| Hart Ranges | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Hart Ranges | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Ovington |
| Elevation | 2,941 m (9,649 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Ranges of the Canadian Rockies |
| Coordinates | 54°08′40″N120°34′15″W / 54.14444°N 120.57083°W /54.14444; -120.57083[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 282 km (175 mi) NW-SE[2] |
| Width | 367 km (228 mi) |
| Area | 13,584 km2 (5,245 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
| Country | Canada |
| Provinces | British Columbia and Alberta |
| Range coordinates | 55°0′N122°30′W / 55.000°N 122.500°W /55.000; -122.500[3] |
| Parent range | Canadian Rockies |
| Borders on |
|
| Topo map | NTS 93O1Mount Reynolds[3] |
TheHart Ranges are amajor subrange of theCanadian Rockies located in northeasternBritish Columbia and westernAlberta. The mountains constitute the southernmost portion of theNorthern Rocky Mountains.
The Hart Ranges were named in honour ofBritish Columbia PremierJohn Hart, as is the highway which traverses thePine Pass in the northern part of the range, connecting thenorth-central Interior of the province to thePeace River Regional District to the northeast.[4]
The boundaries of the Hart Ranges are theRocky Mountain Trench and theMcGregor Plateau on the west/southwest, the Peace Reach ofWilliston Lake on the north, a certain line of demarcation with theRocky Mountain Foothills to the east/northeast, and the Jarvis Creek to the south.[5][6]
The Hart Ranges is home to twoultra-prominent peaks,Mount Crysdale andMount Ovington.Mount Ida andMount Sir Alexander are south of Jarvis Creek and are in theContinental Ranges, which comprise the main and best-known part of the Rocky Mountains and run all the way south toMarias Pass inMontana.
Official subdivisions of the Hart Ranges include the:
Other areas of the Hart Ranges have no subdesignations though the area around Mount Sir Alexander has been dubbed the Mount Sir Alexander Group by The Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia; however, this is not an official designation.
The Hart Ranges are the location of a number of large coal mines focused on the remote communities ofTumbler Ridge andChetwynd.
The southernmost tip of the mountain range is preserved withinKakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area. Other provincial parks located within the range includeMonkman Provincial Park andHole-in-the-Wall Provincial Park.