Highest and Lowest Elevations (by State)

Idaho

Idaho’s highest point is Borah Peak, a 3861-meter-high (12,668-foot-high) mountain in the central Lost River Range, Custer County. The mountain was named in 1937 for Idaho senator William Borah, who had been in office for almost 27 years. In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked Borah Peak, lifting it an additional two meters (seven feet) and scarring its west face. The Snake River in Nez Perce County is Idaho’s lowest point, flowing at 216 meters (710 feet) above sea level.

Montana

At 3904 meters (12,807 feet) in elevation, Granite Peak is Montana’s highest point and a popular mountain climbing destination. The mountain, part of the Beartooth range located 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the Wyoming border, is considered the second most difficult state high point to climb. At the Montana-Idaho border, the Kootenai River tumbles over Kootenai Falls to land at an elevation of 555 meters (1820 feet), Montana’s lowest point.

Nebraska

Panorama Point, located near the juncture of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, is the state’s highest point, with an elevation of 1655 meters (5,429 feet). Despite its name, this “point” is neither a peak nor a hill, but simply a rolling portion of the High Plains, marked only by an engraved stone and guest register. Nebraska’s lowest point, at 256 meters (840 feet) above sea level, is located along the Missouri River in Richardson County.

North Dakota

White Butte, located in North Dakota’s southwestern badlands, is the highest point in the state, rising to 1069 meters (3506 feet) in elevation. The butte, about 10 kilometers (6.5 miles) south of the town of Amidon, is on privately owned land, but a trail allows visitors to access the landmark. The lowest part of North Dakota, at 229 meters (751 feet) in elevation, is found along the Red River where it flows into Manitoba.

South Dakota

South Dakota’s highest point is Harney Peak, an exposed granitic edifice in the Black Hills just six kilometers (four miles) southwest of Mount Rushmore. The mountain, which has an elevation of 2208 meters (7244 feet), was first seen by European-Americans when General George Armstrong Custer climbed it in 1874. South Dakota’s lowest point is Big Stone Lake, which lies at 294 meters (965 feet) above sea level and is located in the northeastern corner of the state on the Minnesota border.

Wyoming

Rising to an elevation of 4209 meters (13,809 feet) above sea level, Gannett Peak is the highest point in Wyoming—and the entire Northwest Central—as well as the highest mountain in the Rockies outside of Colorado. Gannett Glacier, the largest glacier in the American Rocky Mountains, flows from Gannett Peak’s north slopes. The Belle Fourche River, which reaches an elevation of 945 meters (3099 feet) at the South Dakota border, is Wyoming’s lowest point.