Tallest Mountain by State

Alaska

Alaska is home to many mountain ranges that span across the entire state, and some parts of neighboring Canada. One of the world’s greatest natural masterpieces is the Alaska range, which spans 600 miles of south-central Alaska and arcs between the Yukon border and the Aleutian Mountains. The range is formed by the subduction of the Pacific Plate, which is located under the mainland of the North American continent. The fault-struck mountains are still rising, averaging between 7 to 9 thousand feet high in the sky. The central section shoves much higher at its peak - called the king peak. The king peak is massive, making it one of the highest peaks in the world at 20,310 feet. Another peak, called the Wickersham wall, rises more than 14,000 feet, which is just a few feet higher than Mount Everest from the base of the mountain to its summit.

The ecosystem and climate is a Boreal forest, which laps around the margins of the Alaska Range mountains. While conifers may dot the lower valleys of the mountain, the flanks of this range are covered in tundra and glacial ice. The mountain range is home to Denali National Park, where many come for the clear views of the Denali. Visitors to the national park often see caribou, sheep, moose, grizzlies, and lynx.

California

Unsurprisingly, the Sierra Nevada mountain range is one of the largest mountain ranges in America and the North American continent itself. The highest peak is a 14,505-foot rise from base to summit called Mount Whitney. Whitney is part of the Muir Crest which is one of two crowning mountain groups within the 400-plus mile range. The Sierra Nevada is considered the longest contiguous mountain range in a group called the Lower 48, which is local to the area. The Rockies and Appalachians, for example, are much lengthier, but they are separated into many subranges that are considered individual, which makes them technically sparse and not continuous.

The Sierra Nevada mountain range is home to the sparkling granitic domes and Rocklands of the Sierra Batholith, which has many different types of rock formations available to peruse at your heart’s content. There are dark volcanic rock samples and one of the world’s best alpine scenery. The considered forests contain a tremendous amount of diversity and stature. parks found within the mountain range are well known, such as Yosemite park and the Sequoia-Kings canyon.

Colorado

In the heart of the southern Rocky Mountains lies another large mountain range called the Sawatch Range, found in Colorado. It is the highest point in the entire Rockies. The highest point is the 14,000-foot-tall mountain named Mount Elbert, but various other peaks are similar in height. One of the most famous points is the 14,011-foot Mount of the Holy Cross which is named for its impressive ecological phenomena where it snows in the northeastern field.

San Isabel and White River national forests are found within the range which feeds the waters of the Mississippi river.