Here’s a story on people who’ve been to the high points of all 50 states.
More than a dozen states, including Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio, have highpoints with road access, letting people essentially drive to the summit. Wyoming’s Gannett Peak, in contrast, requires up to 50 miles of roundtrip backcountry hiking in the remote Wind River Mountain Range.
To date, 155 people are on record as having completed all 50 highpoints, according to Rowlett. Roughly 10 new people a year climb their 50th state summit and are added to the Highpointers Club’s list of completers. Plaques are awarded.
When I first started hiking I was all over the idea of hiking to the top of Mount Whitney, high point of the Lower 48, but the urgency taking on such a trek has faded. My current thought is the mountain will be there when I get around to it, and if for any reason it isn’t, I suspect I’ll have far greater things to worry about.
Some high points aren’t so glamorous. The highpoint in Florida is a landfill.
The Whitney Portal trail is well worth the hike, even if you only go as high as the trail crest or even just halfway, to the Trail Camp about 6 miles up.
It’s a very challenging hike and that plus the distance from RV’s/family campgrounds, more open views, and lower limits on permits put the Whitney trail above the Tetons approach in my book.