WRANGELL MOUNTAINS

segment of the Pacific Coast Ranges, western North America, extending southward in southeastern Alaska, U.S., for about 100 miles (160 km), from the Copper River to the St. Elias Mountains near the Yukon border. Many peaks exceed 10,000 feet (3,000 m), including Mount Blackburn (16,390 feet ), the highest point in the range, and Mount Sanford (16,237 feet ). Snowfields drain into glaciers as long as 45 miles (72 km). Most of the summits are extinct volcanoes; Mount Wrangell (14,163 feet ) was the last to approach the dormant stage. Rich copper deposits were discovered north of McCarthy in the early 20th century, and some gold, copper, and zinc mining continues. The mountains are named for Ferdinand P. Wrangel, a 19th-century Russian explorer, and they form a major part of the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve.