The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along west coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico. The are also known as the Pacific Cordillera. The character of the ranges varies considerably, from the record-setting tidewater glaciers in the ranges of Alaska, to the low but rugged and scrub-covered hills of southern California, but the entire coast is consistent in dropping steeply into the sea, often resulting in photogenic views. Along the British Columbia and Alaska coast, the mountains intermix with the sea in a complex maze of fjords, with thousands of islands. The most general definition of a mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official language(s) English Area 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 571,951 mi² / 1,481... Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official language(s) English Area 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 571,951 mi² / 1,481... Scrub has a number of meanings: to rub a surface hard, especially with a brush; low lying vegetation. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Official language(s) English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th) • Land 925,186 km² • Water 19,549 km² (2. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official language(s) English Area 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 571,951 mi² / 1,481... Lysefjorden in Norway A fjord (pronounced FEE-ord or fyord, SAMPA: [fi:3:d] or [faI3:d]; sometimes written fiord) is a glacially overdeepened valley, usually narrow and steep-sided, extending below sea level and filled with salt water. ...

There are a handful of coastal plains at the mouths of rivers that have punched through the mountains, most notably at the Copper River in Alaska, the Fraser River in British Columbia, the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon, and the Sacramento River in California, the last creating San Francisco Bay. Copper River may refer to: The Copper River in Alaska in the United States. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official language(s) English Area 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 571,951 mi² / 1,481... The Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia, Canada, rising in the Rocky Mountains near Mount Robson and flowing for 1400 km (870 mi), into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Vancouver. ... Columbia River Gorge, Washington or North side The Columbia River is a river situated in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. ... A spring at the Sacramento River headwater The Sacramento River is the longest river in the state of California. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate The San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary in which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ...

From the vicinity of San Francisco Bay north, it is common for humid air masses from the Gulf of Alaska to make landfall in one of the Coast Ranges, resulting in heavy precipitation, both as rain and snow, especially on their western slopes. The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are to be found. ... Rain falling For other uses see Rain (disambiguation). ... A fresh snowfall in Colorados (USA) high forests. ...

Major Ranges

These are the members of the Pacific Coast Ranges, from north to south:

• Chugach Mountains, southern Alaska
• Wrangell Mountains, southern Alaska
• Saint Elias Mountains, southern Alaska, southwestern Yukon Territory
• Coast Mountains
  • Boundary Ranges, southeastern Alaska, northwestern British Columbia
  • Kitimat Ranges BC North Coast
  • Pacific Ranges BC South Coast
    • Rainbow Range northwest Chilcotin, also classifiable as part of the Interior Plateau
    • Pantheon Range Homathko area
    • Niut Range Homathko area
    • Waddington Range Homathko area
    • Whitemantle Range Homathko area
    • Bendor Range
    • Garibaldi Ranges
    • Clendinning Range
    • Tantalus Range
    • Chilcotin Ranges
      • Dickson Range
      • Shulaps Range
      • Camelsfoot Range
    • Lillooet Ranges, Fraser Canyon west bank
      • Cantilever Range
      • Cayoosh Range
    • Douglas Ranges
    • Front Ranges (North Shore Mountains)
• Vancouver Island Ranges, British Columbia
• Olympic Mountains, Washington
• Cascade Range, Washington and Oregon
• Calipoiea Mountains, Oregon
• Klamath Mountains, Oregon, northern California
• Trinity Alps and Salmon Mountains, California
• Mayacmas Mountains, California
• Marin Hills, California
• Diablo Range, California
• Santa Cruz Mountains, California
• Santa Lucia Range, California
• Temblor Range, California
• Caliente Range, California
• Transverse Ranges, California
  • Sierra Madre Mountains
  • San Rafael Mountains
  • Santa Ynez Mountains
  • Santa Susana Mountains
  • Topatopa Mountains
  • Simi Hills
  • Santa Monica Mountains
  • Tehachapi Mountains
  • San Gabriel Mountains
  • San Bernardino Mountains
• Peninsular Ranges
  • Santa Ana Mountains, California
  • San Jacinto Mountains, California
  • Palomar Mountain Range, California
  • Sierra Juarez, Baja California
  • Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California
  • Sierra de la Laguna, Baja California Sur
• Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico

The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official language(s) English Area 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 571,951 mi² / 1,481... Wrangell Mountains The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range in southeast Alaska in the United States and the southwest Yukon Territory in Canada. ... The Saint Elias Mountains is a mountain range located in southeastern Alaska (United States) and southwestern Yukon (Canada). ... Motto: none Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Jack Cable Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Area 482,443 km² (9th)  - Land 474,391 km²  - Water 8,052 km² (1. ... The Coast Mountains are the western range of the North American mainland cordillera, extending south from the Alaska Panhandle and covering most of coastal British Columbia. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official language(s) English Area 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 571,951 mi² / 1,481... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th) • Land 925,186 km² • Water 19,549 km² (2. ... The Pacific Ranges are the southernmost subdivision of the Coast Mountains portion of the Pacific Cordillera. ... The Lillooet Ranges are the southeasternmost subdivision of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Senators Patty Murray (D) Maria Cantwell (D) Official language(s) None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... Mount Adams in Washington The Cascade Range is a mountainous region famous for its chain of tall volcanoes called the High Cascades that run north-south along the west coast of North America from British Columbia to the Shasta Cascade area of northern California. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Senators Patty Murray (D) Maria Cantwell (D) Official language(s) None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Senators Ron Wyden (D) Gordon Smith (R) Official language(s) None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Senators Ron Wyden (D) Gordon Smith (R) Official language(s) None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... The Klamath Mountains are a mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon, the highest peaks being Thompson Peak (2744m / 9002) in Trinity County, California, and Mount Ashland (2296m / 7533) in Jackson County, Oregon. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Senators Ron Wyden (D) Gordon Smith (R) Official language(s) None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Official language(s) English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... The Trinity Alps near Granite Lake in July 2005 The Trinity Alps are mountains in Northern California. ... The Diablo Range is a large group of mountain chains and ranges in western California. ... The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California. ... The Santa Lucia Mountains or Santa Lucia Range is a mountain range in coastal California, running from Monterey southeast for 170 km to San Luis Obispo. ... Home to the highest peak in <a href=http://en. ... The Transverse ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. ... The San Rafael Mountains are a mountain range in central Santa Barbara County, California, USA. They are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, which are themselves part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America. ... The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California. ... Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are transverse range of mountains in southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. ... Simi Hills is a rocky mountain range on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, United States. ... Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States. ... Tehachapi Mountains The Tehachapi Mountains are a short transverse range in southern California in the United States, running SW-NE to connect the Coast Ranges on the west with the southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountains on the east. ... San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains are located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, USA. The mountain range forms a barrier between the Greater Los Angeles Area and the Mojave Desert. ... San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are short transverse mountain range northeast of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. ... The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges which stretch 900 miles from southern California to the southern tip of Baja California, part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. ... Santa Ana Mountains The Santa Ana Mountains are short peninsular mountain range along the coast of southern California in the United States. ... North slope of San Jacinto Peak San Jacinto Mountains The San Jacinto Mountains are short mountain range east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. ... The Sierra San Pedro Martir is a mountain chain that runs north-south along the northern part of Baja California in northwest Mexico. ... The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico and the extreme southwest of the United States, extending 1500 km from southeast Arizona (south and east of Tucson) southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins with the Sierra Madre Oriental and...

Major Icefields

These are not named as ranges, but amount to the same thing. The Pacific Coast Ranges are home to the largest temperate-latitude icefields in the world.

• Juneau Icefield
• Stikine Icecap
• Ha-Iltzuk Icefield (Silverthrone Glacier)
• Monarch Icefield
• Waddington Icefield
• Homathko Icefield
• Lillooet Icecap (Lillooet Crown)
• Pemberton Icecap

Only the largest icefields are listed above; smaller icefields may be listed on the various range pages. Formally unnamed icefields are not listed

External link

Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia entry on the Pacific Cordillera