Cascade Mountains, USA

The Cascade Mountains are a mountain range stretching across the states of California, Washington, Oregon, and southern British Columbia. There are several snow-capped volcanic peaks in the high elevations. The most famous, Mount St. Helens, erupted powerfully in 1980, sweeping forests down the slope and showering northern areas of the United States with volcanic ash. After 1980, the volcano was declared a national monument to preserve the area and allow scientists to observe this natural phenomenon undisturbed. The mountain range also includes many sights that are not volcanic in nature. Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge, and Crater Lake are just a few. Millions of tourists visit this area to canoe and climb in the summer and ski in the winter.