The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

, in the

Pacific Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although the ...

physiographic region Physiographic regions of the world are a means of defining Earth's landforms into distinct regions, based upon the classic three-tiered approach by Nevin M. Fenneman in 1916, that separates landforms into physiographic divisions, physiographic pr ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

along the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. This north-south running range extends over from the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

in the north on the border of Oregon and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, south to the middle fork of the Coquille River. It is wide and averages around in elevation above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. The coast range has three main sections, a Northern, Central, and Southern. The oldest portions of the range are over 60 million years old, with volcanics and a

forearc basin Forearc is a plate tectonic term referring to a region between an oceanic trench, also known as a subduction zone, and the associated volcanic arc. Forearc regions are present along a convergent margins and eponymously form 'in front of' the vol ...

as the primary mountain building processes responsible for the range. It is part of the larger grouping known as the Pacific Coast Ranges that extends over much of the western edge of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

from California to Alaska. The range creates a

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...

effect for the

Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, ...

that lies to the east of the mountains, creating a more stable climate and significantly less rain than the coastal region of the state. To the west where the range over-shadows the

Oregon Coast The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately from the California state border in the south to the Columbia ...

, the range causes more precipitation to fall on that side of the mountains, contributing to the numerous rivers that flow to the Pacific Ocean. Marys Peak in the Central Coast Range is the highest peak at 4,097 feet (1,248 m). Logging is a major industry in the range in both private and government owned forests. Both the state and federal government manage forests in the Oregon Coast Range. The mountains are home to a variety of wildlife including black bear, elk, deer, beaver, many species of birds, and bats among others. Fish, including salmon and trout, and other aquatic life inhabit the streams and rivers flowing through the range.

Geology

Volcanic activity approximately 66 million years ago in the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

Period created offshore

islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

beginning in the southern portion of the current range.Orr, Elizabeth and William Orr, and Ewart Baldwin. Geology of Oregon. Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1992, 4th edition. These Roseburg volcanics were followed by the

Siletz River Volcanics The Siletz River Volcanics, located in the Oregon Coast Range, United States, are a sequence of basaltic pillow lavas that make up part of Siletzia.basalt flows from the

Columbia River basalts The Columbia River Basalt Group is the youngest, smallest and one of the best-preserved continental flood basalt province on Earth, covering over mainly eastern Oregon and Washington, western Idaho, and part of northern Nevada. The basalt grou ...

also added to these formations with some smaller flows in-between. Much of the formations are the result of

pillow basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...

formations created when a hot basalt flow rapidly cooled upon meeting the salt water of the ocean. These deposits offshore were then pushed into the continental plate as a

rotating slowly over millions of years. This tectonic collision forced the basalt formations (and newer sedimentary rock formations that include marine terrace deposits) upward and created the coastal range. Additional basalt flows originated from

Eastern Oregon Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity; thus, the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost ...

and added to the layers that were uplifted, as the newer

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

had not yet been formed. By the

Early Oligocene The Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two ages or the lower of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between . It is preceded by the Priabonian Stage (part of the Eocene) and is followed by the Chatti ...

period c. 30 million years ago the current coastline was in place and erosion has continued to shape the range. primarily through rivers cutting deep valleys through the

igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...

and sedimentary rocks. The geologic boundaries of the coast range formation extend from southwest Washington state in the north to around the Coquille River in the south where the older and taller

Klamath Mountains The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast R ...

begin. In the east the mountains begin as foothills forming the western edge of the

and continue west to the coastline and beyond where the basalt formation tapers off into the continental shelf and ends at the continental slope with several banks and basins off shore. Physiographically, they are a section of the larger Pacific Border province, which in turn are part of the larger

Pacific Mountain System The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although th ...

physiographic division.

Climate

A mild maritime climate prevails throughout the range with temperature and precipitation varying due to elevation and distance from the coastline. Characteristics of the

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

include cool dry summers followed by mild and wet winters. The majority of precipitation accumulates in the form of

rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

, with snow during the winter months at the higher elevations, but no permanent

snow pack Snowpack forms from layers of snow that accumulate in geographic regions and high elevations where the climate includes cold weather for extended periods during the year. Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as th ...

. Annual precipitation differs from in some parts to up to , with the higher amounts coming in the higher elevations. The average high temperature in January is , and the average high in July is with temperatures also varying by elevation. The further inland and the more southerly portions have a more Mediterranean climate that is more similar to the climate of the Willamette Valley. The Coast Range creates a

effect by forcing moisture laden clouds to rise by expelling moisture. This shields the Willamette Valley and causes a less maritime climate with hotter summers and less precipitation than the Oregon Coast.

Sections

The Oregon Coast Range is divided into three separate sections: North, Central, and South. In the south is the oldest portion of the range with formation beginning in the Paleocene era with the Roseburg volcanics, while the newest section is the northernmost portion formed first with the Siletz River Volcanics. The Central and Northern sections contain more sedimentary rocks from the mud, silt, sand, and other volcanic debris than the lower Southern section. Also, the Oregon Coast Range is home to over 50 mammal species, over 100 species of birds, and nearly 30 reptile or amphibian species that spent significant portions of their life cycle in the mountains.Northwest Forest Plan: Wildlife Habitat Relationships for the Coast Guide

North

Located in the northwest portion of

this section of the range has peaks as high as for

Rogers Peak Rogers Peak is the highest mountain in Tillamook County, Oregon. Located in the Tillamook State Forest, the peak is also the highest peak in the Northern Oregon Coast Range, which is the northern section of the Oregon Coast Range The Oregon ...

. Forests here are considered to be some of the most productive timber land in the world.Oregon State University: Northern Coast Range Adaptive Management Area; Chapter 2: Physical and Biological Environment
/ref> Trees include primarily Sitka spruce,

western redcedar ''Thuja plicata'' is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to western North America. Its common name is western redcedar (western red cedar in the UK), and it is also called Pacific redcedar, giant arborvitae, w ...

Douglas-fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

, and

western hemlock ''Tsuga heterophylla'', the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma ...

.Tree Dictionary: From the Forest to the Sea: A Story of Fallen Trees
/ref> Other plants include huckleberry, salmonberry, salal, vine maple,

Oregon grape ''Mahonia aquifolium'', the Oregon grape or holly-leaved barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to western North America. It is an evergreen shrub growing tall and wide, with pinnate leaves consisting of sp ...

, bracken fern, and thimble-berry among others.Biotic Aspection in the Coast Range Mountains of Northwestern Oregon, Ecological Monographs, Vol. 28, No. 1. (Jan., 1958), pp. 21–54. James A. Macnab. The northern boundary is the

, with some mountainous features on the north side of the river, and continues south for approximately to the Salmon River where

Oregon Route 18 Oregon Route 18 is a state highway that runs between the Oregon Coast, near Lincoln City, Oregon, Lincoln City, and Newberg, Oregon, Newberg. OR 18 traverses the Salmon River Highway No. 39 of the Oregon state highway system, named af ...

crosses the range from the Willamette Valley to the

with width roughly .

Central

Located between the Salmon River and the

Umpqua River The Umpqua River ( ) on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west ...

on the north and south, the Central range is bounded by the

on the east and the

to the west. This approximately long mountain range contains mountains as high as 4,097 feet (1,248 m) for Marys Peak. Portions of the range are inside the

Siuslaw National Forest The Siuslaw National Forest ( ) is a national forest in western Oregon in the United States. Established in 1908, the Siuslaw is made up of a wide variety of ecosystems, ranging from coastal forests to sand dunes. Geography The Siuslaw Nati ...

along with three designated wilderness areas: Drift Creek Wilderness,

Cummins Creek Wilderness The Cummins Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Siuslaw National Forest within the Oregon Coast. It is one of three wilderness areas created in the Siuslaw in 1984, along with Drift Creek and Rock Creek. It is ''"dedicated to preserv ...

and the

Rock Creek Wilderness The Rock Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area comprising within the Siuslaw National Forest on the Oregon Coast. It was created in 1984, along with the Drift Creek Wilderness and Cummins Creek Wilderness.

