The Rocky Mountains are the longest set of ranges in North America extending 5,000 km (3,107 mi) between the United States and Canada with elevations ranging from 1,500 m (4,921 ft) to 4,399 m (14,236 ft) above sea level. However, alpine regions of the North American continent are scattered throughout many mountain ranges south of the Canadian taiga and west of the Rocky Mountains, particularly those ranges that extend between the California and British Columbian coasts, including the Sierra Nevada, Cascade and Canadian Coast Mountains. Alpine meadows, heath and dwarf shrub systems typically exist above 3,100 m (10,171 ft) above sea level and below the snow line.