Oregon Coast Range

The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a heavily forested mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Rangesphysiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. This north-south running range extends over 200 miles (320 km) from the Columbia River in the north on the border of Oregon and Washington, south to the middle fork of the Coquille River. It is 30 to 60 mi (48 to 97 km) wide and averages around 1,500 feet (460 m) in elevation above sea level. The coast range has three main sections: the Northern, Central, and Southern Ranges.

The oldest portions of the range are over 60 million years old, with volcanic activity and a forearc basin being the primary mountain building processes responsible for the mountains. It is part of a larger grouping known as the Pacific Coast Ranges that extends over much of the western edge of North America from California to Alaska. The range creates a rain shadow effect for the Willamette Valley, which lies to the east of the Coast Range and west of the Cascade Range. This rain shadow creates a stable climate in the valley, with significantly less rain than the Oregon Coast. On the western side of the range, the same rain shadow causes more precipitation to fall, contributing to the numerous rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Marys Peak in the Central Coast Range is the highest peak at 4,097 ft (1,248 m). Both the state and federal government manage forests throughout the Oregon Coast Range, where logging is a major industry in both private and government owned forests. The mountains are home to a variety of wildlife including black bear, elk, deer, beaver, and many species of birds. Fish including salmon and trout, in addition to many other aquatic organisms inhabit the range's streams and rivers.