. Larger animals that live in these section include deer, elk, bobcat, and bear.Kerr, Andy. 1980. Last Stand for Oregon's Coast Range. Not Man Apart. Vol. 10, No. 1. January. 7.
Bear are

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

while deer are mule and

black-tailed deer Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer that occupy coastal woodlands in the Pacific Northwest of North America are subspecies of the mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus''). They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all r ...

species. Other mammals here are

mountain beaver The mountain beaver (''Aplodontia rufa'')Other names include mountain boomer, ground bear, giant mole, gehalis, lesser sasquatch, sewellel, suwellel, showhurll, showtl, and showte, as well as a number of Chinookan and other Native American terms ...

, beavers, coyote, mink, river otter, mountain lion, porcupines, skunks, and brush rabbit.

South

The southernmost section of the Coast Range is located in the southwest portion of Oregon between the middle fork of the Coquille River in the south and the

on the north. Oregon Route 38 is the general divide between the Central and Southern portions of the Coast Range. Approximately long, the section contains mountains as high as for Bone Mountain. On the south the Coquille River’s middle fork provides the general dividing line between the Central Range and the

to the south and east. Birds living in the Southern Coast Range include a variety of smaller and larger bird species. Species include peregrine falcons,

pileated woodpecker The pileated woodpecker (''Dryocopus pileatus'') is a large, mostly black woodpecker native to North America. An insectivore, it inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the ...

s, olive-sided flycatcher, and western bluebirds among others.Fish and Wildlife Service: Notice of intent, to conduct scoping meetings
/ref> The

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensat ...

northern spotted owl The northern spotted owl (''Strix occidentalis caurina'') is one of three spotted owl subspecies. A western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus '' Strix'', it is a medium-sized dark brown owl native to the Pacific Northwest. An ...

also inhabit the mountain forests.Spotted Owl Home Range and Habitat Use in Southern Oregon Coast Ranges
/ref> Animal life in the rivers, streams, and lakes include

lamprey Lampreys (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes , placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like s ...

, coastal cutthroat

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

dace A dace is a small fish that can be one of many different species. The unmodified name is usually a reference to the common dace (''Leuciscus leuciscus''). This, like most fish called "daces", belongs to the family Cyprinidae, mostly in subfamily ...

, Umpqua chub, frogs, salamander, turtles,

coho salmon The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientif ...

steelhead trout Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and ...

, and others.

Peaks

Five tallest peaks in the Oregon Coast Range: * Marys Peak, 4,101 feet *

, 3,706 feet *

Grass Mountain A grass mountain (german: Grasberg) in topography is a mountain covered with low vegetation, typically in the Alps and often steep-sided. The nature of such cover, which often grows particularly well on sedimentary rock, will reflect local condit ...

, 3,615 feet, * Laurel Mountain, 3,592 feet, * Bone Mountain, 3,547 feet

Rivers

The following rivers have their headwaters in the Oregon Coast Range: *Drains to

: **

Alsea River The Alsea River flows from Alsea, an unincorporated community in the coastal mountains of the U.S. state of Oregon, to the Pacific Ocean near the city of Waldport. It begins at the confluence of the North Fork Alsea River and the South Fork Als ...

Coos River The Coos River flows for about into Coos Bay along the Pacific coast of southwest Oregon in the United States. Formed by the confluence of its major tributaries, the South Fork Coos River and the Millicoma River, it drains an important timber-pro ...

** Coquille River **

D River The D River is a river in Lincoln City, Oregon, United States. The once-nameless river was at one time the "shortest river in the world" in the ''Guinness World Records'' at . World record dispute The world's shortest title was lost in 1989 whe ...

Kilchis River The Kilchis River is a stream, about long, near the coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous timbered region of about in the Northern Oregon Coast Range west of Portland. The maps include river mile (RM) markers f ...

** Little Nestucca River ** Miami River **

Necanicum River The Necanicum River is a river on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States, approximately long. It drains a timber-producing area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range northwest of Portland. It forms the first estuary south of t ...

