View source for Cascade Range

{{short description|Mountain range in western North America}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name              = Cascade Range
| other_name        = Cascade Mountains (in Canada)<br/>"The Cascades"
| photo             = Mount Rainier and other Cascades mountains poking through clouds.jpg
| photo_size        = 280
| photo_caption     = The Cascades in Washington, with [[Mount Rainier]], the range's highest mountain, standing at {{convert|14411|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}. Seen in the background (left to right) are [[Mount Adams (Washington)|Mount Adams]], [[Mount Hood]], and [[Mount St. Helens]].
| highest           = [[Mount Rainier]]
| highest_location  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| elevation_ft = 14,411
| elevation_ref = {{navd88}}<ref name=otm>{{cite opentopomap|Mount Rainier|46.85233|-121.75787|2023-05-08}}</ref>
| coordinates = {{coord|46.8528267|N|121.7604408|W|type:mountain_region:US-WA_scale:100000_source:gnis|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref    = <ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=1533614 |name=Mount Rainier |access-date=2023-05-08}}</ref>
| listing           = 
| country           = {{hlist|United States|Canada}}
| subdivision1      = {{hlist|[[British Columbia]]|[[Washington (state)|Washington]]|[[Oregon]],|[[California]]}}
| subdivision1_type = Provinces/States
| range_coordinates = 
| length_mi         = 700 | length_ref=
| width_mi          = 80  | width_ref=
| area_mi           =     | area_ref=
| length_orientation= north-south
| geology           = 
| map               = 
| map_size          = 
| map_caption       = 
|fetchwikidata=ALL
}}
The '''Cascade Range''', or '''Cascades''', is a major [[mountain range]] of western [[North America]], extending from southern [[British Columbia]] through [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and [[Oregon]] to [[Northern California]]. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as many of those in the [[North Cascades]], and the notable [[volcano]]es known as the '''High Cascades'''. The small part of the range in British Columbia is referred to as the '''Canadian Cascades''' or, locally, as the '''Cascade Mountains'''. The highest peak in the range is [[Mount Rainier]] in Washington at {{convert|14411|ft|m}}.

{{nowrap|The Cascades are}} part of the [[Pacific Ocean]]'s [[Ring of Fire]], the ring of volcanoes and associated mountains around the Pacific Ocean. All of the eruptions in the [[contiguous United States]] over the last 200 years have been from the [[Cascade Volcanoes]]. The two most recent were [[Lassen Peak]] from 1914 to 1921 and a [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens|major eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980]]. Minor eruptions of Mount St. Helens have also occurred since, most recently from 2004 to 2008.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Mount St. Helens: 2004–2008 Renewed Volcanic Activity
| work = Cascades Volcano Observatory
| publisher = U.S. Geological Survey
| date = February 7, 2013
| url = https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/st_helens/st_helens_geo_hist_100.html
| access-date = November 9, 2013
| archive-date = April 28, 2015
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150428055823/http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/st_helens/st_helens_geo_hist_100.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> The Cascade Range is a part of the [[American Cordillera]], a nearly continuous chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that form the western "backbone" of North, [[Central America|Central]], and [[South America]].

The Cascades are home to many national parks and protected areas, including [[North Cascades National Park]], [[Mount Rainier National Park]], [[Crater Lake National Park]], and [[Lassen Volcanic National Park]]. The northern half of the [[Pacific Crest Trail]] follows the range.

== Geography ==
[[File:Cascade Range map.png|thumb|Notable volcanoes in the US portion of the Cascades]]
The Cascades extend northward from [[Lassen Peak]] (also known as Mount Lassen) in northern [[California]] to the confluence of the [[Nicola River|Nicola]] and [[Thompson River|Thompson]] rivers in [[British Columbia]]. The [[Fraser River]] separates the Cascades from the [[Coast Mountains]] in Canada,{{sfn|Beckey|2008|pp=191–200}} as does the [[Willamette Valley]] from the upper portion of the [[Oregon Coast Range]]. The highest volcanoes of the Cascades, known as the High Cascades,{{sfn|Martin|2002|p=31}} dominate their surroundings, often standing twice the height of the nearby mountains. They often have a visual height (height above nearby crestlines) of one mile or more. The highest peaks, such as the {{convert|14411|ft|m|adj=on}} Mount Rainier, dominate their surroundings for {{convert|50|to|100|mi|km}}.

