ALASKA RANGE

segment of the Pacific Coast Ranges that extends generally northward and eastward in an arc for about 400 miles (640 km) from the Aleutian Range to the Yukon boundary in southern Alaska, U.S. Mount McKinley (20,320 feet ), near the centre of the range, in Denali National Park, is the highest point in North America. Many nearby peaks exceed 13,000 feet (3,960 m), including Mounts Silverthrone, Hunter, Hayes, and Foraker. Drained by the Yukon River (north) and the Pacific Ocean (south), the mountains separate the interior tundra prairie from the Pacific coastal region. The peaks present many challenges to climbers, while tourists are attracted by the enormous glaciers and Arctic scenery. The range is crossed at Isabel Pass by the trans-Alaskan oil pipeline en route to its southern terminal at Valdez.