Canadian Rockies - wikipedia Canadian Rockies This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2011 ) Canadian Rockies Rocheuses canadiennes ( French ) Ringrose Peak, Lake O'Hara, British Columbia Highest point Peak Mount Robson Elevation 3,954 m ( 12,972 ft ) Coordinates 53 ° 06 ′ 38 '' N 119 ° 09 ′ 21 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 53.11056 ° N 119.15583 ° W ﻿ / 53.11056 ; - 119.15583 Coordinates : 53 ° 06 ′ 38 '' N 119 ° 09 ′ 21 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 53.11056 ° N 119.15583 ° W ﻿ / 53.11056 ; - 119.15583 Length 1,450 km ( 900 mi ) Width 150 km ( 93 mi ) Area 180,000 km ( 69,000 sq mi ) Geography Country Canada Provinces British Columbia and Alberta Parent range Pacific Cordillera Geology Orogeny Sevier orogeny Type of rock Sedimentary rock The Canadian Rockies ( French : Rocheuses canadiennes ) comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, which is a system of multiple ranges of mountains which runs from the Canadian Prairies to the Pacific Coast. The Canadian Rockies mountain system comprises the southeastern part of this system, lying between the Interior Plains of Alberta and Northeastern British Columbia on the east to the Rocky Mountain Trench of BC on the west. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA. In geographic terms the boundary is at the Canada / US border, but in geological terms it might be considered to be at Marias Pass in northern Montana. The northern end is at the Liard River in northern British Columbia. The Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson ( 3,954 m ( 12,972 ft ) ) and Mount Columbia ( 3,747 m ( 12,293 ft ) ). The Canadian Rockies are composed of shale and limestone. Much of the range is protected by national and provincial parks, several of which collectively comprise a World Heritage Site. Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Highest peaks 1.2 Mountain ranges 2 Rivers 3 Geology 4 Parks 5 Human history 5.1 The Rockies and The Canadian Pacific Railway 6 See also 7 References 7.1 Notes Geography The Canadian Rockies are the easternmost part of the Canadian Cordillera, the collective name for the mountains of Western Canada. They form part of the American Cordillera, an essentially continuous sequence of mountain ranges that runs all the way from Alaska to the very tip of South America. The Cordillera in turn are the eastern part of the Pacific Ring of Fire that runs all the way around the Pacific Ocean. East Kootenays The Canadian Rockies are bounded on the east by the Canadian Prairies, on the west by the Rocky Mountain Trench, and on the north by the Liard River. Contrary to popular misconception, the Rockies do not extend north into Yukon or Alaska, or west into central British Columbia. North of the Liard River, the Mackenzie Mountains, which are a distinct mountain range, form a portion of the border between the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The mountain ranges to the west of the Rocky Mountain Trench in southern British Columbia are called the Columbia Mountains, and are not considered to be part of the Rockies by Canadian geologists. Highest peaks See also : List of mountains in the Canadian Rockies Mount Robson ( 3,954 m ( 12,972 ft ) ) is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, but not the highest in British Columbia, since there are some higher mountains in the Coast Mountains and Saint Elias Mountains. However, Mount Robson is particularly impressive because it stands out on the continental divide towering over Yellowhead Pass, one of the lowest passes in the Canadian Rockies, and is close to the Yellowhead Highway. Its base is only 985 m above sea level, meaning it has a total vertical relief of 2,969 m or nearly 10,000 feet. In addition, it rises the 3 km to its summit in a distance of only 4 km from its base at Kinney Lake. Climbing Mount Robson is a challenge suitable for experienced and well - prepared mountaineers, and usually requires a week on the mountain. Mount Robson Mount Columbia ( 3,747 m ( 12,293 ft ) ) is the second - highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and is the highest mountain in Alberta. There is a non-technical route to the top involving only kicking steps in the snow, but the approach is across the Columbia Icefield and requires glacier travel and crevasse rescue knowledge. It is normally done in two days, with a night at high camp, but some strong skiers have done it from the highway in a day. On the other hand, many others have been stuck in their tents for days waiting for the weather to clear. From the same high camp as for Mount Columbia, it is possible to ascend a number of other high peaks in the area, including North Twin, South Twin, Kitchener, Stutfield and Snow Dome. Snow Dome ( 3,456 m ( 11,339 ft ) ) is not an impressive peak by Rockies standards, but it has the distinction of being the hydrological apex of North America. Water flows off Snow Dome into three different watersheds, into the Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean via Hudson Bay. It is the easiest and most popular ascent on the Columbia Icefield, a gentle ski to the top from Columbia high camp, but glacier travel is required Of the highest peaks, only Mount Temple ( 3,543 m ( 11,624 ft ) ) has an established scrambling route. All other mountains ( including other routes up Mount Temple ), require more mountaineering skills and experience. Despite the fact that it is only