The
Northern Coast Ranges are a section of the California Coast Ranges. They run parallel to the
Pacific Coast from the
North San Francisco Bay Area to coastal
Del Norte County. The
Klamath Mountains, including the
Siskiyou Mountains sub-range, lie to the north and northeast. The Southern Coast Ranges lie to the south. meets the sea on the
Lost Coast.
Geography The Northern Coast Ranges run north–south parallel to the coast. Component ranges within the Northern Coast Ranges include the
Mendocino Range of western
Mendocino County and the
Mayacamas,
Sonoma, and
Vaca Mountains and the
Marin Hills of the
North Bay. They also include the
King Range, which meet the sea in the "
Lost Coast" region. The southernmost peak of the Northern Coast Ranges is
Mount Tamalpais. The highest point in the Northern Coast Ranges is
Mount Linn, at 8,098 ft. (2,468 m).
Outer and Inner ranges The Northern Coast Ranges consist of two main parallel belts of mountains, the Outer Northern Coast Ranges lying along the coast, and the Inner Northern Coast Ranges running inland to the east. They are separated by a long system of valleys. The northern valley portion is drained by the
Eel River and its tributaries, and the southern by the
Russian River. A series of short rivers, including the
Mattole,
Gualala, and
Navarro rivers, drain the western slopes of the ranges. The eastern slopes of the ranges drain into the
Sacramento Valley.
Clear Lake lies in the southeast portion of the range, and drains eastward via
Cache Creek.
U.S. Route 101 runs generally north–south in the valleys between the Outer and Inner Northern Coast Ranges.
Natural history of moist air coming off ocean produces clouds along the
Santa Lucia Range, of the California Coast Ranges System -
NOAA The seaward face of the coastal Outer Northern Coast Ranges is part of the
Northern California coastal forests ecoregion, home to lush forests of
Coast Redwood and
Coast Douglas-fir. The inland and dryer Inner Northern Coast Ranges are part of the
California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, home to a number of plant communities including:
mixed evergreen forest;
oak woodland; and
Interior chaparral and woodland. A major specific plant community of the inner ranges is
Mediterranean California Lower Montane Black Oak-Conifer Forest, which supports particularly high
biodiversity within the California Coast Ranges, including the nominate
California Black Oak. Columbian
Black-tailed Deer are the most widespread large mammal, after humans, of the Northern Coast Ranges. The rivers in the ranges are home to several species of
salmon. ==Southern Coast Ranges==