The Northern Rocky Mountains, usually referred to as the Northern Rockies, are a subdivision of the Canadian Rockies comprising the northern half of the Canadian segment of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

. While their northward limit is easily defined as the Liard River, which is the northward terminus of the whole Rockies, the southward limit is debatable, although the area of Mount Ovington and

Monkman Pass Monkman Pass, in the Canadian Rockies, is southwest of Tumbler Ridge and northeast of Hansard. Found in the Hart Ranges, some consider this mountain pass as the southern limit of the informal grouping known as the Northern Rockies, although those ...

is mentioned in some sources, as south from there are the

Continental Ranges The Continental Ranges is a major grouping of mountain ranges in the Rocky Mountains located in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta. It is a physiographic designation for use by geologists and is not used by the general public; it is not ...

, which are the main spine of the Rockies forming the boundary between

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, ...

and

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

.''Landforms of British Columbia'', S. Holland, BC Govt, Bulletin 50, reprinted 1976. Some use the term to mean only the area north of the Peace Arm of the Williston Reservoir, and in reference to Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park, while others consider the term to extend all the way south, beyond the limit of the

Hart Ranges The Hart Ranges are a major subrange of the Canadian Rockies located in northeastern British Columbia and western Alberta. The mountains constitute the southernmost portion of the Northern Rocky Mountains. The Hart Ranges were named in honour o ...

at Mount Ovington, to include the McBride area, the Sir Alexander Group and

Mount Robson Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part ...

. The area south of the Williston Reservoir, the Hart Ranges, is much more accessible and better known, while north of Lake Williston the Northern Rockies are extremely remote and rarely visited or photographed. The Hart Ranges are traversed by B.C. Highway 97 (the John Hart Highway) and the Peace River extension of the former

BC Rail BC Rail is a railway in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Chartered as a private company in 1912 as the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE), it was acquired by the provincial government in 1918. In 1972 it was renamed to the British ...

line (now part of Canadian National Railways), which use the

Pine Pass The Pine Pass, in the Hart Ranges of the Northern Rockies of British Columbia, connects the Peace Country of the province's Northeastern Interior. Highway 97 and the Canadian National Railway (CNR) (formerly BC Rail network) traverse this mountai ...

, and also by the

Tumbler Ridge Tumbler Ridge is a district municipality in the foothills of the B.C. Rockies in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Peace River Regional District. With a population of 2,399 (2021) living in a townsite, the ...

spur line to the Sukunka River coalmines. The Alaska Highway traverses the northernmost part of the range via Stone Mountain and Muncho Lake Provincial Parks.

Subranges

Muskwa Ranges The Muskwa Ranges are a group of mountain ranges in northern British Columbia, Canada. They are part of the Northern Rockies section of the Rocky Mountains and are bounded on their west by the Rocky Mountain Trench and on their east by the R ...

(north of Williston Reservoir) *

(south of Williston Reservoir) **

Misinchinka Ranges Misinchinka Ranges, is the largest subdivision range of the Hart Ranges, of the Northern Rockies in British Columbia, Canada. The boundaries of the Misinchinka Ranges generally lie between the Rocky Mountain Trench to the west, Clearwater Cre ...

(From the Peace Arm of Williston Reservoir, south to the

) **

Murray Range Murray Range, is a subdivision range of the Hart Ranges, of the Northern Rockies in British Columbia, Canada. The majority of the range lies within the Pine-Lemoray Provincial Park and is noted for its snowmobiling, hiking and ski touring oppo ...

Pioneer Range The Pioneer Range, is a small subdivision range of the Hart Ranges, of the Northern Rockies in British Columbia, Canada. The boundaries of the Pioneer Range are generally the Murray River to the east, Monkman Glacier to the west, Imperial Creek ...

Solitude Range Solitude Range, is a subdivision range of the Hart Ranges, of the Northern Rockies in British Columbia, Canada. The boundaries of the Solitude Range generally lie between the Murray Range and Mountain Creek to the west, Le Moray Creek to the eas ...

Provincial parks

In addition to Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park, other parks in the Northern Rockies are: *North of Williston Reservoir: **

Muncho Lake Provincial Park Muncho Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the Alaska Highway as it transits the northernmost Canadian Rockies west of Fort Nelson. The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. It is ...

** Stone Mountain Provincial Park **

Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, 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 ...

*South of Williston Reservoir,: **

Monkman Provincial Park Monkman Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, southwest of Tumbler Ridge and northeast of Hansard. Like Monkman Pass, Monkman Lake, Monkman Creek and Monkman Falls, it was named after Alexander Monkman. History By the early ...

Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area is a 170,890 ha provincial park in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The park preserves the southernmost portion of the Hart Ranges and the northernmost portion of the Continental Ranges. The park als ...

(Depending on source) ** Close To The Edge Provincial Park and Protected Area ** Wapiti Lake Provincial Park **

Bijoux Falls Provincial Park Bijoux Falls Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park is located north of the city of Prince George on BC Highway 97 on the southern approach to the summit of the Pine Pass through the Rocky Mountains The ...

Mount Robson Provincial Park Mount Robson Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian Rockies with an area of 2,249 km². The park is located entirely within British Columbia, bordering Jasper National Park in Alberta. The B.C. legislature created the park in 19 ...

References

Ranges of the Canadian Rockies Mountain ranges of British Columbia Canadian Rockies {{BritishColumbiaInterior-geo-stub