Cascade Range is a chain of mountains that extends between Lassen Peak in northern California and the Fraser River in southern British Columbia. The range is about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) long. The range lies approximately 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 kilometers) inland from the Pacific Coast.
The most famous mountains in the Cascades are volcanoes. Two of them erupted in the 1900’s. Mount St. Helens, in Washington, erupted frequently between 1980 and 1986. Lassen Peak, in California, last erupted in 1917. Volcanoes also make up the highest peaks in the range. The two highest peaks are Mount Rainier (14,410 feet or 4,392 meters), in west-central Washington; and Mount Shasta (14,162 feet or 4,317 meters), in northern California. These peaks are also among the highest in the United States. The Cascades began forming about 240 million years ago and have been further uplifted within the past 63 million years.
Rainfall is heavy in the Cascade Range. Some parts of the western slope average more than 100 inches (250 centimeters) of precipitation a year. Streams have cut deep valleys, which are covered with heavy fir and pine forests. The gorge of the Columbia River, which in places measures over 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) deep, cuts through the Cascades on the border of Washington and Oregon. The range takes its name from the spectacular cascades occurring along the gorge. Several long railroad tunnels have been built through the mountains.