Nehalem River The Nehalem River is a river on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Northern Oregon Coast Range northwest of Portland, originating on the east side of the mountains and flowing i ...

Nestucca River The Nestucca River flows for about through forests near the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a timber-producing area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range west of Portland. Rising in the mountains of western Yamhi ...

** Salmonberry River ** Salmon River **

Siletz River The Siletz River flows about to the Pacific Ocean through coastal mountains in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by the confluence of its north and south forks near Valsetz in Polk County, it winds through the Central Oregon Coast Range. The ri ...

** Siltcoos River **

Siuslaw River The Siuslaw River ( ) is a river, about long, that flows to the Pacific Ocean coast of Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of about in the Central Oregon Coast Range southwest of the Willamette Valley and north of the watershed of th ...

** Smith River **

Tillamook River The Tillamook River is a stream, about long, near the coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains an oceanside valley in the foothills of the Northern Oregon Coast Range west of Portland and empties into the Pacific Ocean via Till ...

Trask River The Trask River is in northwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous timber-producing area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range west of Portland into Tillamook Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It is one of five rivers—the Till ...

** Wilson River **

Yachats River The Yachats River ( ) is a short river on the central Oregon coast, about west-north-west of Eugene. The name is the native name meaning ''at the foot of the mountain''. The river begins about east-south-east of Yachats, Oregon, in steep, thi ...

Yaquina River The Yaquina River ( ) is a stream, long, on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains an area of the Central Oregon Coast Range west of the Willamette Valley near Newport. It rises in the mountains west of Corvallis along the c ...

*Drains to

: **

Clatskanie River The Clatskanie River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a timber-producing area in the foothills of the Northern Oregon Coast Range north-northwest of Portland. It ...

John Day River The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It is known as the Mah-Hah River by the Cayuse people, the original inhabitants of the region. Undammed along its entire ...

Klaskanine River The Klaskanine River is a tributary of the Youngs River, approximately long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a small section of the Northern Oregon Coast Range, Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state in the ...

Lewis and Clark River The Lewis and Clark River is a tributary of Youngs River, approximately long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains of the Northern Oregon Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state, entering Youngs River just above i ...

Skipanon River The Skipanon River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. It is the last tributary of the Columbia on the Oregon side, draining an area of coastal bottom land bord ...

Wallooskee River The Wallooskee River (also known as the Walluski River) is a tributary of the Youngs River, about long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a small area of the foothills of the Coast Range near the mouth of the Columbia River. Th ...

Youngs River Youngs can refer to: People: *Ben Youngs (b. 1989), English rugby union player *Elaine Youngs (b. 1970), American beach volleyball player *Jenny Owen Youngs (b. 1981), American singer-songwriter *Jim Youngs (b. 1956), American actor who appeared in ...

*Drains to

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

: **

Coast Fork Willamette River The Coast Fork Willamette River is one of two forks that unite to form the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It is about long, draining an area of the mountains at the south end of the Willamette Valley south of Eugene. Co ...

** Long Tom River **

Luckiamute River The Luckiamute River is a tributary of the Willamette River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of Central Oregon Coast Range and the western Willamette Valley northwest of Corvallis. It rises in the remote mo ...

** Marys River **

Tualatin River The Tualatin River is a tributary of the Willamette River in Oregon in the United States. The river is about long, and it drains a fertile farming region called the Tualatin Valley southwest and west of Portland at the northwest corner of the W ...

Yamhill River The Yamhill River is an tributary of the Willamette River, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by the confluence of the South Yamhill River and the North Yamhill River about east of McMinnville, it drains part of the Northern Oregon Coast Rang ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Mountain ranges of Oregon

Oregon Coast Range The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. This north-south ru ...

Physiographic sections Landforms of Benton County, Oregon Landforms of Tillamook County, Oregon Landforms of Washington County, Oregon Landforms of Yamhill County, Oregon Landforms of Clatsop County, Oregon Landforms of Polk County, Oregon Landforms of Douglas County, Oregon Landforms of Coos County, Oregon

Geology

Climate

Sections

North

Central

South

Peaks

Rivers

See also

References

External links