Western U.S. Mountains and Mountain Ranges Quiz

Answer: Sierra Nevada Mountains

Pedro Font, a member of the De Anza Expedition, was on the Coast Ranges to the west and saw a mountain range to the east across the Central Valley in 1776. He labeled the mountains "Sierra Nevada" on a map in 1777, even though that name was used earlier on a few smaller ranges. Translated from Spanish as "snow-covered mountains", the mountain range is 400 miles (644 km) long with twelve peaks over 14,000 feet (4,267 m) elevation.

Answer: Sandia

Although small (17 miles by 8 miles; 27 km by 13 km), the Sandia Mountains are the most visited mountains in New Mexico. Skiing, hiking, recreation areas and camping sites are some of the reasons for this popularity. They are located in Bernalillo and Sandavol Counties in the middle of the state.

Answer: John Sutter

John Sutter owned Sutter's Mill (a sawmill) on the South Fork of the American River in Coloma when gold was discovered by his partner James Marshall in 1848. The Sutter Buttes, located in northwest Sutter County, cover about 75 square miles (194 square kilometers) and can be seen from 100 miles (161 km) distance. Known by a few different names in the past, they were named Sutter Buttes in 1949.

Answer: Montana

Glacier National Park in Montana borders both British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The mountain ranges are part of the Rocky Mountains. Montana is the fourth largest U.S. state by area. Ranching, farming, coal mining, lumber, and tourism keep the economy healthy.

Answer: Cascade Range

Spanning 700 miles (1,125 km) from Lassen Peak in California to Lytton Mountain in British Columbia, the Cascade Range contains many volcanoes, including Mount Shasta in California, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount St. Helens in Washington and Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia. Lassen erupted from 1914-1917, and the last big 20th century eruption of St. Helens was in 1980.

Answer: Ben Lomond

Located north of Ogden, Ben Lomond was named after Ben Lomond in the Scottish Highlands. Early settlers to Utah thought their mountain reminded them of the Scottish one. Claimed to be the inspiration for the Paramount Pictures logo, the Utah peak is 9,712 ft (2,960 m) high, while the top of the one in Scotland is 974 m (3,196 ft).

Answer: Comstock Lode

The Comstock Lode was the first major silver discovery in the United States. There is a dispute as to who first found it in 1857 but by 1859 17,000 prospectors and speculators had teemed into the Washoe area of what was then the Utah Territory. Over the years the mine produced 192 million ounces of silver and 8.2 million ounces of gold. Most of Nevada was split off the Utah Territory and it became a state in 1864. Its nickname is The Silver State.

Answer: Bitterroot Range

Discovered in 1805 by Merriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Bitteroort Range is part of the Rocky Mountains. Trapper Peak (10,157 feet 3,096 m) is the highest of these mountains. The hardy bitterroot flower (Lewisia rediviva Pursh) became the state flower of Montana in 1895.

Answer: Superstition Mountains

The Superstition Mountains are east of Phoenix, Arizona. A man named Jacob Waltz discovered gold there in the late 1800s. He told his story to Julia Thomas but did not tell exactly where to find the gold. She went looking for it with two men after Waltz died in 1891. Unable to find it she began to sell maps - with misinformation - to make money.

A freelance writer interviewed her and the Lost Dutchman Mine became the stuff of legends. So many people have unsuccessfully searched for this mine that it probably doesn't exist.

Answer: Mt. POW/MIA

Mount POW/MIA in Alaska, one of the world's largest natural monuments, is 4,235 ft (1,291 m) high. It is named in honor of more than 630,000 soldiers of the United States who have been a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action. I tip my hat to John Morrissey, a Vietnam veteran, who was instrumental for having the previously unnamed mountain named as such in 1999.

The black flag also has the letters POW/MIA in white with the motto 'You Are Gone But Not Forgotten' also in white.