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Columbia Mountains is a group of 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...
s located in British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, and partially in Montana
Montana

Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
, Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
. The mountain range covers 135,952 kmē (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench
Rocky Mountain Trench

The Rocky Mountain Trench, also called "the valley of a thousand peaks", is a physiographic feature extending approximately 1600 km from Flathead Lake, Montana, to the Liard River, just south of the British Columbia?Yukon border near Watson Lake, Yukon....
 on the east, and the Kootenai River on the south; their western boundary is the edge of the Interior Plateau
Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo Mountains and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west....
. Seventy-five percent of the range is located in Canada and the remaining twenty-five percent in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
; American geographic classifications place the Columbia Mountains as part of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometre from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States....
 complex but this designation does not apply in Canada (despite a British Columbia government tourism campaign to rebrand their southern portion as the "Kootenay Rockies").






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Columbia Mountains is a group of 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...
s located in British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, and partially in Montana
Montana

Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
, Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
. The mountain range covers 135,952 kmē (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench
Rocky Mountain Trench

The Rocky Mountain Trench, also called "the valley of a thousand peaks", is a physiographic feature extending approximately 1600 km from Flathead Lake, Montana, to the Liard River, just south of the British Columbia?Yukon border near Watson Lake, Yukon....
 on the east, and the Kootenai River on the south; their western boundary is the edge of the Interior Plateau
Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo Mountains and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west....
. Seventy-five percent of the range is located in Canada and the remaining twenty-five percent in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
; American geographic classifications place the Columbia Mountains as part of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometre from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States....
 complex but this designation does not apply in Canada (despite a British Columbia government tourism campaign to rebrand their southern portion as the "Kootenay Rockies"). Mount Sir Sandford
Mount Sir Sandford

Mount Sir Sandford is the highest mountain of the Sir Sandford Range which in turn form part of the Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada....
 is the tallest mountain in the range reaching .

Mountain Ranges

The Columbia Mountains are made up of four large ranges:

  • Cariboo Mountains
    Cariboo Mountains

    The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirk Mountains, Monashee Mountains and Purcell Mountains....
    • Lunn Icefield
    • Mowdish Range
      Mowdish Range

      The Mowdish Range is a mountain range in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 303 km2 and is a subrange of the Cariboo Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains....
    • Premier Range
      Premier Range

      The Premier Range is a group of mountains within the Cariboo Mountains of east-central British Columbia, Canada. The range is bounded by the Rausch River and the North Thompson River on the south and west and the Fraser River and its tributaries to the east and north....
    • Vimy Ridge
      Vimy Ridge (British Columbia)

      The Vimy Ridge is a mountain ridge in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 8 km2 and is a subrange of the Cariboo Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains....
    • Wavy Range
      Wavy Range

      The Wavy Range is a small mountain range east of Murtle Lake in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 102 km2 and is a subrange of the Cariboo Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains....
  • Monashee Mountains
    Monashee Mountains

    The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada covering the areas of British Columbia and Washington and extending from north to south and from east to west....
    • Anstey Range
      Anstey Range

      The Anstey Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located east of the Seymour Arm of Shuswap Lake, south of Ratchford Creek and between the Perry River on the east....
    • Christina Range
      Christina Range

      The Christina Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located roughly north of Grand Forks, between Lower Arrow Lake and the Granby River....
    • Gold Range
      Gold Range

      The Gold Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains in the southern British Columbia Interior....
    • Jordan Range
      Jordan Range

      The Jordan Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located northwest of Revelstoke, British Columbia, between the Jordan River , Perry River and Eagle River ....
    • Kettle River Range
      Kettle River Range

      The Kettle River Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 4345 km2 and is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains....
    • Malton Range
      Malton Range

      The Malton Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of the Canoe Reach of Kinbasket Lake and east of the Albreda River, north of Dominion Mountain....
    • Midway Range
      Midway Range

      The Midway Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains, located between Kettle River and Grandby Rivers in British Columbia, Canada....
    • Ratchford Range
      Ratchford Range

      The Ratchford Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, located east of the Seymour River in British Columbia, Canada....
    • Rossland Range
      Rossland Range

      The Rossland Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, located between Columbia River and Big Sheep Creek in British Columbia, Canada....
    • Scrip Range
      Scrip Range

      The Scrip Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, located on the west side of Lake Revelstoke and north of Hoskins Creek in British Columbia, Canada....
    • Whatshan Range
      • The Pinnacles
  • Selkirk Mountains
    Selkirk Mountains

    The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia....
    • Asulkan Range
    • Battle Range
    • Big Bend Ranges
      • Adamant Range
      • Sir Sandford Range
      • Windy Range
    • Bishops Range
    • Bonnington Range
    • Clachnacudainn Range
    • Dawson Range
    • Duncan Ranges
      • Badshot Range
    • Goat Range
    • Hermit Range
    • Kokanee Range
      • Slocan Ranges
    • Lardeau Range
    • Nelson Range
    • Purity Range
    • Sir Donald Range
    • Valhalla Ranges
      • Ruby Range
    • Valkyr Range
      • Norns Range
  • Purcell Mountains
    Purcell Mountains

    The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in British Columbia. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk Mountains and the Monashee Mountains....
     (Percell Mountains in the United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    )
    • Carbonate Range
    • Dogtooth Range
    • Farnham Group
    • MacBeth Group
    • McGillivary Range
    • Moyie Range
    • Septet Range
    • Spillimacheen Range
    • Starbird Ridge
      • Commander Group
    • Stockdale Group
    • Toby Glacier
    • Truce Group
    • Yahk Range


Additionally lower areas to the west of the main ranges are sometimes included in the description of the Cariboo Mountains:
  • Quesnel Highland
    Quesnel Highland

