US Mountain Ranges Quiz

Rockies, Appalachians, Sierra Nevada, Cascades: match each range to its highest peak and its state, from Denali to Mount Marcy.

Denali rises 20,310 feet, the Tetons are under 10 million years old and the Appalachians formed 500 to 300 million years ago. Test yourself on the mountain ranges in the US and their highest peaks, then check the full list.

How the US mountain ranges quiz works

Questions come in five kinds: which range a peak is in, the highest peak of a range, which state a peak is in, which range reaches a given state, and which of two peaks is higher. Two peaks are only compared when one is at least 10% higher, so no question hangs on a survey difference. Easy asks only the first three kinds; Medium and up add the state and height questions. The wrong answers always come from a different part of the country, so a sub-range of the Rockies is never offered against the Rockies themselves.

Mountain ranges in the US and their highest peaks

Range	Highest peak	State	Height
Alaska Range	Denali (Mount McKinley)	Alaska	20,310 ft (6,190 m)
Saint Elias Mountains	Mount Saint Elias	Alaska	18,008 ft (5,489 m)
Sierra Nevada	Mount Whitney	California	14,505 ft (4,421 m)
Rocky Mountains	Mount Elbert	Colorado	14,433 ft (4,399 m)
Cascade Range	Mount Rainier	Washington	14,410 ft (4,392 m)
Wind River Range	Gannett Peak	Wyoming	13,804 ft (4,207 m)
Teton Range	Grand Teton	Wyoming	13,770 ft (4,197 m)
Uinta Mountains	Kings Peak	Utah	13,528 ft (4,123 m)
Guadalupe Mountains	Guadalupe Peak	Texas	8,751 ft (2,667 m)
Olympic Mountains	Mount Olympus	Washington	7,980 ft (2,432 m)
Black Hills	Black Elk Peak	South Dakota	7,242 ft (2,207 m)
Appalachian Mountains	Mount Mitchell	North Carolina	6,684 ft (2,037 m)
Great Smoky Mountains	Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome)	Tennessee and North Carolina	6,643 ft (2,025 m)
White Mountains	Mount Washington	New Hampshire	6,288 ft (1,917 m)
Adirondack Mountains	Mount Marcy	New York	5,344 ft (1,629 m)

The big four

Rocky Mountains: more than 100 named ranges stretching from Canada to central New Mexico, through Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Mount Elbert in Colorado is the highest, and the second-highest peak in the lower 48. The Teton and Wind River ranges in Wyoming are both part of the Rockies.
Appalachian Mountains: about 1,500 miles from Newfoundland to central Alabama, formed when continents collided 500 to 300 million years ago. In their prime they probably had peaks as high as the Alps; they have since eroded to more modest heights. Mount Mitchell, in North Carolina's Black Mountains, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi.
Sierra Nevada: about 400 miles down eastern California, a block of crust tilted westward, with the highest peaks on its steep eastern edge. Mount Whitney is the highest point in the lower 48.
Cascade Range: a line of volcanoes from Lassen Peak in northern California through Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the highest.

Records and renamings

Highest peak in the US: Denali, 20,310 ft by the 2015 GPS survey. Its federal name was changed back to Mount McKinley in 2025; the national park around it is still Denali National Park and Preserve.
Highest point east of the Rockies: Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills, called Harney Peak until 2016.
Highest peak in the Smokies and in Tennessee: Kuwohi, called Clingmans Dome until its Cherokee name was restored in 2024.
Youngest range in the Rockies: the Tetons, rising for less than 10 million years.
Highest peak in the Northeast: Mount Washington in New Hampshire's White Mountains.

Sources

Heights and descriptions from the National Park Service (Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Mount Rainier, Grand Teton, Guadalupe Mountains, Olympic, Great Smoky Mountains, Mount Mitchell), the US Geological Survey, the USDA Forest Service (Mount Elbert, Gannett Peak), the Utah Geological Survey (Kings Peak), New Hampshire State Parks (Mount Washington) and New York State DEC (Mount Marcy), checked October 2026. Published heights differ by a few feet between surveys and vertical datums, which is why the quiz never compares close peaks.

Keep going

The world's highest: Tallest Mountains Quiz
The states these ranges run through: US States by Region
The 50 states from the outline: Guess the State by Shape

Frequently asked questions

What are the major mountain ranges in the US?

The Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range and, in Alaska, the Alaska Range and the Saint Elias Mountains. Smaller ranges include the Olympic Mountains, the Black Hills, the Adirondacks and the White Mountains.

What is the highest mountain in the US?

Denali in Alaska's Alaska Range, 20,310 ft (6,190 m). Its federal name became Mount McKinley again in 2025.

What is the highest mountain in the lower 48 states?

Mount Whitney in California's Sierra Nevada, 14,505 ft (4,421 m). Mount Elbert in Colorado's Rockies is second at 14,433 ft.

What is the oldest mountain range in the US?

The Appalachians, formed 500 to 300 million years ago. They run about 1,500 miles from Newfoundland to central Alabama.

Is the quiz free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, and your best score for each difficulty is saved in this browser.