The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mica Peak and Krell Hill near Spokane and extend approximately north from the Canada–United States border to Kinbasket Lake, at the now-deserted location of the onetime fur company post, Boat Encampment. The range is bounded on its west, northeast and at its northern extremity by the Columbia River, or the reservoir lakes now filling most of that river's course. From the Columbia's confluence with the Beaver River, they are bounded on their east by the Purcell Trench, which contains the Beaver River, Duncan River, Duncan Lake, Kootenay Lake and the Kootenay River<!--south of the line can continue, don't know off-hand-->. The Selkirks are distinct from, and geologically older than, the Rocky Mountains. The neighboring Monashee and Purcell Mountains, and sometimes including the Cariboo Mountains to the northwest, are also part of the larger grouping of mountains known as the Columbia Mountains. A scenic highway loop, the International Selkirk Loop, encircles the southern portions of the mountain range.
The Selkirks were named after Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk.
Modern history
thumb|USGS surveyors on Scotchman Peak in 1900
In 1857 gold was discovered in the Selkirks. Coal, copper, marble, mercury, silver, and zinc were also found in the mountains.
South Selkirk mountain caribou
The southern end of the Selkirk Mountains was the home of the last naturally occurring caribou herd in the contiguous United States, the South Selkirk mountain caribou. The herd was cross boundary, spending some time in extreme northern Idaho, eastern Washington, and British Columbia, Canada. The South Selkirk mountain caribou is a woodland mountain caribou, an ecotype of the boreal woodland caribou, one of the most critically endangered mammals.
In 2009 the herd of 50 animals was declining. Predation from wolves that had been reintroduced to the area negatively affected the herd, and by April 2018, only three remained,
Sub-ranges
- Asulkan Range
- Battle Range
- Big Bend Ranges
- Adamant Range
- Sir Sandford Range
- Windy Range
- Bishops Range
- Bonnington Range
- Clachnacudainn Range
- Dawson Range
- Dishman Hills
- Duncan Ranges
- Badshot Range
- Goat Range
- Hermit Range
- Holiday Hills
- Huckleberry Range
- Kokanee Range
- Lardeau Range
- Nelson Range
- Purity Range
- Sir Donald Range
- Three Rocks
- Valhalla Ranges
- Ruby Range
- Valkyr Range
- Norns Range
Peaks
The 10 highest peaks
- Mount Sir Sandford (3,519 m)
- Mount Dawson (3,377 m)
- Mount Selwyn (3,355 m)
- Adamant Mountain (3,345 m)
- Austerity Mountain (3,337 m)
- Mount Wheeler (3,336 m)
- Grand Mountain (3,287 m)
- Mount Sir Donald (3,284 m)
- Sugarloaf Mountain (3,274 m)
- Beaver Mountain (3,212 m)