The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain range

Mountain range

A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...

s located in southeastern British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, and partially in Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

, Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

 and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench

Rocky Mountain Trench

The Rocky Mountain Trench, or the Trench or The Valley of a Thousand Peaks, is a large valley in the northern part of the Rocky Mountains. It is both visually and cartographically a striking physiographic feature extending approximately from Flathead Lake, Montana, to the Liard River, just south...

 on the east, and the Kootenay River

Kootenay River

The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...

 on the south; their western boundary is the edge of the Interior Plateau

Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west. The continuation of the plateau into the United States is known there as the...

. Seventy-five percent of the range is located in Canada and the remaining twenty-five percent in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

; American geographic classifications place the Columbia Mountains as part of the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 complex but this designation does not apply in Canada (despite a British Columbia government tourism campaign to rebrand their southern portion as the "Kootenay Rockies"). Mount Sir Sandford

Mount Sir Sandford

Mount Sir Sandford is the highest mountain of the Sir Sandford Range and of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the 12th highest peak in the province. The mountain was named after Sir Sandford Fleming, a railway engineer for the Canadian...

 is the tallest mountain in the range reaching 3519 metres (11,545 ft).

Mountain Ranges

The Columbia Mountains are made up of four large ranges:

• Cariboo Mountains
  Cariboo Mountains
  The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...
  
  
  • Lunn Icefield
  • Mowdish Range
    Mowdish Range
    The Mowdish Range is a mountain range in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 303 km2 and is a subrange of the Cariboo Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains.-References:...
    
    
  • Premier Range
    Premier Range
    The Premier Range is a group of mountains within the Cariboo Mountains of east-central British Columbia, Canada. The range is bounded by the Rausch River and Kiwa Creek to the north, the North Thompson River on the south and west and the Fraser River and its tributaries to the east.In 1927, the...
    
    
  • Vimy Ridge
    Vimy Ridge (British Columbia)
    Vimy Ridge is a mountain ridge in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 8 km2 and is a subrange of the Cariboo Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains....
    
    
  • Wavy Range
    Wavy Range
    The Wavy Range is a small mountain range east of Murtle Lake in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 102 km2 and is a subrange of the Cariboo Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains.-References:...
    
    
• Monashee Mountains
  Monashee Mountains
  The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range mostly in British Columbia, Canada, extending into the U.S. state of Washington. They stretch from north to south and from east to west. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains...
  
  
  • Anstey Range
    Anstey Range
    The Anstey Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located east of the Seymour Arm of Shuswap Lake, south of Ratchford Creek and between the Perry River on the east. It has an area of 507 km2 and is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains which in turn form part of the...
    
    
  • Christina Range
    Christina Range
    The Christina Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located roughly north of Grand Forks, between Lower Arrow Lake and the Granby River. It has an area of 2442 km2 and is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia...
    
    
  • Gold Range
    Gold Range
    The Gold Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains in the southern British Columbia Interior. Originally a term used to describe all of the Monashees between the Arrow Lakes and the Okanagan, the term today only applies to a narrow stretch of the Monashee Mountains' eastern flank adjoining...
    
    
  • Jordan Range
    Jordan Range
    The Jordan Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located northwest of Revelstoke, between the Columbia River and the Perry River, to the north of Three Valley Gap . It has an area of 634 km2 and is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains which in turn form part of...
    
    
  • Kettle River Range
    Kettle River Range
    The Kettle River Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and north-central Washington state, United States. It has an area of 4345 km2 and is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains which in turn form part of the Columbia Mountains.-References:...
    
    
  • Malton Range
    Malton Range
    The Malton Range is a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of the Canoe Reach of Kinbasket Lake and east of the Albreda River, north of Dominion Mountain. It has an area of 451 km2 and is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains which in turn form part of the...
    
    
  • Midway Range
    Midway Range
    The Midway Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains, located between the Kettle and Granby Rivers in British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Ratchford Range
    Ratchford Range
    The Ratchford Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, located east of the Seymour River in British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Rossland Range
    Rossland Range
    The Rossland Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, located between the Columbia River and Big Sheep Creek in British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Scrip Range
    Scrip Range
    The Scrip Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, located on the west side of Lake Revelstoke and north of Hoskins Creek in British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Whatshan Range
    Whatshan Range
    The Whatshan Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located south of South Fosthall Creek.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
    • The Pinnacles
• Selkirk Mountains
  Selkirk Mountains
  The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia. They begin at Mica Peak near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and extend approximately 320 km north from the border. The range is bounded on its west,...
  
  
  • Asulkan Range
  • Battle Range
    Battle Range
    The Battle Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Incomappleux River and Duncan River south of Battle Brook.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Big Bend Ranges
    Big Bend Ranges
    The Big Bend Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located in Big Bend of the Columbia River north of the Illecillewaet River.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
    • Adamant Range
      Adamant Range
      The Adamant Range is a subrange of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on the west side of Columbia Reach, Kinbasket Lake, north of Glacier National Park.-References:...
      
