Aug 28 2026
Nounou Mountain | Sleeping Giant Rising above the communities of Wailua and Kapaʻa on the eastern side of Kauaʻi, Nounou Mountain is one of the island’s most recognizable landmarks. Better known as the Sleeping Giant, its long, irregular ridge resembles the outline of a person lying on their back when viewed from the coast. Nounou …
Aug 06 2026
Mountain passes have shaped human history for thousands of years. These natural corridors through otherwise formidable mountain ranges have guided traders, pilgrims, armies, explorers, settlers, railways, and modern highways across some of the most challenging landscapes on Earth. Some passes are famous for dramatic scenery and winding roads. Others became strategically important gateways between countries, …
Jul 28 2026
A subrange is a smaller mountain range that forms part of a larger range, mountain system, or cordillera. It has its own recognizable peaks, ridges, valleys, and geographical identity, but it remains connected to a broader mountain region. The Great Smoky Mountains, for example, are commonly treated as a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. The …
Jul 28 2026
The words mountain, peak, and summit are often used interchangeably. A climber might say they are ascending a mountain, approaching the peak, or standing on the summit—all while referring to the same landscape. The terms are closely related, but they do not describe exactly the same thing. A mountain is the entire elevated landform, including …
Jul 28 2026
A mountain belt is a long, broad region containing multiple mountain ranges and other landforms that share a connected geological history. Mountain belts commonly extend for hundreds or thousands of kilometers and may include parallel ranges, high plateaus, deep valleys, volcanic arcs, fault zones, and sedimentary basins. The term is especially useful in geology because …
Jul 28 2026
A cordillera is an extensive chain or system of mountain ranges. Rather than describing one isolated ridge or a single line of peaks, the term usually refers to a broad mountainous region containing several connected or parallel ranges. A cordillera may also include high plateaus, intermontane basins, deep valleys, volcanic belts, foothills, and other related …
Jul 28 2026
The terms mountain chain and mountain range are often used interchangeably. Both describe groups of mountains connected by geography, geology, or a shared pattern of uplift. However, the two terms can emphasize slightly different characteristics. A mountain chain usually highlights a long, narrow, or visibly linear sequence of mountains. A mountain range is the more …
Jul 28 2026
Mountain ranges are among the most impressive features on Earth. They rise above surrounding landscapes, influence regional climates, provide habitats for countless species, and form the headwaters of many of the world’s largest rivers. This map highlights many of the world’s major mountain ranges, from the Rockies and Andes in the Americas to the Alps, …
Jul 27 2026
Bighorn sheep are among North America’s most recognizable mountain animals. With muscular bodies, remarkable climbing ability and massive curling horns, these wild sheep are perfectly adapted to steep cliffs, rocky canyons and exposed alpine slopes. The species once occupied mountainous landscapes across much of western North America in enormous numbers. Although hunting, disease and habitat …
Jul 27 2026
A pale flash appears between the trees. For an instant, the forest seems empty—then a brown shape bounds through the undergrowth with its tail raised like a white flag. The white-tailed deer is one of North America’s most recognizable wild animals. It inhabits hardwood forests, mountain valleys, prairie edges, river bottoms, farmland, wetlands, and even …
