Major Mountain Ranges of North America

1. Rocky Mountains

3,000+ miles from British Columbia to New Mexico. Subranges: Canadian Rockies, Colorado Rockies, Bighorns, Tetons. Highest: Mount Elbert (14,440 ft). Continental Divide runs along crest.

2. Appalachian Mountains

1,500+ miles from Newfoundland to Alabama. Ancient, eroded. Subranges: White Mountains, Green Mountains, Berkshires, Catskills, Blue Ridge, Great Smokies, Alleghenies. Highest: Mount Mitchell (6,684 ft).

3. Sierra Nevada

400-mile fault-block range in California. Granite batholith. Highest: Mount Whitney (14,505 ft) – highest in contiguous US. Includes Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon NPs.

4. Cascade Range

Volcanic arc from BC to N. California. Active volcanoes: Rainier, St. Helens, Hood, Shasta, Adams. Highest: Mount Rainier (14,411 ft).

5. Alaska Range

600-mile arc across S. Alaska. Denali (Mount McKinley) – 20,310 ft, highest in North America. Extreme glaciation.

6. Brooks Range

Northern Alaska, parallel to Arctic Circle. Rugged, remote. Gates of the Arctic NP. No roads cross it.

7. Coast Mountains

BC to Washington/Oregon. Fjords, massive icefields, temperate rainforests. Highest: Mount Waddington (13,186 ft).

8. Selkirk Mountains

Subrange of Columbia Mountains (BC/Idaho/Washington). High peaks, glaciers, alpine meadows. Part of Interior Wet Belt.

These ranges define climate zones, watersheds, biodiversity, and recreation across the continent.