Coast Ranges

Coast Ranges, series of mountain ranges along the Pacific coast of North America, extending from SE Alaska to Baja California; from 2,000 to 20,000 ft (610–6,100 m) high. The ranges include the St. Elias Mts. in SE Alaska and SW Yukon, which have the highest elevations; a partially submerged portion that forms the islands off the coast of SE Alaska and British Columbia; the Olympic Mts. in Washington; the Coast Ranges in Oregon; the Klamath Mts., Coast Ranges, and Los Angeles Ranges in California; and the Peninsular Range in Baja California. The Coast Ranges are rugged, geologically young mountains formed by faulting and folding and are composed mainly of granitic rock; the northern third is glaciated. N of San Francisco the ranges are humid and thickly forested; the southern parts are dry and covered with brush and grass. Lumbering, mining, and tourism are important.

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Coast Ranges

 or Pacific Coast Ranges

Series of ranges, along the Pacific coast of North America. They run from southern California through Oregon and into west-central Washington. The ranges' average elevation is about 3,300 ft (1,000 m) above sea level, but some peaks and ridges rise to more than 6,600 ft (2,000 m). Giant redwoods dominate the forests along the coasts of southern Oregon and northern California. The Coast Mountains of British Columbia are not a continuation of the U.S. Coast Ranges but of the Cascade Range.