| Whitefish Range | |
| Other Name: | Whitefish-MacDonald Range |
| Photo Size: | 300 |
| Country Type: | Countries |
| Subdivision1 Type: | States |
| Settlement Type: | Settlements |
| Area Mi2: | 1726 |
| Length Mi: | 76 |
| Length Orientation: | North-south |
| Width Mi: | 58 |
| Width Orientation: | East-west |
| Highest: | Mount Doupe |
| Highest Location: | British Columbia, Canada |
| Elevation Ft: | 8740 |
| Coordinates: | 48.85°N -151°W |
| Map: | USA Montana |
The Whitefish Range is a mountain range stretching north-south from British Columbia, Canada to Montana, United States. It is about 76miles long and 58miles wide. Water flowing from its east side drains down the North Fork Flathead River and its west side drains into the Whitefish River, both part of the Columbia River drainage basin.[1]
The mountain range is located north of Columbia Falls and Whitefish in the Flathead Valley, and east of Eureka. The Flathead River separates it from the Swan Range, which would otherwise continue the mountain range southwards.
The Whitefish Range, however, is not particularly high. The highest peaks in the U.S. are Nasukoin Mountain, 8086feet, and Lake Mountain, 7814feet.[1] In Canada, the highest peak is Mount Doupe, 8740feet.[2]
The Whitefish Range is located west of Glacier National Park and consists mostly of wilderness. It supports a variety of conifers including western red cedar, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and western larch, but much of the region has been devastated by forest fires. The area also supports large mammals including black bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions, and other species of fish, small mammals, and amphibians.[2]
In the U.S., a large portion of the range has been removed from multiple use designation, including the 34,000-acre Ten Lakes Wilderness Study Area on the Kootenai National Forest. Ten Lakes WSA contains more than 89 miles of trails, many mountain lakes, alpine peaks, and views into Canada and Glacier National Park.[3]
Poorman Mountain (Montana) is a mountain peak in Montana within the Whitefish Range. Poorman Mountain has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
There is no weather station, but this climate table contains interpolated data. There is a SNOTEL weather station below Stahl Peak (Montana). Stahl Peak also has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) but has an overall warmer climate, due to its lower elevation.