The northern part of the range, north of Mount Rainier, is known as the [[North Cascades]] in the United States but is formally named the Cascade Mountains north of the [[Canada–United States border]], reaching to the northern extremity of the Cascades at [[Lytton Mountain]].{{sfn|Duffell|McTaggart|1951|p=8}} Overall, the North Cascades and Canadian Cascades are extremely rugged; even the lesser peaks are steep and glaciated, and valleys are quite low relative to peaks and ridges, so there is great local [[Terrain|relief]].{{sfn|Beckey|2003|pp=9–12}} The southern part of the Canadian Cascades, particularly the [[Skagit Range]], is geologically and topographically similar to the North Cascades, while the northern and northeastern parts are less glaciated and more plateau-like, resembling nearby areas of the [[Thompson Plateau]].{{sfn|Beckey|2008|pp=191–200}}

The range is near the Pacific Ocean and in the region's [[Westerlies|prevailing westerly winds]], so it receives significant rain and snowfall, especially on the western slopes due to [[orographic lift]], with annual snow accumulations of up to {{convert|1000|in|cm}} (= {{convert|83|ft|m}}) in some areas. [[Mount Baker]] in Washington recorded a national record single-season snowfall in the winter of 1998–99 with {{convert|1140|in|cm}} (= {{convert|95|ft|m}}).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/ncec/ |title=National Climate Extremes |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606081856/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/ncec/ |archive-date=June 6, 2012}}</ref> Before that year, [[Mount Rainier]] held the American record for snow accumulation at Paradise in 1978. It is not uncommon for some places in the Cascades to have over {{convert|500|in|cm}} of annual snow accumulation, such as at [[Lake Helen (Lassen Peak)|Lake Helen]], near Lassen Peak.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McLaughlin |first=Mark |url=http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20101014/COMMUNITY/101019946 |title=Weather Window: The snowiest spot in California is Lake Helen near Lassen Volcanic National Park |date=October 14, 2010 |work=Sierra Sun |access-date=November 9, 2013 |location=Truckee, California}}</ref> Most of the High Cascades are therefore white with snow and ice year-round. The western slopes are densely covered with [[Douglas-fir]] (''Pseudotsuga menziesii''), [[western hemlock]] (''Tsuga heterophylla'') and [[red alder]] (''Alnus rubra''),{{sfn|Beckey|2008|p=16}} while the drier eastern slopes feature mostly [[ponderosa pine]] (''Pinus ponderosa''), with some [[western larch]] (''Larix occidentalis''), [[mountain hemlock]] (''Tsuga mertensiana'') and [[subalpine fir]] (''Abies lasiocarpa'') and [[subalpine larch]] (''Larix lyallii'') at higher elevations.{{sfn|Mueller|Mueller|2002|p=99}} Annual rainfall is as low as {{convert|9|in|mm}} on the eastern [[foothill]]s due to a [[rain shadow]] effect.{{sfn|Ernst|2000|p=479}}

[[File:Columbia River Gorge (3).jpg|thumb|The [[Columbia Gorge]] marks where the [[Columbia River]] splits the Cascade Range between the states of Washington and Oregon.]]

