Coast Ranges

Coast Ranges, discontinuous mountain system of western North America, extending along the Pacific coast from southern Alaska to Baja California, north-western Mexico. The mountain chain includes geologically dissimilar sections, which are nevertheless grouped together as a system because of their geographical location.

The northernmost part of the Coast Ranges encompasses the mountains of Kodiak Island and the Kenai Mountains and Chugach Mountains—all in southern Alaska—and the St Elias Mountains of south-eastern Alaska and south-western Yukon Territory, Canada. The Coast Ranges then extend as partially submerged mountains through the Alexander Archipelago of south-eastern Alaska and the Queen Charlotte Islands and Vancouver Island of western British Columbia, Canada (the Coast Mountains of mainland British Columbia are usually considered a separate system). After being submerged again by the Pacific Ocean, the system reappears as the Olympic Mountains of western Washington State. It then continues as the Coast Ranges of western Washington and western Oregon. The portion in south-western Oregon and north-western California is known as the Klamath Mountains. They merge into the Coast Ranges of western California, made up of the Diablo Range, Santa Lucia Range, San Rafael Mountains, and several other ridges. To the south are the Los Angeles, or Transverse, Ranges, which include the San Bernardino, San Gabriel, San Jacinto, and Santa Monica mountains. The section in Baja California is made up of the Peninsular Ranges.

The loftiest elevations of the Coast Ranges are in the north, especially in the St Elias Mountains, which include Mount Logan (5,951 m/19,524 ft), the second highest peak in North America, and Mount St Elias (5,489 m/18,008 ft). Other notable elevations in the Coast Ranges include San Gorgonio Mountain (3,506 m/11,502 ft) and Mount Pinos (2,692 m/8,831 ft), in south-western California.

The Coast Ranges have a wide variety of climate and vegetation. Sections in southern California and Mexico receive little precipitation and have few stands of large trees. Well-watered regions in northern California, Oregon, and Washington and on Vancouver Island, however, contain dense softwood forests, where timber production is an important economic activity. Farming is pursued in some mountain valleys throughout the region.