Alaska is home to some of the most impressive mountain ranges in the world. The Alaska Range contains Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet. The Wrangell Mountains hold some of the largest glaciers on the continent. With rugged peaks, hidden valleys, and extremes of weather, the mountains of Alaska inspire curiosity and wonder.
What are some good riddles about mountains in Alaska?
Here are 51 riddles about the mountains of Alaska to challenge your mind and inspire you to learn more about this incredible landscape:
Riddles about Denali and other famous peaks
1. I’m the tallest mountain peak in North America, towering over 20,000 feet. Climbers brave bitter cold and high winds to stand atop my summit. What mountain am I?
Answer: Denali
2. I’m a mountain that pioneered explorer Walter Harper named after the 37th president of the USA back in 1913. I’m one of Denali’s neighboring peaks. What mountain am I?
Answer: Mount Foraker
3. My name comes from the Athabaskan word for “the high one.” I span the south sides of the Alaska Range not far from Denali. What peak am I?
Answer: Mount Hunter
Riddles about mountain ranges
4. We’re a subrange of the Alaska Range with such extreme relief, we’re almost like an island in the sky. Hardy ice climbers test their mettle on our frigid granite spires. What are we?
Answer: The Ruth Gorge and the Moose’s Tooth
5. Located in Southeast Alaska, I’m a remote icy wilderness rich in marine life. Humpback whales feast in my offshore waters. Mountain goats roam my peaks and valleys. What mountain range am I?
Answer: The Fairweather Range
6. Volcanic in origin, my highest peak is Blackburn Mountain at just 4,996 feet elevation. Hundreds of small glaciers nestle into my valleys and ridges. What relatively petite range am I?
Answer: The Aleutian Range
Riddles about mountain weather and climate
7. Bitterly cold and windy, I’m one of the most unbearable mountain weather phenomena. I can chill you to the bone and whip up blinding whiteout blizzard conditions. What am I?
Answer: Katabatic wind
8. Elusive and otherworldy, this optical phenomenon sometimes makes an appearance atop Denali and other Alaska peaks. What colorful glowing rings am I?
Answer: Glory
9. Formed by the freeing of mountain water, I’m crystaline precipitation that piles up into Alaska’s great glaciers, crucial to its ecosystems. What am I?
Answer: Snow
Riddles about mountain geology and landscapes
10. Forged of fire and stone, I’m the tallest peak in the Aleutian Range, topping out at 10,197 feet. Veteran mountaineers brave challenging rock faces and crevasse-split glaciers to reach my summit. What mountain am I?
Answer: Mount Veniaminof
11. Dense and hardy, I’m an evergreen shrub found across Alaska’s mountain landscapes. In summer my leaves provide food for moose, caribou and other animals. My berries are rich in antioxidants. What am I?
Answer: Blueberry bushes
12. Born of millennia of snowmelt and glacier movement, I’m an enormous body of ice that stretches from mountains down valleys, reshaping the very Earth. What am I?
Answer: A glacier
Riddles about mountain plants and animals
13. High atop rocky cliffs I build my nest, scanning the skies for food. My hooked beak and majestic crown of feathers are a familiar sight in Alaska’s mountains. What rare raptor am I?
Answer: Golden eagle
14. My hooves help me climb nearly vertical mountain cliffs to lick salt and evade predators. I’m the state mammal of Alaska. What am I?
Answer: Mountain goat
15. Hardy and well-insulated, I thrive on the sparse vegetation of Alaska’s high peaks. In winter my coat turns white to match the snow around me. What tenacious high-elevation rodent am I?
Answer: Pika
Riddles about geology
16. This mineral that starts with ‘Q’ and ends in ‘Z’ comprises about 12% of the Earth’s crust and can be found in mountains across the world. What is this mineral commonly used to make jewelry and ornaments?
Answer: Quartz
17. What gold and gray colored metal is an essential nutrient for plants and is found in mountains and rocks?
Answer: Molybdenum
18. This common rock found in mountains contains visible crystals and grains, comes in colors like red, gray and purple and has grains that are easy to see. What rock is this?
Answer: Granite
Riddles about mountain climbing
19. We’re twin peaks in the Fairweather range, joined by a high col or saddle. Expert climbers traverse our shared ridge, considered one of the longest and most technical routes in Alaska. What are we?
Answer: Mount Fairweather and Mount Lituya
20. Before GPS, we were crucial but bulky mountain climbing gear. We help you track elevation gain, barometric pressure, temperature and your approximate location. What are we?
Answer: Altimeters and topographic maps
21. Stiff and spiky, we strap to your mountain boots to help you traverse snowy slopes and icy ridges. What are we?
Answer: Crampons
Riddles about mountain trivia and history
22. Weighing over 63,000 pounds, this bus abandoned beside the Stampede Trail has become an infamous Alaska mountain landmark luring hikers from all over the world. What is it called?
Answer: The Magic Bus
23. This colorful phenomenon occurs when ice crystals bend rays of sunlight, creating glowing bands of color atop icy peaks. Seeing one is considered good luck in mountain folklore. What is it?