Beyond the eastern foothills is an [[arid]] plateau that was largely formed 17 to 14&nbsp;million years ago by the many flows of the [[Columbia River Basalt Group]]. Together, these sequences of fluid [[volcanic rock]] form the {{convert|200000|sqmi|km2|adj=on}} [[Columbia Plateau]] in eastern Washington, Oregon, and parts of western Idaho.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://geology.isu.edu/Digital_Geology_Idaho/Module10/mod10.htm |title=Columbia River Basalt Province |last1=Straub, Kristen |last2=Link, Paul |website=Digital Geology of Idaho |publisher=Idaho State University |access-date=November 3, 2013 |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023061110/http://geology.isu.edu/Digital_Geology_Idaho/Module10/mod10.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Columbia River Gorge]] is the only major break of the range in the United States. When the Cascades began to rise 7&nbsp;million years ago in the late [[Miocene]], the Columbia River drained the relatively low Columbia Plateau. As the range grew, erosion from the Columbia River was able to keep pace, carving out the gorge and major pass seen today. The gorge also exposes uplifted and warped layers of basalt from the plateau.<ref name="nwcouncil">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nwcouncil.org/history/ColumbiaRiverGorge |title=Columbia River Gorge |last=Harrison |first=John |date=October 31, 2008 |website=Columbia River History |publisher=Northwest Power and Conservation Council |access-date=November 9, 2013}}</ref><ref name="burke">{{Cite web |url=http://www.burkemuseum.org/static/geo_history_wa/Cascade%20Episode.htm |title=The Cascade Episode: Evolution of the Modern Pacific Northwest |publisher=Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington |access-date=November 9, 2013}}</ref>

== History ==
Before European exploration, First Nations tribes named many peaks, including "Seekseekqua" for [[Mount Jefferson (Oregon)]],<ref name="oregonlive.com">{{Citation
 | last1 = Hale | first1 = Jamie| title = The native names of Pacific Northwest mountains| newspaper = The Oregonian | date = 17 May 2019
 | url = https://www.oregonlive.com/travel/2017/02/the_native_names_of_pacific_no.html
 | access-date = 25 October 2021 }}</ref> "M'laiksini Yaina" for [[Mount McLoughlin]],<ref name="oregonlive.com"/>  "Tahoma", the [[Lushootseed]] name for Mount Rainier,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/naming_mount_rainier.html |title=Mount Rainier, Washington |website=Naming the Cascade Range Volcanoes |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |access-date=April 23, 2012}}</ref> and "Louwala-Clough", meaning "smoking mountain" for Mount St. Helens.<ref name="legends">{{Cite web |url=https://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/description_msh.html |title=Northwest Legends |website=Mount St. Helens Volcano, Washington |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510073941/http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/description_msh.html#Northwest%20Legends |archive-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

In early 1792, British navigator [[George Vancouver]] explored [[Puget Sound]] and gave English names to the high mountains he saw. Mount Baker was named for Vancouver's third lieutenant, [[Joseph Baker (Royal Navy officer)|Joseph Baker]], although the first European to see it was [[Manuel Quimper]], who named it ''la gran montaña del Carmelo'' ("Great [[Mount Carmel]]") in 1790.{{sfn|Beckey|2003|pp=3–7}} Mount Rainier was named after Admiral [[Peter Rainier (Royal Navy officer, born 1741)|Peter Rainier]]. Later in 1792, Vancouver had his lieutenant [[William Robert Broughton]] explore the lower [[Columbia River]]. He named [[Mount Hood]] after [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Lord Samuel Hood]], an [[admiral]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. [[Mount St. Helens]] was sighted by Vancouver in May 1792, from near the mouth of the Columbia River. It was named for [[Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens]], a British diplomat.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/naming_mount_st_helens.html |title=Naming the Cascade Range Volcanoes: Mount St. Helens, Washington |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |access-date=June 15, 2012}}</ref> Vancouver's expedition did not, however, name the mountain range which contained these peaks. He referred to it simply as the "eastern snowy range". Earlier Spanish explorers called it ''Sierra Nevada'', meaning "snowy mountains".{{sfn|Beckey|2003|pp=3–7}}

