The Jade Mountains are a small offshoot range of the larger Baird Mountain Range within the greater

Brooks Range The Brooks Range ( Gwich'in: ''Gwazhał'') is a mountain range in far northern North America stretching some from west to east across northern Alaska into Canada's Yukon Territory. Reaching a peak elevation of on Mount Isto, the range is belie ...

in Alaska. They extend 11 miles northwest to southeast, and are 4 miles wide. They run along the eastern border of

Kobuk Valley National Park Kobuk Valley National Park is an American national park in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska, located about north of the Arctic Circle. The park was designated in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to preserve the ...

, half inside and half out. They stand between Onion Portage within the park and the village of Ambler. The range is surrounded by forests of coniferous trees and tundra plants. Rivers and creeks flow through its valleys, supplying the surrounding ecosystem with fresh water. The mountains have historically been an important source of minerals to the Iñupiaq people. Pre-contact, jade was one of the strongest materials available and was used in the making of a number of necessary items, including tools, weaponry, knives, and beads. The mountains were first named by George Morse Stoney after his visit there in 1884. He likely named the mountains after the samples of jade he obtained for the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

during his visit.

References

{{authority control Mountain ranges of Alaska