Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The ultra-prominent 14,107-foot fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, 12 miles west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou Springs lies at its base. The mountain is named in honor of American explorer Zebulon Pike, even though he was unable to reach the summit. The summit is higher than any point in the United States east of its longitude.