[[File:Mount Shuksan tarn.jpg|thumb|left|West side view of [[Mount Shuksan]] in summer as seen from [[Washington State Route 542|Artist Point]] in [[Washington (state)|Washington]]]]

In 1805, the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] passed through the Cascades on the Columbia River, which for many years was the only practical way to pass that part of the range. They were the first non-indigenous people to see [[Mount Adams (Washington)|Mount Adams]], but they thought it was Mount St. Helens. When they later saw Mount St. Helens they thought it was Mount Rainier.{{sfn|Beckey|2003|pp=38–39}} On their return trip, Lewis and Clark spotted a [[Mount Jefferson (Oregon)|high but distant snowy pinnacle]] that they named for the sponsor of the expedition, U.S. President [[Thomas Jefferson]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/LewisClark/Info/summary_mount_jefferson.html |title=The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark, Mount Jefferson, Oregon |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |access-date=June 15, 2012}}</ref> Lewis and Clark called the Cascade Range the "Western Mountains".{{sfn|Beckey|2003|p=28}}

The Lewis and Clark expedition, and the many settlers and traders that followed, met their last obstacle to their journey at the [[Cascades Rapids]] in the Columbia River Gorge, a feature on the river now submerged beneath the [[Bonneville Dam|Bonneville Reservoir]]. Before long, the great white-capped mountains that loomed above the rapids were called the "mountains by the cascades" and later simply as the "Cascades". The earliest attested use of the name "Cascade Range" is in the writings of botanist [[David Douglas (botanist)|David Douglas]] in 1825.{{sfn|Beckey|2003|p=48}}<ref name=majors>{{Cite book| last = Majors | first = Harry M. | title = Exploring Washington | publisher = Van Winkle Publishing Co | year = 1975 | page = 150 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ| isbn = 978-0-918664-00-6}}</ref>

[[File:Mount Hood reflected in Mirror Lake, Oregon.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Hood]] is the tallest point in the U.S. state of [[Oregon]].]]

In 1814, [[Alexander Ross (fur trader)|Alexander Ross]], a fur trader with the [[North West Company]], seeking a viable route across the mountains, explored and crossed the northern Cascades between [[Fort Okanogan]] and Puget Sound. His report of the journey is vague about the route taken. He followed the lower [[Methow River]] into the mountains. He might have used [[Cascade Pass]] to reach the [[Skagit River]]. Ross was the first European-American to explore the Methow River area and likely the first to explore the [[Stehekin River]] and Bridge Creek region. Due to the difficulty of crossing the northern Cascades and the paucity of beaver, fur-trading companies made only a few explorations into the mountains north of the Columbia River after Ross.{{sfn|Beckey|2003|pp=41–45}}

Exploration and settlement of the Cascades region by Europeans and Americans was accelerated by the establishment of a major trading post of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] (HBC) at [[Fort Vancouver]] near today's [[Portland, Oregon]]. From this base HBC trapping parties traveled throughout the Cascades in search of beaver and other fur-bearing animals. For example, using what became known as the [[Siskiyou Trail]], Hudson's Bay Company trappers were the first non-natives to explore the southern Cascades in the 1820s and 1830s, establishing trails which passed near [[Crater Lake]], [[Mount McLoughlin]], [[Medicine Lake Volcano]], [[Mount Shasta]], and Lassen Peak.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.museumsiskiyoutrail.org |title=Museum of the Siskiyou Trail |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415171721/http://www.museumsiskiyoutrail.org/ |archive-date=April 15, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Coquihalla River.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The [[Coquihalla River]] in the Canadian Cascades]]