Answer: A sundog
24. The record for fastest ascent from the Alaska Range base camp to Denali’s summit is how many hours?
Answer: 11 hours and 48 minutes
Riddles about mountain landscapes
25. What do you call the bowl-shaped basin or valley carved out of a mountain landscape by glacial erosion?
Answer: Cirque
26. What is the term for the loose rock and soil that sits on the steep uphill slope caused by periglacial processes?
Answer: Talus
27. What is the word for the ridge or rock wall between two valleys carved out by moving glaciers?
Answer: Arete
Riddles about animals
28. I use echolocation to navigate and hunt in Alaska’s mountain forests and valleys. My wings allow me to soar to great heights. Whatbat am I?
Answer: The hoary bat
29. In summer I feast on cottonwood leaves along glacial mountain rivers. In winter I tunnel into the snow to stay warm. What unique rodent am I?
Answer: Beaver
30. My thick fur and layers of fat help me survive Alaska’s extreme winters. I hunt rodents under deep mountain snow and use their tunnels for shelter. What mustelid with black and white facial markings am I?
Answer: Wolverine
Riddles about myths and legends
31. According to legend, what massive creature lives under Mt. Edgecumbe near Sitka and causes steam to shoot out the mountain’s top when angered?
Answer: A giant named Kah Shakes Coo
32. This creature from Denali folklore had an icy heart and would turn people to stone if they looked into its eyes. What was it called?
Answer: The Cold-Hearted One
33. Nalmuq are these mischievous creatures in Iñupiaq folklore that supposedly live atop the Brooks Range and kick down rocks on climbers.
Answer: Mountain tricksters
Riddles about glaciers
34. What do you call a moving river of ice that flows downhill over land underneath a glacier?
Answer: Glacial stream
35. This powdery mineral in ground glacier water gives rivers and lakes their stunning blue color. What is it called?
Answer: Glacial rock flour
36. Derived from the Athabaskan word for “to flow,” what do you call the spectacular ice caves that form when glacial water melts tunnels under the surface of a glacier?
Answer: Glacial tunnels or ice caves
Riddles about mountain records
37. Spanning the south side of the Brooks Range, what is considered the northernmost mountain range in the world?
Answer: The British Mountains
38. Topping out at 3,702 feet near Haines, what is believed to be Alaska’s southernmost named glacier?
Answer: Excursion Inlet Glacier
39. Located within Wrangell-St.Elias National Park, what is North America’s largest piedmont-type glacier?
Answer: Kennecott Glacier
Riddles about mountain phenomena
40. Formed when loose debris flows mix with ice, snow or water, this rapidly moving substance can flow down mountainsides after a volcanic eruption or sudden warming event. What is this dangerous flow called?
Answer: Lahar
41. This optical phenomenon causes glowing ring-like circles to appear around the sun and moon atop mountains. What is it called?
Answer: Corona
42. Formed when coarse soil particles sort by size after getting moved downhill via freeze-thaw cycles, these polygon terrain shapes are common sights in Alaska’s mountains. What are they called?
Answer: Patterned ground
Riddles about mountain wilderness
43. Blanketing over 9,200 sq miles of remote Alaskan interior mountain wilderness, what is the largest national park in the US?
Answer: Wrangell St. Elias National Park
44. With its stunning vineyard-like rows of peaks and hanging glaciers, what iconic mountain landmark located in the St. Elias Mountains inspires climbers with its raw beauty?
Answer: Mt. Logan
45. Snaking over 350 miles through the remote Brooks Range, what National Wild and Scenic River boasts mountain scenery and is a paddler’s dream trip?
Answer: Noatak River
Riddles about mountain activities
46. Good balance and a lack of vertigo are recommended if you try this extreme mountain activity that combines hiking, climbing, swimming and waterfall rappelling. What is it called?
Answer: Canyoneering
47. Perfect for exploring backcountry mountain terrain, we have wide tires, advanced suspension systems and allow you to haul gear to remote campsites. What are we?
Answer: Mountain bikes or fat bikes
48. Used since ancient times for transport across snowy mountain passes, I’m a primitive sled pulled by dogs or people in northern climates. What am I?
Answer: A travois
Riddles about mountain weather
49. Known as “ghost snow”, I’m a glowing cloud that can appear on dark winter nights, the result of ice crystals in the air refracting light. Often seen atop high peaks, what am I called?
Answer: Light pillar
50. Formed when shallow mountain groundwater seeps to the surface and freezes upon exposure to chill air, these icy formations resemble hollow columns, needles, cones or pancakes. What are they?
Answer: Frost crystals
51. Giving mountaineers critical minutes to seek shelter, this band circling Denali predicts incoming storms. What is it called?
Answer: The Denali nimbostratus cloud band
Conclusion
The mountains of Alaska hold an incredible array of landscapes and phenomena to discover. Glaciers, extreme peaks, remote forests and dramatic weather shifts shape this landscape and the hardy plants and animals that call it home. The riddles and mysteries enclosed in these ranges inspire curiosity, imagination and a profound awe of nature’s beauty and power.
