Citadel Peaks
Citadel Peaks is a rugged mountain ridge in Glacier National Park, Montana, in the Livingston Range of the Rocky Mountains. It sits in the Goat Haunt area about four miles east of the Continental Divide. The ridge is an arête with sharp points and includes Citadel Spire, a prominent pinnacle first climbed in 1967 by Jerry and Jim Kanzler, Ray Martin, and Clare Pogreba.
Nearby peaks include Olson Mountain two miles to the north, Mount Cleveland four miles to the east, and Kootenai Peak 2.7 miles to the south. The highest point reaches 8,040 feet (2,450 meters), and the ridge rises more than 3,800 feet (1,200 meters) above Waterton Lake within two miles and about 3,000 feet (910 meters) above Lake Janet in one mile. Water from the mountain drains into the south end of Waterton Lake.
The name Citadel Peaks was officially adopted in 1929. The local Pikuni people call it Ataniawxis, meaning “The Needles.”
Climate is alpine subarctic, with long, very cold winters and cool to mild summers. Temperatures can drop below -10 °F, with wind chills under -30 °F.
Geologically, the peaks are made of sedimentary rock formed in shallow seas from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. They were uplifted starting about 170 million years ago when the Lewis Overthrust fault pushed a massive slab of ancient rock over younger rock.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:15 (CET).