The course of political history in the [[Pacific Northwest]] saw the spine of the Cascade Range being proposed as a boundary settlement during the [[Oregon Dispute]] of 1846. The United States rejected the proposal and insisted on the [[49th parallel north]], which cuts across the range just north of Mount Baker. Throughout the period of dispute and up to the creation of the [[Crown Colony]] of British Columbia in 1858, the Hudson's Bay Company's [[York Factory Express]] route, as well the route of fur brigades, followed the Okanogan River along the east edge of the Cascades and the Columbia River through the range. Passes across the range were not well known and little used. [[Naches Pass]] was used for driving cattle and horses to [[Fort Nisqually]]. [[Yakima Pass]] was also used by the Hudson's Bay Company.{{sfn|Beckey|2003|pp=63–64, 98}}

American settlement of the flanks of the Coast Range did not occur until the early 1840s, at first only marginally. Following the [[Oregon Treaty]] the inward flux of migration from the [[Oregon Trail]] intensified and the passes and back-valleys of what is now the state of Washington were explored and populated, and it was not long after that railways followed. Despite its being traversed by several major freeways and rail lines, and its lower flanks subjected to major logging in recent decades, large parts of the range remain intense and forbidding alpine wilderness. Much of the northern half of the Cascades, from Rainier north, have been preserved by [[National Park Service|U.S. national]] or British Columbia [[provincial park]]s (such as [[E.C. Manning Provincial Park]]), or other forms of protected area.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.landscope.org/explore/natural_geographies/ecoregions/North%20Cascades/ |title=North Cascades Ecoregion |publisher=Land Scope America |access-date=June 15, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Lassen Peak and Crescent Crater (15299274301).jpg|thumb|[[Lassen Peak]] in the California Cascades. Southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range and part of [[Lassen Volcanic National Park]]]]

The Canadian side of the range has a history that includes the [[Fraser Canyon Gold Rush]] of 1858–60 and its famous [[Cariboo Road]], as well as the older Hudson's Bay Company Brigade Trail from the Canyon to the Interior, the Dewdney Trail, and older routes which connected east to the [[Similkameen River|Similkameen]] and [[Okanagan River|Okanagan]] valleys.

The southern mainline of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] penetrated the range via the passes of the [[Coquihalla River]], along one of the steepest and snowiest routes in the entire [[Pacific Cordillera]]. Near [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope, B.C.]], the [[Kettle Valley Railway|railway roadbed]] and the [[Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park|Othello Tunnels]], now decommissioned, are popular tourist recreation destinations for hiking and bicycling. The pass is used by the [[British Columbia Highway 5|Coquihalla Highway]], a government [[megaproject]] built as part of the [[Expo 86]] spending boom of the 1980s, which is now the main route from the Coast to the British Columbia interior. Traffic formerly went via the [[Fraser Canyon]], to the west, or via [[Allison Pass]] and [[Manning Park]] along [[Crowsnest Highway|Highway 3]] to the south, near the border.

[[File:Mount St. Helens 05-18-1980.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]]

The [[Barlow Road]] was the first established land path for U.S. settlers through the Cascade Range in 1845, and formed the final overland link for the [[Oregon Trail]] (previously, settlers had to raft down the [[Cascades Rapids|treacherous rapids]] of the Columbia River). The Road left the Columbia at what is now [[Hood River, Oregon|Hood River]] and passed along the south side of Mount Hood at what is now [[Government Camp, Oregon|Government Camp]], terminating in Oregon City. There is an interpretive site there now at "The End of The Oregon Trail". The road was constructed as a toll road&nbsp;– $5 per wagon&nbsp;– and was very successful.

In addition, the [[Applegate Trail]] was created to allow settlers to avoid rafting down the Columbia River.  The Trail used the path of the [[California Trail]] to north-central [[Nevada]].  From there, the Trail headed northwest into northern California, and continued northwest towards today's [[Ashland, Oregon]].  From there, settlers would head north along the established Siskiyou Trail into the [[Willamette Valley]].

