Its most prominent summits are Fremont Peak (13,720 ft.), ascended in 1842 by John C. Fremont; Gannett Peak (13,785 ft.), the highest in Wyoming, and Chimney Rock (13,340 ft.).
Numerous small glaciers are on the north-east slopes. The largest, Dinwoody, covers several square miles. The scenery and moun tains are distinctly alpine in character, with many fine waterfalls and lakes.
North-east of the Wind River Range, across the Big Horn Basin, lie the Big Horn mountains, a prodigious off-shoot of the main range towards the great plains, 120 m. long and 3o to so m. wide. The axis averages from ii,000 to 13,000 ft. in elevation, rising some 9,00o ft. above the neighbouring prairies. A few of the peaks surpass 13,000 ft. and bear small glaciers in their rugged amphitheatres. The highest summit is Cloud Peak (13,165 ft.).
The continental divide, however, leaves Yellowstone Park in a north-westerly direction. At the 114th meridian it swings off abruptly to the north-east through the Butte and Helena districts. Beyond this swing, the western axis of elevation continues north westward as the Bitterroot mountains to within 125 m. of the Canadian border. They form the boundary between Idaho and Montana, the average elevation being between 7,000 and 8,000 feet. The highest peaks occur on projecting lateral spurs-El Capitan (9,936 ft.) and St. Mary (9,333 ft.). This 125-m. in terval is filled by the Coeur d'Alene (6,000 ft.) and Cabinet ranges, the latter boasting of a glacier on Bear Peak (about 9,000 ft.). West of the Bitterroots in central Idaho lies a labyrinth of peaks and ridges (I i,000 to 12,00o ft.), Mt. Hyndman (12,078 ft.) being the highest in that State.
In the region of Butte and Helena, the continental divide is generally featureless, the passes around Butte averaging 6,000 ft. or less. Mullan Pass near Helena is 5,870 feet. The Anaconda range contains Mt. Haggin (10,598 ft.) and Mt. Evans (10,635 ft.). Beyond Helena, the divide veers to the north-north-west and follows the Lewis Range, which is so wild and rugged that no wagon roads cross it for 200 miles. Opposite to the Lewis Range,
the westerly margin of the Rockies is defined by the White Fish Range (west of the north fork of Flathead river) and the Mission Range (6o m. long, south-east of Flathead lake). The latter cul minates in the glacier-bearing Mt. MacDonald (9,800 ft.). Be tween the Mission and Lewis ranges is the Swan range (Mt. Holland, 10,400 ft.). The principal continental pass hereabouts is Marias Pass (5,213 ft.), crossed by the Great Northern Railroad.
The finest scenery in this quarter is within Glacier National park (see NATIONAL PARKS) with 20 peaks between 9,00o and 10,000 ft. and six between I o,000 and 10,438 feet. Mt. Cleveland is the loftiest summit. The park contains about 4o small glaciers and several large ones (from two to five sq.m. apiece), besides a myriad of attractive lakes.
The Rockies proper, a belt averaging some 7o m. across, are here considered as dissociated from the adjoining groups of the Purcells, Selkirks, Columbia and Pacific coast moun tains. Prominent passes of the divide are : Crows Nest Pass (C.P.R.R.), 4,453 ft.; Vermillion Pass (motor road), 5,376 ft.; Kicking Horse Pass (C.P.R.R.), 5,320 ft., and Yellowhead Pass (C.N.R.R.), 3,711 ft. Proceeding north-westerly from the U.S. boundary, there are no glaciers for I oo m., the peaks being mostly below 9,00o feet. A little farther on is Mt. Joffre (11,316 ft.), the first real glacier-hung peak. From here to beyond Mt. Robson (12,975 ft., the highest of all) the system is continuously alpine for about 275 miles. Two hundred miles from the boundary the Canadian Pacific railway crosses the chain near the famous Lake Louise. Halfway between this and Mt. Joffre stands the hand some Mt. Assiniboine (11,870 ft.). In the 15o m. gap between the C.P.R.R. and the Canadian National railway at Jasper, are situated Mt. Forbes (11,902 ft.) and Mt. Columbia (12,294 ft.), the fifth and second in rank in the Canadian Rockies respectively. In these mountains about so peaks surpass ii,000 feet. Glaciers and snowfields abound, and with the neighbouring groups just mentioned there is presented the best sweep of truly alpine terri tory to be found in America short of Alaska. The north-westerly soo m. of the range are imperfectly known, although the moun tains are lower. (See MOUNTAINEERING: section United States.)