| Fools Peak | |
| Elevation Ft: | 12954 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 615 |
| Isolation Mi: | 1.28 |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Colorado |
| Region: | Eagle |
| Region Type: | County |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Holy Cross Wilderness |
| Range: | Rocky Mountains Sawatch Range[2] |
| Map: | Colorado#USA |
| Label Position: | top |
| Coordinates: | 39.4508°N -106.5994°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [3] |
| Topo: | USGS Mount Jackson |
Fools Peak is a 12954feet summit in Eagle County, Colorado, United States.[3]
Fools Peak is located in the Sawatch Range and is set in the Holy Cross Wilderness, on land managed by White River National Forest.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's south slope drains into Lime Creek which is a tributary of the Fryingpan River, whereas the north slope drains into East Brush Creek → Brush Creek → Eagle River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1650feet above Mystic Island Lake in one-half mile (0.8 km) and 2900feet above Lime Creek in 1.1 mile (1.8 km). An ascent of the summit involves hiking 6.5 miles (one way) and 4,340 feet of total elevation gain.[4] The North Ridge is considered one of the best ridge scrambles in Colorado.[5] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[3] and has been reported in publications since at least 1923.[6]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Fools Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[7] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.