and hike Culebra Peak are available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from the first weekend of January through the last weekend of July. Between August and December, the mountains are closed to climbers for hunting season. According to the ranch, the $150 fees help cover maintenance.
If you’re curious exactly how much it costs to purchase a 14er, Cielo Vista Ranch sold for $105,000,000 back in 2017, so probably around that much.
