Coast Ranges, series of mountain ranges along the Pacific coast of N. Amer. extending from SE Alaska to Baja California; from 2,000 ft/610 m–20,000 ft/6,100 m high. The ranges include the St. Elias Mts. in SE Alaska and SW Yukon, which have the highest elevations; a partially submerged portion that forms the isls. off the coast of SE Alaska and B.C.; the Olympic Mts. in Wash.; the Coast Ranges in Oregon; the Klamath Mts., Coast Ranges, and Los Angeles Ranges in Calif.; and the Peninsular Range in Baja Calif. The Coast Ranges are rugged, geologically young mts. formed by faulting and folding and are composed mainly of granitic rock; the N third is glaciated. N of San Francisco the ranges are humid and thickly forested; the S parts are dry and covered with brush and grass. Lumbering, mining, and tourism are important.
