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The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long (400 mi) mountain range
Mountain range

A mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by mountain pass or valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different orogeny, for example volcanoes, uplifted mountains or Fold mountains...
 in the southcentral region of the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
's Yukon Territory in the southeast. The highest mountain in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley

Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska is the Extremes on Earth mountain peak in North America, at a height of approximately . It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve....
, is in the Alaska Range.

The range forms a generally east-west arc with its northernmost part in the center, and from there trending southwest towards the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula

The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about 800 km to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands....
 and the Aleutians
Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a volcanic arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi and extending about 1,200 mi westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward the Kamchatka Peninsula....
, and trending southeast into the Pacific Coast Ranges
Pacific Coast Ranges

The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the west coast of North America from Alaska south to northern and central Mexico....
.






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The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long (400 mi) mountain range
Mountain range

A mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by mountain pass or valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different orogeny, for example volcanoes, uplifted mountains or Fold mountains...
 in the southcentral region of the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
's Yukon Territory in the southeast. The highest mountain in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley

Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska is the Extremes on Earth mountain peak in North America, at a height of approximately . It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve....
, is in the Alaska Range.

The range forms a generally east-west arc with its northernmost part in the center, and from there trending southwest towards the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula

The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about 800 km to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands....
 and the Aleutians
Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a volcanic arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi and extending about 1,200 mi westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward the Kamchatka Peninsula....
, and trending southeast into the Pacific Coast Ranges
Pacific Coast Ranges

The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the west coast of North America from Alaska south to northern and central Mexico....
. The mountains act as a high barrier to the flow of moist air from the Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska

The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found....
 northwards, and thus has some of the harshest weather in the world. The heavy snowfall also contributes to a number of large glacier
Glacier

A glacier is a large, slow-moving mass of ice, formed from compacted layers of snow, that slowly deforms and flows in response to gravity and high pressure....
s, including the Canwell, Castner, Black Rapids, Susitna, Yanert, Muldrow, Eldridge, Ruth, Tokositna, and Kahiltna Glaciers. Four major rivers cross the Range, including the Delta River
Delta River

The Delta River is a tributary of the Tanana River, which in turn is a tributary of the Yukon River in Alaska in the United States.The river runs from the south to the north about 256 km , being fed by numerous streams and 21 lakes....
, and Nenana River
Nenana River

The Nenana River is a tributary of the Tanana River, approximately 150 mi long, in central Alaska in the United States. It drains an area on the north slope of the Alaska Range on the south edge of the Tanana Valley southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska....
 in the center of the range and the Nabesna and Chisana Rivers to the east. The range is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire
Pacific Ring of Fire

The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a 40,000 km horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements....
, and the Denali Fault that runs along the southern edge of the range is responsible for a number of earthquake
Earthquake

An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph....
s. However, there are no volcanoes in the range but several large granite plutons.

Parts of the range are protected within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a United States national park in southern Alaska. It was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act....
, Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior of Alaska Alaska and contains Mount McKinley , the tallest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 mi? ....
, and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States national park in southwestern Alaska....
. The George Parks Highway
George Parks Highway

The George Parks Highway , usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles from the Glenn Highway 35 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska in the Alaska Interior....
 from Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage is a consolidated city-Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,671 municipal residents in 2007 , it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population....
 to Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is a Devolution City in and the county seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, Alaska, United States.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Alaska Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage, Alaska....
, the Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway

The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction, Alaska and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks....
 from Valdez
Valdez, Alaska

Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020....
 to Fairbanks, and the Tok Cut-Off
Tok Cut-Off

The Tok Cut-Off is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 125 miles from Gakona Junction on the Richardson Highway, 14 miles north of Glennallen, Alaska, to Tok, Alaska on the Alaska Highway....
 from Gulkana Junction to Tok, Alaska
Tok, Alaska

Tok is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, Alaska, United States. The population was 1,393 at the United States Census, 2000....
 pass through low parts of the range. The Alaska Pipeline parallels the Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway

The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction, Alaska and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks....
.

The name "Alaskan Range" appears to have been first applied to these mountains in 1869 by naturalist W. H. Dall
W. H. Dall

William Healey Dall, , was a great United States natural history and a prominent Malacology. He described many mollusks of the Pacific Northwest of America....
. The name eventually became "Alaska Range" through local use. In 1849 Constantin Grewingk applied the name "T schigmit" to this mountain range. A map made by the General Land Office
General Land Office

The General Land Office was an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for Public domain lands in the United States....
 in 1869 calls the southwestern part of the Alaska Range the "Chigmit Mountains" and the northeastern part the "Beaver Mountains". However the Chigmit Mountains
Chigmit Mountains

The Chigmit Mountains are a subrange of the Aleutian Range in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska and Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska Boroughs of the U.S....
 are now considered part of the Aleutian Range
Aleutian Range

The Aleutian Range is a major mountain range of southwest Alaska, extending from Chakachamna Lake to Unimak Island, at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula....
.

Major peaks

Mountmckinley Ba
  • Mount McKinley
    Mount McKinley

    Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska is the Extremes on Earth mountain peak in North America, at a height of approximately . It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve....
     (6,194 m/20,320 ft)
  • Mount Foraker
    Mount Foraker

    Mount Foraker is a tall mountain in the central Alaska Range, in Denali National Park, southwest of Mount McKinley. It is the second highest peak in the Alaska Range, and the List of United States fourteeners in the United States....
     (5,304 m/17,400 ft)
  • Mount Hunter
    Mount Hunter (Alaska)

    Mount Hunter, or Begguya, is a mountain in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. It is approximately 8 miles south of Mount McKinley, or Denali, the highest peak in North America....
     (4,442 m/14,573 ft)
  • Mount Hayes
    Mount Hayes

    Mount Hayes is the highest mountain in the eastern Alaska Range. Despite not being a fourteener, it is one of the largest peaks in the United States in terms of rise above local terrain....
     (4,216 m/13,832 ft)
  • Mount Silverthrone
    Mount Silverthrone (Alaska)

    Mount Silverthrone is a massive glaciated mountain on the east side of Mount McKinley, Alaska, United States....
     (4,029 m/13,218 ft)
  • Mount Deborah
    Mount Deborah

    Mount Deborah is one of the major peaks of the eastern Alaska Range.Despite its low absolute elevation , it is a particularly large and steep peak in terms of its quick rise over local terrain....
     (3,761 m/12,339 ft)
  • Mount Huntington (3,730 m/12,240 ft)
  • Mount Russell
    Mount Russell (Alaska)

    Mount Russell is one of the major peaks of the central Alaska Range, approximately 35 mi southwest of Mount McKinley . Though much lower than McKinley or its neighbor Mount Foraker, Russell is a steep, dramatic peak and a significant mountaineering challenge in its own right....
     (3,557 m/11,670 ft)


Subranges (from west to east)

  • Neacola Mountains
    Neacola Mountains

    The Neacola Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Aleutian Range in Alaska. They are bordered on the southeast by the Chigmit Mountains, on the northeast by the Tordrillo Mountains, on the northwest by the southern tip of the Alaska Range, and on the west and southwest by the lakes and lowlands of Lake Clark National Park and Prese...
  • Revelation Mountains
    Revelation Mountains

    The Revelation Mountains are a small, rugged subrange of the Alaska Range in Alaska, United States. They mark the furthest western extent of the Alaska Range....
  • Teocalli Mountains
  • Kichatna Mountains
    Kichatna Mountains

    The Kichatna Mountains are a small mountain range in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska of the U.S. state of Alaska, approximately 70 miles southwest of Mount McKinley....
  • Central Alaska Range/Denali Massif
  • Eastern Alaska Range/Hayes
    Mount Hayes

    Mount Hayes is the highest mountain in the eastern Alaska Range. Despite not being a fourteener, it is one of the largest peaks in the United States in terms of rise above local terrain....
     Range
  • Delta Mountains
    Delta Mountains

    The Delta Mountains are a subrange of the Alaska Range, forming its western terminus. Their highest point is Mount Kimball , which measures . They are drained by the Delta River on the west and the Tanana River and Nebesna River rivers to the northeast....
  • Mentasta Mountains
    Mentasta Mountains

    The Mentasta Mountains in the eastern part of the US state of Alaska and form the eastern end of the Alaska Range.They lie south of the Alaska Highway, east of the Glenn Highway, north of the Wrangell Mountains, and west of the Nabesna River....
  • Nutzotin Mountains
    Nutzotin Mountains

    The Nutzotin Mountains are a mountain range in Alaska, United States and Yukon, Canada. It has an area of 829 km2 and is a subrange of the Alaska Range, of which they lie at the southeastern end....


Documented wilderness traverses of Alaska Range

  • Mentasta Lake to Kitchatna Mountains (1981): Scott Woolums, George Beilstein, Steve Eck, and Larry Coxen by skis: first traverse. 375 miles in 45 days.
  • Canada to Lake Clark (1996): Roman Dial, Carl Tobin, and Paul Adkins by mountain bike and packraft
    Packraft

    Packraft and trail boat are colloquial terms for a small, portable inflatable boat designed for use in large and/or natural bodies of water, including technical whitewater....
    : first full length traverse. 775 miles in 42 days.
  • Tok to Lake Clark (1996): Kevin Armstrong, Doug Woody, and Jeff Ottmers by snowshoe, foot, and packraft
    Packraft

    Packraft and trail boat are colloquial terms for a small, portable inflatable boat designed for use in large and/or natural bodies of water, including technical whitewater....
    : first foot traverse. 620 miles in 90 days.


Further reading

  • Churkin, M., Jr., and C. Carter. (1996). Stratigraphy, structure, and graptolites of an Ordovician and Silurian sequence in the Terra Cotta Mountains, Alaska Range, Alaska [U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1555]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.