The Garibaldi Ranges are the next-to-southwesternmost subdivision of the
Pacific Ranges
, photo = Mount Garibaldi (50997016501).jpg
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, photo_caption = Mount Garibaldi massif as seen from Squamish
, map =
, map_image = South BC-NW USA-relief PacificRanges.png
, ...
of the
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains (french: La chaîne Côtière) are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Colum ...
; only the
North Shore Mountains
The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city.
The steep southern slopes of the No ...
are farther southwest. They lie between the valley formed by the pass between the
Cheakamus River and Green River on the west (the location of the
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Whistler ( Lillooet/Ucwalmícwts: Cwitima, ; Squamish/Sḵwx̱wú7mesh: Sḵwiḵw, ) is a resort municipality in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mount ...
) and the valley of the
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of W ...
on the east, and extend south into
Maple Ridge, an eastern suburb of
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
, and the northern
District of Mission. To their south are the
North Shore Mountains
The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city.
The steep southern slopes of the No ...
overlooking
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
while to their southeast are the
Douglas Ranges.
They take their name indirectly from
Mount Garibaldi
Mount Garibaldi (known as Nch'kaý to the indigenous Squamish people) is a dormant stratovolcano in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has a maximum elevation of and rises above the surro ...
on the western side of the range, which is the namesake of
Garibaldi Provincial Park. Their southern end between the upper
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region.
Blocked since the 1920s ...
and
Pitt Lake
Pitt Lake is the second-largest lake in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. About in area, it is about long and about wide at its widest. It is one of the world's relatively few tidal lakes, and among the largest. In Pitt Lake, there is ...
is north of the municipality of
Maple Ridge, and forms
Golden Ears Provincial Park (which was originally part of
Garibaldi Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park, also called Garibaldi Park, is a wilderness park located on the coastal mainland of British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacifi ...
).
Their most famous
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
,
The Black Tusk
The Black Tusk is a stratovolcano and a pinnacle of volcanic rock in Garibaldi Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. At above sea level, the upper spire is visible from a great distance in all directions. It is particularly noticeable fr ...
, is not among the highest in the range; it is a
volcanic plug
A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged m ...
on the meadow-ridge between Garibaldi and Cheakamus Lakes, just south of the resort of
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler ( Lillooet/Ucwalmícwts: Cwitima, ; Squamish/Sḵwx̱wú7mesh: Sḵwiḵw, ) is a resort municipality in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mo ...
. The highest peak in the range is just north of the resort,
Wedge Mountain 2892 m (9488 ft) a.k.a. Wedgemont and "The Wedge".
The northern part of the range, consisting mostly of
Garibaldi Provincial Park, is extremely alpine in character, with large icefields and a sea of high peaks. The southern part of the range, north of
Stave Lake
Stave Lake is a lake and reservoir for the production of hydroelectricity in the Stave River system, located on the northern edge of the District of Mission, about east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The main arm of the lake is about ...
and between the upper
Pitt River
The Pitt River in British Columbia, Canada is a large tributary of the Fraser River, entering it a few miles upstream from New Westminster and about 25 km ESE of Downtown Vancouver. The river, which begins in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coa ...
and the lower
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of W ...
, has no major icefields because of the precipitous character of the network of plunging U-shaped valleys - many well over 5000' deep, with individual peaks with near-vertical flanks up to 7000'. At the core of this set of ridges decorated with sharp, spiny peaks, is the highest -
Mount Judge Howay 2262 m (7421 ft). The southernmost major peaks of the Garibaldi Ranges are in
Golden Ears Provincial Park just north of Haney (downtown
Maple Ridge), whose cluster of sugarloafs resemble a donkey's ears and, on the day of naming, were gleaming in the sunset; the highest of these is
Golden Ears at 1716 m (5630 ft).
Sub-ranges
*
Garibaldi Névé
The Garibaldi Névé is a snowfield in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, located on the north and east sides of Mount Garibaldi in New Westminster Land District. The névé along with its outlet g ...
*
Fitzsimmons Range
**
Musical Bumps
*
McBride Range
*
Spearhead Range
*
Golden Ears
*
Misty Icefield
*
Bastion Range
The Bastion Range is a small mountain range at the northeastern corner of Garibaldi Provincial Park in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada
Canada is a country in ...
References
External links
Garibaldi Rangesin the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia
{{Pacific Ranges
Mountain ranges of British Columbia
Pacific Ranges
Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Landforms of Lower Mainland
Giuseppe Garibaldi