    The Quesnel Highland is a geographic area in the British Columbia Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. As defined by BC government geographer in Landforms of British Columbia, an account and analysis of British Columbia geography that is often cited as authoritative....
    • Gosse Range
    • Palmer Range
    • Goose Range
    • Palmer Range
  • Shuswap Highland
    Shuswap Highland

    The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area in British Columbia, Canada. It spans the upland area between the Bonaparte Plateau and Thompson Plateaus from the area of Mahood Lake, at the southeast corner of the Cariboo Plateau, southeast towards the lower Shuswap River east of Vernon, British Columbia in the Okanagan....
    • Hunters Range
    • Mabel Range
    • Park Range
    • Sawtooth Range
    • Seymour Range
    • Shuswap Range
    • Silver Hills
    • Trinity Hills
  • Okanagan Highland
    Okanagan Highland

    The Okanagan Highland is a plateau-like hilly area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington . It lies between the Okanagan on its west and the Kettle River on its east, and geologically is more or less an extension of the Thompson Plateau, which lies west of the Okanagan....
    • Beaverdell Range
      Beaverdell Range

      The Beaverdell Range is a subrange of the Okanagan Highland in the British Columbia Interior, located between the West Kettle River and Kettle Rivers, and running nearly due south from Big White Mountain, which is its highest summit, and the highest in the Okanagan Highland, and lies near the head of the Kettle....


Some classification systems end the Columbia Mountains at the North Thompson River
Thompson River

The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River in the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson....
, such that the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirk Mountains, Monashee Mountains and Purcell Mountains....
 are assigned to the Interior Plateau
Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo Mountains and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west....
. Where the Columbia Mountains meet the Interior Plateau
Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo Mountains and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west....
 there are intermediary areas known as highlands - the Quesnel Highland (west flank of the Cariboos
Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirk Mountains, Monashee Mountains and Purcell Mountains....
), the Shuswap Highland (south of the Cariboos
Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirk Mountains, Monashee Mountains and Purcell Mountains....
 and west of the northern Monashees
Monashee Mountains

The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada covering the areas of British Columbia and Washington and extending from north to south and from east to west....
, and the Okanagan Highland (west of the southern Monashees
Monashee Mountains

The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada covering the areas of British Columbia and Washington and extending from north to south and from east to west....
. These are listed here but are often considered to be part of the Interior Plateau
Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo Mountains and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west....
.

Some geographic classifications also include the Cabinet Mountains
Cabinet Mountains

The Cabinet Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in northwest Montana and the Idaho Panhandle, in the United States. The mountains cover an area of 2,134 square miles ....
 and Salish Mountains
Salish Mountains

The Salish Mountains are located in the northwest corner of the U.S. State of Montana....
, which lie south of the Purcells between the Kootenai River and the Clark Fork of the Columbia, but in US classification systems they are generally considered to be part of the Rocky Mountains.

Physiographically, they are a distinct province of the larger Rocky Mountain System
Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometre from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States....
 physiographic division.

Mountains

The following mountains are the 10 tallest mountains (in order) contained within the Columbian Mountains:

  • Mount Sir Sandford
    Mount Sir Sandford

    Mount Sir Sandford is the highest mountain of the Sir Sandford Range which in turn form part of the Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada....
     (3,519 m) (Selkirks)
  • Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier
    Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier

    Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a mountain located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada....
     (3,516 m) (Cariboos)
  • Mount Farnham (3,493 m) (Purcells)
  • Mount Jumbo (3,437 m) (Purcells)
  • Howser Spire (3,412 m) (Purcells)
  • Mount Delphine (3,406 m) (Purcells)
  • Mount Sir John Abbott
    Mount Sir John Abbott

    Mount Sir John Abbott is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada....
     (3,398 m) (Cariboos)
  • Mount Hammond (3,387 m) (Purcells)
  • Mount Dawson
    Mount Dawson

    Mount Dawson is a sharp, pyramidal mountain located 4 km northwest of Mount Reimer in the Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains. Discovered by the Marie Byrd Land Traverse Party, 1957-58, and named after Major Merle R....
     (3,377 m) (Selkirks)
  • Eyebrow Peak (3,362 m) (Purcells)


Passes

The following passes are located within or on the perimeter of the Columbia Mountains:

  • Cedarside Pass (Fraser and Columbia Rivers 800m)
  • Canal Flats (Columbia and Kootenay Rivers)
  • Rogers Pass
    Rogers Pass

    Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway....
     (between Revelstoke and Golden)
  • Kootenay Pass
    Kootenay Pass

    Kootenay Pass, known locally as "the Salmo-Creston" is a mountain pass in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is utilized by the Crowsnest Highway to transverse the Selkirks, connecting the communities of Salmo, British Columbia and Creston, British Columbia....
     (between Trail and Creston)
  • Eagle Pass (between Revelstoke and Sicamous)
  • Monashee Pass
    Monashee Pass

    Monashee Pass 1205 m is a mountain pass in the Monashee Mountains of the British Columbia Interior. Located southeast of Cherryville, British Columbia and is used by British Columbia provincial highway 6 connecting Vernon, British Columbia to Nakusp, British Columbia on Arrow Lake, and beyond to the cities of the West Kootenay....
     (BC Hwy 6)
  • Bonanza Pass
    Bonanza Pass

    Bonanza Pass, also known as the Blueberry-Paulson, is mountain pass in the Monashee Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is utilized by the Crowsnest Highway to traverse the Monashees, and informally separates the Kootenays to the east from the Boundary Country to the west....
     (Christina Lake to Castlegar/Rossland)


Sources