The Cascade Mountain Range is about 700 miles long, extending from southwestern British Columbia, Canada south through Washington and Oregon, into north-central California (see map). This mountain chain consists of a series of volcanoes and innumerable smaller vents and cones located about 80 to 150 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Four (4) national parks are situated within the Cascades, including North Cascades National Park in north-central Washington, Mount Rainier in west- central Washington, Crater Lake in south-central Oregon, and Lassen National Park, centered on Mount Lassen, the southern-most Cascade peak, situated in north- central California.
Many peaks exceed 10,000 feet (3,000 m), including Mount Hood (11,235 feet [3,424 m], highest point in Oregon) and Mount Rainier (14,410 feet [4,392 m], highest in Washington and in the Cascade Range). Most of the summits are extinct volcanoes, but Lassen Peak (10,457 feet [3,187 m]) and several others have erupted in the recent past. Mount Baker (10,778 feet [3,285 m]) steamed heavily in 1975, and Mount St. Helens (8,365 feet [2,550 m]) erupted in 1980 and again in 1981.