With the exception of the 1915 eruption of remote Lassen Peak in Northern California, the range was quiet for more than a century. Then, on May&nbsp;18, 1980, the dramatic eruption of [[Mount St. Helens]] shattered the quiet and brought the world's attention to the range. Geologists were also concerned that the St. Helens eruption was a sign that long-dormant Cascade volcanoes might become active once more, as in the period from 1800 to 1857 when a total of eight erupted. None have erupted since St. Helens, but precautions are being taken nevertheless, such as the [[Cascades Volcano Observatory]] and Mount Rainier Volcano [[Lahar]] Warning System in [[Pierce County, Washington]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/About/Highlights/RainierPilot/Pilot_highlight.html |title=Pilot Project&nbsp;– Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System |website=Volcano Hazards Program |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511210610/http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/About/Highlights/RainierPilot/Pilot_highlight.html |archive-date=May 11, 2008}}</ref>

==Geology==
[[File:Cascade Range plate tectonics-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Geology of the Cascade Range-related plate tectonics.]]
{{See also|Geology of the Pacific Northwest|Cascade Volcanic Arc}}

The Cascade Range is made up of a band of thousands of very small, short-lived volcanoes that have built a platform of lava and volcanic debris. Rising above this volcanic platform are a few strikingly large volcanoes, like Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens, that dominate the landscape.<ref name="cascade1">{{USGS|url=https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/cascade1.html|title=Pacific – Cascades Volcanic Province}}</ref>

The Cascade volcanoes define the Pacific Northwest section of the [[Pacific Ring of Fire|Ring of Fire]], an array of volcanoes that rim the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire is also known for its frequent earthquakes. The volcanoes and earthquakes arise from a common source, namely [[subduction]]. In this case, the dense [[Juan de Fuca Plate]] plunges beneath the [[North American Plate]] at the [[Cascadia subduction zone]].<ref name="cascade2">{{USGS|url=https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/cascade2.html|title=Pacific – Cascades Volcanic Province}}</ref> As the [[oceanic plate|oceanic slab]] sinks deep into the Earth's interior beneath the continental plate, high temperatures and pressures allow water molecules locked in the minerals of solid rock to escape. The water rises into the pliable mantle above the subducting plate, causing some of the mantle to melt. This newly formed magma rises toward the Earth's surface to erupt, forming a chain of volcanoes (the Cascade Volcanic Arc) above the subduction zone.<ref name="cascade2" />

==Human uses==
Soil conditions for farming are generally good, especially downwind of [[volcano]]es. This is largely because volcanic rocks are often rich in [[potassium]]-bearing minerals such as [[orthoclase]], and erode relatively easily. Volcanic debris, especially [[lahars]], also helps to spread mineral-rich volcanic material, and the storage of water in the form of snow and ice is also important for agriculture. The snow-capped mountains, such as Mt. Hood and [[Mt. Bachelor]], are used as [[ski resort]]s in the late winter, while in the summer they become popular [[hiking]] and [[mountaineering]] locations. Much of their meltwater eventually flows into reservoirs, where it is used for recreation, while its potential energy is captured to generate [[hydroelectric power]] before the water is used to [[irrigation|irrigate]] crops.

Because of the abundance of powerful streams, many of the major westward-draining rivers of the Cascades have been dammed to provide [[hydroelectric power]]. One of these, [[Ross Dam]] on the [[Skagit River]], retains a reservoir which spans the border southeast of [[Hope, British Columbia]], extending {{convert|2|mi|km}} into Canada.  At the foot of the southeast flank of Mount Baker, at [[Concrete, Washington]], the [[Baker River (Washington)|Baker River]] is dammed to form [[Lake Shannon]] and [[Baker Lake (Washington)|Baker Lake]].

The Cascades harbor a largely-untapped potential for [[geothermal power]]. The [[U.S. Geological Survey]] Geothermal Research Program has been investigating this potential. Some of this energy is already being used in places like [[Klamath Falls, Oregon]], where volcanic steam is used to heat public buildings.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ci.klamath-falls.or.us/departments/works/water/geothermal |title=Geothermal Utility |publisher=City of Klamath Falls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006012119/http://ci.klamath-falls.or.us/departments/works/water/geothermal |archive-date=October 6, 2010}}</ref> The highest recorded underground temperature found in the range is {{convert|510|F|C}} at {{convert|3075|ft|m}} below [[Newberry Volcano]]'s [[caldera]] floor.

==Ecology==
[[File:Vaccinium ovalifolium 9376.JPG|thumb|[[Vaccinium ovalifolium|Oval-leaf blueberry]] on [[Mount Pilchuck]]]]
{{main|Cascades (ecoregion)|Ecology of the North Cascades}}

Forests of large, coniferous trees ([[western red cedar]]s, Douglas-firs, western hemlocks, [[fir]]s, [[pine]]s, [[spruce]]s, and others) dominate most of the Cascade Range. Cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers (largely a  result of oceanic influence) favor evergreen species, whereas mild temperatures and rich soils promote fast and prolonged growth.<ref name="sandt">{{USGS|source={{Cite book |title=Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources |chapter=Pacific Northwest |chapter-url=https://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/sandt/Nrthwest.pdf}} }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Waring |first1=RH |last2=Franklin |first2=JF |s2cid=28313427 |year=1979 |title=Evergreen coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest |journal=Northwest Science |volume=204 |issue=4400 |pages=1380–1386 |bibcode=1979Sci...204.1380W |doi=10.1126/science.204.4400.1380 |pmid=17814182}}</ref>
[[File:Mountain Goat in North Cascades.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mountain goat]] on [[Wallaby Peak]] in the North Cascades]]

As a traveler passes through the Cascade Range, the climate first gets colder, then warmer and drier east of the crest.<ref>{{Cite web |url=ftp://ftp.epa.gov/pub/wed/ecoregions/reg10/ORWAFront90.pdf |title=Ecoregions of Western Washington and Oregon |publisher=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525052737/ftp://ftp.epa.gov/pub/wed/ecoregions/reg10/ORWAFront90.pdf |archive-date=2017-05-25 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 4, 2013 }}</ref> Most of the Cascades' lower and middle elevations are covered in [[coniferous forest]]; the higher altitudes have extensive [[meadows]] as well as [[alpine tundra]] and [[glacier]]s. The southern part of the Cascades are within the [[California Floristic Province]], an area of high [[biodiversity]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

[[Silver fir]] predominates above 2500&nbsp;ft, while there are [[Moorland|moors]], [[meadow]]s, and [[Tsuga mertensiana|mountain hemlock]]/[[Abies lasiocarpa|subalpine fir]] groves from 4500 to 6000&nbsp;ft on the west side. The [[Tree line|treeline]] is at ~6000 feet. On the east side, subalpine forests of [[larch]] trees grade to [[pine]] and interior [[fir]] forests below 4200&nbsp;ft, which grade to [[Ponderosa pine forest|ponderosa]] below 2500&nbsp;ft, which in turn grades to semidesert [[Shrubland|scrub]] near sea level. Above 7500&nbsp;ft, the landscape is barren with either no plants or only [[moss]] and [[lichen]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Life Zones in Washington |url=https://www.mountaineers.org/locations-lodges/seattle-branch/committees/seattle-naturalists-committee/course-templates/introduction-to-the-natural-world-course/inw-course-materials/course-materials-old/2015-course-materials/inw-2015-lecture-4-life-zones}}</ref>

[[American black bear|Black bears]], [[coyote]]s, [[bobcat]]s, [[cougar]]s, [[beaver]]s, [[deer]], [[elk]], [[moose]], [[mountain goat]]s and a few [[wolf]] packs returning from Canada live in the Cascades. Fewer than 50 [[grizzly bear]]s reside in the Cascades of Canada and Washington.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rice |first=Nathan |url=http://www.hcn.org/issues/43.19/the-forgotten-north-cascades-grizzly-bear |title=The forgotten North Cascades grizzly bear |date=November 14, 2011 |work=High Country News |location=Paonia, Colorado}}</ref>

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==See also==
{{portal|Pacific Northwest}}
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Cascadia (independence movement)]]
* [[Cascadia subduction zone]]
* [[Geology of the Pacific Northwest]]
* [[List of Cascade Range topics]]
* [[List of mountain peaks of Washington (state)]]
* [[List of mountain peaks of Oregon]]
* [[List of mountain ranges in Washington (state)]]
* [[List of mountain ranges of Oregon]]
* [[Oregon's Matterhorns]]
{{end div col}}
{{clear right}}

== References ==
; Citations
{{Reflist}}

; Sources
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Beckey |first=Fred W. |title=Range of Glaciers: the Exploration and Survey of the Northern Cascade Range |publisher=Oregon Historical Society Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-87595-243-7 |location=Portland, Oregon }}
* {{Cite book |last=Beckey |first=Fred W. |title=Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes Rainy Pass to Fraser River |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-59485-136-0 |location=Seattle, Washington }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Duffell |first1=Stanley |title=Ashcroft Map-Area, British Columbia |last2=McTaggart |first2=Kenneth Cunningham |publisher=Natural Resources Canada; E. Cloutier, King's Printer |year=1951 |series=Memoir (Geological Survey of Canada) |volume=262 |location=Ottawa, Ontario |oclc=3333133 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Dzurisin |first1=Dan |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs165-97/ |title=Living With Volcanic Risk in the Cascades |last2=Stauffer |first2=Peter H. |last3=Hendley |first3=James W. II |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |year=2000 |orig-date=1997}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ernst |first=Wallace Gary |title=Earth Systems: Processes and Issues |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-521-47323-1 |location=Cambridge, England }}
* {{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Stephen L. |title=Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes |publisher=Mountain Press Publishing Company |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-87842-511-2 |edition=3rd |location=Missoula, Montana }}
* {{Cite book |last=Holland |first=Stuart S. |url=http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geolsurv/Publications/Bulletins/Bull48/toc.htm |title=Landforms of British Columbia: A Physiographic Outline (Bulletin 48) |publisher=British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources |year=1976 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050504055451/http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/Mining/geolsurv/Publications/Bulletins/Bull48/toc.htm |archive-date=May 4, 2005}}
* {{Cite book |last=Martin |first=James |url=https://archive.org/details/northcascadescre0000mart |title=North Cascades Crest: Notes and Images from America's Alps |publisher=Sasquatch Books |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-57061-140-7 |location=Seattle, Washington |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Mueller |first1=Marge |title=Exploring Washington's Wild Areas |last2=Mueller |first2=Ted |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-89886-807-4 |edition=2nd |location=Seattle, Washington }}
* {{Cite book |title=Volcanoes of North America |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-521-43811-7 |editor-last=Wood |editor-first=Charles A. |location=Cambridge, England |editor-last2=Kienle |editor-first2=Jürgen}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|s=The New International Encyclopædia/Cascade Range|auto=1}}
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/50508frame.htm Central and Southern Cascades Forests images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] 
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/50512frame.htm Eastern Cascades Forests images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] 
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/50507frame.htm Cascade Mountains Leeward Forests images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] 
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/50506frame.htm British Columbia Mainland Coastal Forests images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] 
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/watsonweb/index.html University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections&nbsp;– Dwight Watson Photographs] <!-- Photographs taken by mountaineer and amateur photographer Dwight Watson of hiking and skiing expeditions in the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges of Washington State, ca. 1920s–1960s. Includes, among others, scenic images of Mounts Rainier, Baker, Adams, and Glacier Peak. -->

{{Washington}}
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[[Category:Cascade Range| ]]
[[Category:Geologic provinces of California]]
[[Category:Geologic provinces of the United States]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Northern California]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Oregon]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Washington (state)]]
[[Category:North American Cordillera]]
[[Category:Pacific Coast Ranges]]
[[Category:Physiographic sections]]
[[Category:Regions of Oregon]]