      
    • Sir Sandford Range
      Sir Sandford Range
      The Sir Sandford Range is a subrange of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Gold River and Palmer Creek just southwest of the Gold Arm of Kinbasket Lake.-References:...
      
      
    • Windy Range
      Windy Range
      The Windy Range is a subrange of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on the west side of Columbia Reach, Kinbasket Lake north of Windy Creek.-References:...
      
      
  • Bishops Range
  • Bonnington Range
    Bonnington Range
    The Bonnington Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Salmo River and Columbia River south of Nelson.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Clachnacudainn Range
    Clachnacudainn Range
    The Clachnacudainn Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located within Mount Revelstoke National Park, just northeast of Revelstoke.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Dawson Range
    Dawson Range (British Columbia)
    The Dawson Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
  • Duncan Ranges
    Duncan Ranges
    The Duncan Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of the Duncan River, southeast of Revelstoke.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
    • Badshot Range
      Badshot Range
      The Badshot Range is a subrange of the Duncan Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Duncan Lake and Westfall River east of Trout Lake.-References:...
      
      
  • Goat Range
  • Hermit Range
  • Kokanee Range
    Kokanee Range
    The Kokanee Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located between the valley of the Slocan River and that of Kootenay Lake , and to the north of the Kootenay River and the West Arm of Kootenay Lake...
    
    
    • Slocan Ranges
  • Lardeau Range
  • Nelson Range
    Nelson Range
    The Nelson Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the west arm of Kootenay Lake between the Salmo and Kootenay Rivers and also to the west of the south arm of Kootenay Lake...
    
    
  • Purity Range
  • Sir Donald Range
  • Valhalla Ranges
    Valhalla Ranges
    The Valhalla Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Lower Arrow Lake of the Arrow Lakes and Slocan River.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
    
    
    • Ruby Range
      Ruby Range (Valhalla Ranges)
      The Ruby Range is a subrange of the Valhalla Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of the northern end of Slocan Lake.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
      
      
  • Valkyr Range
    Valkyr Range
    The Valkyr Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on the east side of Lower Arrow Lake west of Nelson.-References:*. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia. Bivouac.com....
    
    
    • Norns Range
      Norns Range
      The Norns Range is a subrange of the Valkyr Range of the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of junction of Little Slocan River and Slocan River north of Castegar.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
      
      
• Purcell Mountains
  Purcell Mountains
  The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the area of the Columbia Valley, and on...
  
   (Percell Mountains in the United States
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
  )
  • Carbonate Range
  • Dogtooth Range
  • Farnham Group
    Farnham Group
    The Farnham Group is a sub-range of the Purcell Mountains, containing the highest summit of that range, Mount Farnham....
    
    
  • MacBeth Group
  • McGillivary Range
  • Moyie Range
  • Septet Range
  • Spillimacheen Range
  • Starbird Ridge
    • Commander Group
  • Stockdale Group
  • Toby Glacier
    Toby Glacier
    Toby Glacier is a section of the Purcell Mountains. It covers and area of . Its main drainage basin is Toby Creek....
    
    
  • Truce Group
  • Yahk Range

Additionally lower areas to the west of the main ranges are sometimes included in the description of the Cariboo Mountains:

• Quesnel Highland
  Quesnel Highland
  The Quesnel Highland is a geographic area in the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. As defined by BC government geographer in Landforms of British Columbia, an account and analysis of British Columbia geography that is often cited as authoritative...
  
  
  • Gosse Range
  • Palmer Range
  • Goose Range
  • Palmer Range
• Shuswap Highland
  Shuswap Highland
  The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area of in British Columbia, Canada. It spans the upland area between the Bonaparte and Thompson Plateaus from the area of Mahood Lake, at the southeast corner of the Cariboo Plateau, southeast towards the lower Shuswap River east of Vernon in the...
  
  
  • Hunters Range
  • Mabel Range
  • Park Range
  • Sawtooth Range
    Sawtooth Range (British Columbia)
    The Sawtooth Range is a subrange of the Shuswap Highland area of the centralMonashee Mountains in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is located between Mabel Lake and Sugar Lake and bounded on the south by the upper Shuswap River...
    
    
  • Seymour Range
  • Shuswap Range
  • Silver Hills
    Silver Hills
    Silver Hills Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode, is a Christian minority institution under the management of CMI Fathers of St. Thomas Province, Kozhikode, who run several educational institutions at all levels in India. The CMI society was founded by Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara...
    
    
  • Trinity Hills
• Okanagan Highland
  Okanagan Highland
  The Okanagan Highland is a plateau-like hilly area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington . It lies between the Okanagan Valley on its west and the Kettle River on its east, and geologically is more or less an extension of the Thompson Plateau, which lies west of the Okanagan...
  
  
  • Beaverdell Range
    Beaverdell Range
    The Beaverdell Range is a subrange of the Okanagan Highland in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, located between the West Kettle and Kettle Rivers, and running nearly due south from Big White Mountain, which is its highest summit, and the highest in the Okanagan Highland, and lies near the...
    
