# Insular Mountains

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Mountain range in Canada

Insular Mountains French: Monts Insulaires Golden Hinde, south aspect, August 2006. Highest point Peak Golden Hinde, Vancouver Island Elevation 2,196.818 m (7,207.41 ft) Coordinates 49°39′43.8″N 125°44′48.6″W / 49.662167°N 125.746833°W / 49.662167; -125.746833 Dimensions Area 133,879 km2 (51,691 mi2) Geography Insular Mountains Insular Mountains Country Canada Province British Columbia Parent range Pacific Cordillera

The **Insular Mountains** are a [range of mountains](/source/Mountain_range) in the [Pacific Coast Ranges](/source/Pacific_Coast_Ranges) on the [Coast of British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia_Coast), Canada, comprising the [Vancouver Island Ranges](/source/Vancouver_Island_Ranges) and [Queen Charlotte Mountains](/source/Queen_Charlotte_Mountains). The Insular Mountains are rugged, particularly on Vancouver Island where peaks in [Strathcona Provincial Park](/source/Strathcona_Provincial_Park) rise to elevations of more than 2,000 m (6,562 ft). The highest of these mountains is [Golden Hinde](/source/Golden_Hinde_(mountain)) on [Vancouver Island](/source/Vancouver_Island), which rises to 2,196.818 m (7,207 ft).

Although the [Coast Mountain Range](/source/Coast_Mountains) is usually referred to as the westernmost range of the [Pacific Cordillera](/source/Pacific_Cordillera) (since it is the westernmost range on the main landmass at that point), the Insular Mountains are the true westernmost range.[1]

## Geological history

These Insular Mountains are not yet fully emerged above [sea level](/source/Sea_level), and [Vancouver Island](/source/Vancouver_Island) and the [Haida Gwaii](/source/Haida_Gwaii) are just the higher elevations of the range, which was in fact fully exposed during the [last glacial period](/source/Last_glacial_period) (maximum ice extent about 18,000 years ago) when the [continental shelf](/source/Continental_shelf) in this area was a broad [coastal plain](/source/Coastal_plain).

The Insular Mountains formed when a chain of active [volcanic islands](/source/Volcanic_island) (the [Insular Islands](/source/Insular_Islands)) collided against the [North American](/source/North_America) continent during the mid [Cretaceous](/source/Cretaceous) period. The type of rocks that form the Insular Mountains are [turbidites](/source/Turbidite) and [pillow lavas](/source/Pillow_lava). [Granitic](/source/Granite) [plutons](/source/Pluton) seldom occur in the Insular Mountains, unlike the [Coast Mountains](/source/Coast_Mountains). The Insular Mountain range covers some 133,879 km2 (51,691 sq mi). It experiences frequent [seismic activity](/source/Seismology), with the [Pacific Plate](/source/Pacific_Plate) and the [Juan de Fuca Plate](/source/Juan_de_Fuca_Plate) being subducted into the Earth's [mantle](/source/Mantle_(geology)). Large [earthquakes](/source/Earthquake) have led to collapsing mountains, [landslides](/source/Landslide) and [fissures](/source/Fissure).

During the last glacial period, ice enclosed nearly all of these mountains. [Glaciers](/source/Glacier) that ran down to the [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean) sharpened the [valley](/source/Valley) faces and [eroded](/source/Erosion) their bottoms. These valleys were transformed into [fjords](/source/Fjord) when the ice melted and the [sea level](/source/Sea_level) rose. Ice Age remnants may still be noted, such as the [Comox Glacier](/source/Comox_Glacier) in the [Vancouver Island Ranges](/source/Vancouver_Island_Ranges).

## Sub-ranges

### Haida Gwaii

- [Queen Charlotte Mountains](/source/Queen_Charlotte_Mountains), on [Haida Gwaii](/source/Haida_Gwaii):

1. [Cameron Range](/source/Cameron_Range): On the western side of [Graham Island](/source/Graham_Island)

1. [Crease Range](/source/Crease_Range): On north-central Graham Island

1. [McKay Range](/source/McKay_Range): On the south coast of Graham Island

1. [San Christoval Range](/source/San_Christoval_Range): On the western side of [Moresby Island](/source/Moresby_Island)

### Vancouver Island

Named Ranges of Vancouver Island

- [Vancouver Island Ranges](/source/Vancouver_Island_Ranges), on [Vancouver Island](/source/Vancouver_Island):

1. [Refugium Range](/source/Refugium_Range): On the Brooks Peninsula

1. [Sophia Range](/source/Sophia_Range): On Nootka Island, on the peninsula between Esperanza Inlet and Nuchatlitz Inlet

1. [Genevieve Range](/source/Genevieve_Range): [Nootka Island](/source/Nootka_Island)

1. [Karmutzen Range](/source/Karmutzen_Range): Between Nimpkish Lake, Tlakwa Creek and Karmuzten Creek

1. [Hankin Range](/source/Hankin_Range): Between Nimpkish Lake and Bonanza Lake

1. [Franklin Range](/source/Franklin_Range): Near [Robson Bight](/source/Robson_Bight) on the [Johnstone Strait](/source/Johnstone_Strait) between the Tsitika River and Kokish River

1. [Bonanza Range](/source/Bonanza_Range): Between the Nimpkish River and the Tsitika River by Bonanza Lake

1. [Sutton Range](/source/Sutton_Range): Between Nimpkish River, White River, Oktwanch River, Gold River

1. [Newcastle Range](/source/Newcastle_Range): Johnstone Strait, west of Sayward-Kelsey Bay and east/north of Adams River

1. [Prince of Wales Range](/source/Prince_of_Wales_Range): East coast of Vancouver Island 40 km (25 mi) north of Campbell River

1. [Halifax Range](/source/Halifax_Range): Along Johnstone Strait between Amor de Cosmos Creek and Pye Creek

1. [Beaufort Range](/source/Beaufort_Range): North of [Port Alberni](/source/Port_Alberni%2C_British_Columbia) and west of [Qualicum Beach](/source/Qualicum_Beach%2C_British_Columbia)

1. [Pelham Range](/source/Pelham_Range): Between the Sarita River and Alberni Inlet

1. [Somerset Range](/source/Somerset_Range): Between The Pacheena-Sarita River basins and the Klanawa River (between Nitinat Lake and Imperial Eagle Channel)

1. [Seymour Range](/source/Seymour_Range): Between the valley of Cowichan Lake, San Juan River and Gordon River

1. [Gowlland Range](/source/Gowlland_Range): Near Victoria between [Saanich Inlet](/source/Saanich_Inlet) and Brentwood Bay. Includes [Mount Work Regional Park](/source/Mount_Work_Regional_Park)

1. [Pierce Range](/source/Pierce_Range): South of Gold River between the Jacklah River and the Burman River

1. [Haihte Range](/source/Haihte_Range): Between Tashsis River, the Nomash River, Zeballos Lake and Woss Lake

The [Elk River Mountains](/source/Elk_River_Mountains), located in [Strathcona Provincial Park](/source/Strathcona_Provincial_Park), are sometimes classified as a range.[2][*[incomplete short citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:CITESHORT)*]

## See also

- [Volcanism in Canada](/source/Volcanism_in_Canada)

- [Geology of the Pacific Northwest](/source/Geology_of_the_Pacific_Northwest)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Coast Mountains](http://www.bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1357) in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia. Retrieved 8 October 2007

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Philips

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Insular Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_Mountains) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_Mountains?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.