The Skagit Range ( ) is a
subrange of the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
in southwestern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
and northwestern
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, which are known in Canada as the Canadian Cascades or, officially, the Cascade Mountains. The Skagit Range lies to the west of the
Skagit River
The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000& ...
and east and north of the
Chilliwack River
Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdoo ...
and flanks the
Upper Fraser Valley region of British Columbia's
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05million people as of the 2021 Cana ...
.
Of the three subranges of the Canadian Cascades—the Skagit,
Hozameen, and
Okanagan
The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is par ...
ranges—the Skagit is the most mountainous. It continues north to the
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual ...
, sometimes using different local names. The Hope Mountains, and the "Anderson River Group" are separated from the main Skagit Range by distinct natural boundaries, but are otherwise similar in character.
[
]
Geography
According to Fred Beckey
Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as Fred Beckey, was an American rock climber, mountaineer and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of first ascents of the tallest peaks and best ro ...
there are differences of opinion about the names and locations of the subranges of the northern Cascades, especially between Canadian and American geographers. Nevertheless, early geologists and topographers had a fundamental agreement about the location and names of the subranges. The Skagit Range was seen as the mountainous area from the Skagit River northwest to the Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual ...
. More recent Canadian maps show the Skagit Range as bounded to the west by the Sumallo- Nicolum valley and extending north along the east side of the Coquihalla River
The Coquihalla River (originally or more recently and popularly ) is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Cascade Mountains of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates in the Coquihalla Lakes and empties into the Fraser River ...
.
BCGNIS
The BC Geographical Names (formerly BC Geographical Names Information System or BCGNIS) is a geographic name web service and database for the Canadian province of British Columbia run by the Base Mapping and Geomatic Services Branch of the Integr ...
defines the Skagit Range simply as "west of the Skagit River, extends into the U.S.A." The USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
defines the range in its GNIS
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...
database with a single point, , north of Granite Mountain where Mount Chardonnay
Mount Chardonnay is a prominent mountain summit located in the Skagit Range, which is a subset of the North Cascades in Whatcom County of Washington state. It is situated north of Granite Mountain and east of Goat Mountain in the Mount Bak ...
is situated. Peakbagger.com defines the Skagit Range as a large and not entirely mountainous region bounded by the Fraser River to the north, the Skagit River to the south and east, the Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia (french: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada and the extreme northwestern mainland coast ...
to the west, and the Nicolum River
The Nicolum River, formerly Nicolum Creek, is a tributary of the Coquihalla River, rising in the Cascade Mountains and flowing northwest to join that stream near the town of Hope, British Columbia, Canada. Nicolum River Provincial Park is locate ...
and Sumallo River on the northeast. This definition includes a sizable area of non-mountainous areas, especially along the lower Fraser River and near the coast.
Subranges include the Cheam Range, also known as the Four Brothers, and the Picket Range
The Picket Range is a small, extremely rugged subrange of the North Cascades in the northwestern part of the American state of Washington. It is entirely contained within North Cascades National Park. It is about long, running northwest–sout ...
.
Peaks/Summits
Notable summits include Hope Mountain
Hope Mountain, commonly called Mount Hope, is a prominent mountain overlooking the town of Hope, British Columbia, Canada from the south. It is the northernmost summit of the Skagit Range of the Cascade Mountains and stands above the confluence o ...
, Mount Barr
Mount Barr is a mountain in the Skagit Range of the Cascade Mountains of southern British Columbia, Canada, located on the northeast side of Wahleach Lake and just southwest of Hope. It is a ridge highpoint with an elevation of .
Mount Barr is ...
, Cheam Peak, Slesse Mountain
Slesse Mountain, usually referred to as Mount Slesse, is a mountain just north of the US- Canada border, in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, near the town of Chilliwack. It is notable for its large, steep local relief. For example, its ...
, Mount Rexford
Mount Rexford is a prominent mountain summit located in the Cascade Mountains of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is situated north of the Canada–United States border, west of Chilliwack Lake, and east of Slesse Mountain, which is ...
, Mount Larrabee
Mount Larrabee is a Skagit Range mountain summit situated 1.4 mile south of the Canada–United States border, in the North Cascades of Washington (state), Washington state. It is located immediately southeast of American Border Peak within the ...
, and the American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
- Canadian Border Peaks.
See also
*Mount Baker
Mount Baker ( Lummi: '; nok, Kw’eq Smaenit or '), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington in the United States. ...
*List of mountain ranges
This is a list of mountain ranges on Earth and a few other astronomical bodies. First, the highest and longest mountain ranges on Earth are listed, followed by more comprehensive alphabetical lists organized by continent. Ranges in the oceans an ...
* List of mountain ranges in Washington
References
External links
Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia entry
Mountain ranges of British Columbia
Mountain ranges of Washington (state)
Mountains of the Lower Mainland
Landforms of Whatcom County, Washington
Canadian Cascades
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