The invention discloses a method for extracting surface peaks in DEM data. The method includes the steps that 1, contour lines are generated in a DEM with a linear interpolation method; 2, closed contour lines are screened from the contour lines, and the inclusion relation between the closed contour lines is solved; 3, a closed contour line tree is built according to the inclusion relation between the contour lines; 4, the DEM and the contour lines are combined to solve primarily-selected surface peaks; 5, control areas of the primarily-selected surface peaks are solved through the contour line tree; 6, the fake surface peaks are removed through the parameters of the control areas of the primarily-selected surface peaks, and the final surface peaks are obtained. According to the method, the primarily-selected surface peaks are extracted through the microscopic features and the contour lines of the DEM data, the accuracy of the spatial positions of the primarily-selected surface peaks is guaranteed, and missing of the surface peaks can be avoided; the control areas of the primarily-selected surface peaks are obtained through the contour line tree, the features of factors related to the terrain of the surface peaks are analyzed in the control areas, the primarily-selected surface peaks are further screened, the fake surface peaks are removed, the true surface peaks are obtained, and the final surface peaks are obtained.