Colorado is the nation’s highest state with a mean average elevation of 6,800 ft (2,074 m). Colorado has a total of 54 peaks, the highest being Elbert in the Rockies at 14,433 ft (4,402 m), and Pikes Peak, at 14,110 ft (4,301 m). The state's geographic center lies in Park County, 30 mi (48 km) NW of Pikes Peak. Colorado's lowest point, 3,350 ft (1,022 m), on the Arkansas River, is located in this plateau region. The state’s geographic center is the Continental Divide, which separates the Rockies into the Eastern and Western slopes. The Eastern Slope which runs south from Wyoming border also contains the Mosquito, Medicine Bow, and Laramie mountains. Western Slope ranges include the Sawatch, Gore, Elk, Elkhead, and William Fork mountains. The Continental Divide houses several glaciers like Arapahoe, St. Mary's, Andrews, and Taylor. Running northwest from the San Juans are the Uncompahgre Plateau, Grand Mesa, Roan Plateau, the Flat Tops, and Danforth Hills. The Yampa and Green gorges are located in the northwestern corner of the state.
The largest lake of Colorado is the Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County. Six major river systems originate in Colorado. They are the Colorado River, which runs southwest from the Rockies to Utah; the South Platte, northeast to Nebraska; the North Platte, north to Wyoming; the Rio Grande, south to New Mexico; and the Arkansas and Republican, east to Kansas. Eighteen hot springs are still active in Colorado, the largest being Pagosa Springs.
Colorado’s vegetation is divided into five zones: plains, foothills, montane, subalpine, and alpine. Arid regions contain a variety of cacti while berry shrubs, lichens, lilies, and orchids dominate the foothills.