a moderate scramble, even Mount Temple should not be attempted by novices. According to the Alpine Club of Canada, more people have died on Mount Temple than any other Canadian mountain, including seven youths in an unsupervised American school group in 1955. The upper slopes are usually covered with snow and there is a glacier on top. Scramblers on Mount Temple should carry an ice axe and enough clothing to survive a freezing night on the mountain if a storm hits and prevents them from descending. Contrary to popular misconception, the Canadian Rockies are not the highest mountain ranges in Canada. Both the Saint Elias Mountains ( highest point in Canada Mount Logan at 5,959 m ( 19,551 ft ) ) and the Coast Mountains ( highest point Mount Waddington at 4,016 m ( 13,176 ft ) ) have higher summits. Mountain ranges Main article : Ranges of the Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies are subdivided into numerous mountain ranges, structured in two main groupings, the Continental Ranges, which has three main subdivisions, the Front Range, Park Ranges and Kootenay Ranges, and the Northern Rockies which comprise two main groupings, the Hart Ranges and the Muskwa Ranges. The division - point of the two main groupings is at Monkman Pass northwest of Mount Robson and to the southwest of Mount Ovington. Rivers Main article : List of rivers of the Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies are noted for being the source of several major river systems, and also for the many rivers within the range itself. The Rockies form the divide between the Pacific drainage on the west and that of Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean on the east. Of the range 's rivers, only the Peace River penetrates the range. Notable rivers originating in the Canadian Rockies include the Fraser, Columbia, North Saskatchewan, Bow and Athabasca Rivers. Geology Sodalite - aegirine - albite pegmatite specimen, Ice River Complex, an intrusion partly in Yoho National Park. Field of view ~ 7.1 cm across. Main article : Geology of the Rocky Mountains The Canadian Rockies are quite different in appearance and geology from the American Rockies to the south of them. The Canadian Rockies are composed of layered sedimentary rock such as limestone and shale, whereas the American Rockies are made mostly of metamorphic and igneous rock such as gneiss and granite. The Canadian Rockies are overall more jagged than the American Rockies, because the Canadian Rockies have been more heavily glaciated, resulting in sharply pointed mountains separated by wide, U-shaped valleys gauged by glaciers, whereas the American Rockies are overall more rounded, with river - carved V - shaped valleys between them. The Canadian Rockies are cooler and wetter, giving them moister soil, bigger rivers, and more glaciers. The tree line is much lower in the Canadian Rockies than in the American Rockies. Parks Peyto Lake, Banff National Park Five national parks are located within the Canadian Rockies, four of which are adjacent and make up the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. These four parks are Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho. The fifth national park, Waterton is not adjacent to the others. Waterton lies farther south, straddling the Canada -- US border as the Canadian half of the Waterton - Glacier International Peace Park. All five of these parks, combined with three British Columbia provincial parks, were declared a single UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 for the unique mountain landscapes found there. Numerous provincial parks are located in the Canadian Rockies, including Hamber, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson parks. Throughout the Rockies, and especially in the national parks, the Alpine Club of Canada maintains a series of alpine huts for use by mountaineers and adventurers. Human history The Rockies and the Canadian Pacific railway The Canadian Pacific Railway was founded to provide a link from the province of British Columbia to the eastern provinces. The main difficulty in providing such a link were the Rockies themselves : treacherous mountain passes, fast rivers and sheer drops made for a difficult railway construction process. The following articles describe in detail the political and technical feats involved : Canadian Pacific Survey Big Hill Field Hill Kicking Horse Pass Spiral Tunnels See also Geography of Canada portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canadian Rockies. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rocky Mountains ( Canada ). Ecology of the Rocky Mountains Geology of the Rocky Mountains Arctic Cordillera : an example of another major mountain system in North America east of the Canadian Rockies. The Rocky Mountain Rangers References Roger W. Patillo : The Canadian Rockies : Pioneers, Legends and True Tales. Trafford Publishing 2005, 9781412056274 ( restricted online version ( Google Books ) ) Brenda Koller : The Canadian Rockies Adventure Guide. Hunter Publishing Inc. 2006, ISBN 978 - 1 - 58843 - 573 - 6 ( restricted online version ( Google Books ) ) Canadian Rockies. ( 2009 ). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online Notes Jump up ^ `` Laramide and Sevier orogenies ( PLATE TECTONICS ) -- g17 '' ( PDF ). geowords.com. p. 423. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ Gadd, Ben ( 1995 ). Handbook of the Canadian Rockies ( 2nd ed. ). Corax Press. ISBN 0 - 9692631 - 1 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Mount Temple accident report 11 July 1955 ''. Alpine Accidents in Canada. Alpine Club of Canada. Archived from the original on 2006 - 05 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks ''. World Heritage List. UNESCO. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Clubhouse and Alpine Huts ''. Alpine Club of Canada. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ Canadian Rockies at Encyclopædia Britannica Canadian Rockies Ranges Ball Bare Beaverfoot Blue Bow Crowsnest Elk Fairholme Flathead Foothills High Rock Kananaskis Livingstone Lizard Maligne Massive Misty Morrissey Palliser President Queen Elizabeth Rainbow Ram Sawback Sentinel Slate South Jasper Sundance Terminal Tower of London Vermilion Victoria Cross Waputik Winston Churchill Continental Ranges Hart Ranges Muskwa Ranges Mountains Alberta Andromeda Assiniboine Athabasca Brazeau Bryce Cascade Castle Castleguard Clemenceau Columbia Cory Edith Cavell Forbes Hector Hosmer Hungabee Joffre Kitchener Lyell Heart Pilot Pyramid Resplendent Robson Rundle Sarbach Saskatchewan Smythe Snow Dome Stanley Peak Sulphur Temple Three Sisters Trinity Twin Ulysses Whymper Passes Abbot Athabasca Bush Carcajou Crowsnest Elbow Elk Fortress Fraser Highwood Howse Jarvis Kananaskis Kicking Horse Monkman Muncho North Kananaskis Palliser Pine Simpson Sinclair Summit Sunwapta Tonquin Vermilion Wapiti White Man Yellowhead Glaciers Athabasca Bow Columbia Icefield Crowfoot Hector Peyto Saskatchewan Vulture Wapta Waputik Icefield Rivers see List of rivers of the Canadian Rockies and Category : Rivers of the Canadian Rockies Peoples Mountain Stoney Mountain Metis Parks and protected areas World Heritage Sites Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site Waterton - Glacier International Peace Park National Parks Banff Jasper Kootenay Yoho Waterton Lakes Historic Sites Jasper House Jasper Park Information Centre Yellowhead Pass Athabasca Pass Howse Pass Kootenae House Kicking Horse Pass Skoki Ski Lodge Twin Falls Tea House Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin Cave and Basin Banff Park Museum Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station First Oil Well in Western Canada Provincial ( AB ) Parks Bow Valley Bragg Creek Elbow - Sheep Ghost River Kananaskis Peter Lougheed Sheep River Siffleur Spray Valley White Goat Willmore Historic Sites Frank Slide Provincial ( BC ) Akamina - Kishinena Close To The Edge Dune Za Keyih ( Frog - Gataga ) Elk Lakes Graham - Laurier Hamber Height of the Rockies Hole - in - the - Wall Kakwa Kikomun Creek Kwadacha Mount Assiniboine Mount Fernie Mount Robson Muncho Lake Northern Rocky Mountains Pine Le Moray Stone Mountain Muskwa - Kechika Ski resorts Castle Mountain Fernie Fortress Mountain Lake Louise Little Mac Marmot Basin Mount Norquay Nakiska Powder King Sunshine Village Communities Banff Canmore Crowsnest Pass Elkford Fernie Field Jasper Lake Louise Sparwood Tumbler Ridge Valemount Waterton Park Ecoregions Alberta Mountain forests Alberta - British Columbia foothills forests North Central Rockies forest See also Geography of Canada portal Canada History Year list ( Timeline ) Pre-colonization New France ( 1534 -- 1763 ) British Canada ( 1763 -- 1867 ) Post-Confederation ( 1867 -- 1914 ) World Wars and Interwar Years ( 1914 -- 1945 ) Modern times : 1945 -- 1960 1960 -- 1981 1982 -- 1992 since 1992 Topics Constitutional Crown & Aboriginals Economic Etymology Former colonies & territories Immigration Military Monarchical National Historic Sites Persons of significance Territorial evolution Women Provinces and territories Provinces Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Territories Northwest Territories Nunavut Yukon Government Law Constitution Monarch Governor General Parliament ( Senate House of Commons ) Prime Minister list Courts Supreme Court Military Local government Foreign relations Law enforcement Politics Elections LGBT rights Multiculturalism Geography Regions ( west to east ) Pacific Northwest Western Canada Great Plains Canadian Prairies Northern Canada Canadian Shield Great Lakes Central Canada The Maritimes Eastern Canada Atlantic Canada Topics Animals Cities Earthquakes Islands Mountains National Parks Plants Great Lakes Regions Rivers Volcanoes Economy Agriculture Banking Bank of Canada Dollar Communications Companies Energy Fishing Oil Stock exchange Taxation Tourism Transportation Science and technology Social programs Poverty Society Education Healthcare Crime Values Demographics Topics Canadians Immigration Languages Religion 2001 Census 2006 Census 2011 Census Population Top 100s Metropolitan areas and agglomerations Population centres Municipalities Culture Architecture Art Cinema Cuisine Festivals Folklore People Holidays Identity Literature Music Nationalisms Online media Protectionism Sports Theatre Symbols Coat of arms Flags Provincial and territorial Royal Heraldic Article overviews Index Outline Topics Research Bibliography Historiography Book Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Rockies&oldid=800376620 '' Categories : Canadian Rockies Mountain ranges of Canada Rocky Mountains Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from January 2011 All articles needing additional references Coordinates on Wikidata Articles containing French - 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Question: what is the tallest mountain in the canadian rockies
Answer: Mount Robson