    

Some classification systems end the Columbia Mountains at the North Thompson River

Thompson River

The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...

, such that the Cariboo Mountains

Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...

 are assigned to the Interior Plateau

Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west. The continuation of the plateau into the United States is known there as the...

. Where the Columbia Mountains meet the Interior Plateau

Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west. The continuation of the plateau into the United States is known there as the...

 there are intermediary areas known as highlands - the Quesnel Highland (west flank of the Cariboos

Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...

), the Shuswap Highland (south of the Cariboos

Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...

 and west of the northern Monashees

Monashee Mountains

The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range mostly in British Columbia, Canada, extending into the U.S. state of Washington. They stretch from north to south and from east to west. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains...

), and the Okanagan Highland (west of the southern Monashees

Monashee Mountains

The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range mostly in British Columbia, Canada, extending into the U.S. state of Washington. They stretch from north to south and from east to west. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains...

). These are listed here but are often considered to be part of the Interior Plateau

Interior Plateau

The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west. The continuation of the plateau into the United States is known there as the...

.

Some geographic classifications also include the Cabinet Mountains

Cabinet Mountains

The Cabinet Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in northwest Montana and the Idaho panhandle, in the United States. The mountains cover an area of 2,134 square miles...

 and Salish Mountains

Salish Mountains

The Salish Mountains are located in the northwest corner of the U.S. State of Montana....

, which lie south of the Purcells between the Kootenai River and the Clark Fork of the Columbia, but in US classification systems they are generally considered to be part of the Rocky Mountains.

Physiographically, they are a distinct province of the larger Rocky Mountain System

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 physiographic division.

Mountains

The following mountains are the 10 highest mountains (in order) contained within the Columbian Mountains:

• Mount Sir Sandford
  Mount Sir Sandford
  Mount Sir Sandford is the highest mountain of the Sir Sandford Range and of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the 12th highest peak in the province. The mountain was named after Sir Sandford Fleming, a railway engineer for the Canadian...
  
   (3,519 m) (Selkirks)
• Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier
  Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier
  Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a mountain located in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is the tallest in the Premier Range, which is located just west of Valemount....
  
   (3,516 m) (Cariboos)
• Mount Farnham
  Mount Farnham
  Mount Farnham is British Columbia's 17th highest peak, and 21st most prominence. It was named after Paulding Farnham from New York....
  
   (3,493 m) (Purcells)
• Mount Jumbo
  Mount Jumbo
  Mount Jumbo is an iconic mountain that overlooks the city of Missoula, Montana. The mountain is northeast of the city’s downtown and, in its majority, is publicly owned. In 1996, Jumbo was purchased from private landowners and protected from development...
  
   (3,437 m) (Purcells)
• Howser Spire
  Howser Spire
  Howser Spire or Howser Spire Massif, is a group of three distinct granite peaks, and the highest mountain of the Canadian Bugaboo Spires. The mountain is located at the southwest corner of the Vowell Glacier, within the Bugaboo mountain range in the Purcell Mountains, a subrange of British...
  
   (3,412 m) (Purcells)
• Mount Delphine (3,406 m) (Purcells)
• Mount Sir John Abbott
  Mount Sir John Abbott
  Mount Sir John Abbott is a mountain located at co-ordinates in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains in the east-central interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the south end of the west wall of Kiwa Glacier....
  
   (3,398 m) (Cariboos)
• Mount Hammond (3,387 m) (Purcells)
• Mount Dawson (3,377 m) (Selkirks)
• Eyebrow Peak (3,362 m) (Purcells)

Passes

The following passes are located within or on the perimeter of the Columbia Mountains:

• Cedarside Pass (Fraser and Columbia Rivers 800m)
• Canal Flats (Columbia and Kootenay Rivers)
• Rogers Pass
  Rogers Pass
  Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
  
   (between Revelstoke and Golden)
• Kootenay Pass
  Kootenay Pass
  Kootenay Pass, known locally as "the Salmo-Creston" is a mountain pass in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is utilized by the Crowsnest Highway to transverse the Selkirks, connecting the communities of Salmo and Creston...
  
   (between Trail and Creston)
• Eagle Pass (between Revelstoke and Sicamous)
• Monashee Pass
  Monashee Pass
  Monashee Pass, , is a mountain pass in the Monashee Mountains of the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Located southeast of Cherryvile and is used by British Columbia Highway 6 connecting Vernon to Nakusp on Arrow Lake, and beyond to the cities of the West Kootenay. It is the "prominence...
  
   (BC Hwy 6)
• Bonanza Pass
  Bonanza Pass
  Bonanza Pass, also known as the Blueberry-Paulson, is mountain pass in the Monashee Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is utilized by the Crowsnest Highway to traverse the Monashees, and informally separates the Kootenays to the east from the Boundary Country to the west.-External links:*...
  
  (Christina Lake to Castlegar/Rossland)

Sources

• Columbia Mountains on Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia