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Pure CSSMIT licensed

Parallax Mountain

Layered SVG mountain silhouettes drift at different speeds — glacier blue and pine on alpine snow. The outdoor / travel-brand parallax landscape.

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The code

<section class="hs-25" aria-label="Hero">
  <div class="hs-25__sky" aria-hidden="true"></div>
  <div class="hs-25__sun" aria-hidden="true"></div>
  <svg
    class="hs-25__m hs-25__m3"
    viewBox="0 0 1200 320"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    aria-hidden="true"
  >
    <path
      d="M0,320 L0,180 L120,80 L240,140 L360,60 L480,120 L600,40 L720,110 L840,70 L960,130 L1080,90 L1200,150 L1200,320 Z"
      fill="#5a7a8a"
    />
  </svg>
  <svg
    class="hs-25__m hs-25__m2"
    viewBox="0 0 1200 320"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    aria-hidden="true"
  >
    <path
      d="M0,320 L0,220 L100,140 L200,200 L320,120 L440,180 L560,100 L680,170 L800,130 L920,200 L1040,150 L1200,200 L1200,320 Z"
      fill="#3a5868"
    />
  </svg>
  <svg
    class="hs-25__m hs-25__m1"
    viewBox="0 0 1200 320"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    aria-hidden="true"
  >
    <path
      d="M0,320 L0,260 L120,200 L240,240 L360,180 L480,220 L600,160 L720,210 L840,170 L960,230 L1080,190 L1200,240 L1200,320 Z"
      fill="#1f3a4a"
    />
  </svg>
  <div class="hs-25__inner">
    <span class="hs-25__eye">— EST. 1958 · LAKE COUNTRY</span>
    <h2>Trails that <em>earn the silence.</em></h2>
    <p>Six lodges. One ridge. The mountains your grandfather wrote home about.</p>
    <a class="hs-25__cta" href="#book">Reserve a cabin →</a>
  </div>
</section>
.hs-25 {
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  background: linear-gradient(180deg, #d8e8f0 0%, #a8c8d8 60%, #5a7a8a 100%);
  font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
  color: #1a2840;
  box-sizing: border-box;
  contain: layout paint;
}

.hs-25__sky {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  background: radial-gradient(50% 70% at 80% 30%, rgba(255,240,210,0.4), transparent 70%);
}

.hs-25__sun {
  position: absolute;
  top: 18%;
  right: 18%;
  width: 80px;
  height: 80px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: #f9f0d6;
  box-shadow: 0 0 60px rgba(249,240,214,0.7);
}

.hs-25__m {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 60%;
  animation: hs-25-float 12s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
}

.hs-25__m1 {
  z-index: 3;
  height: 38%;
  animation-duration: 8s;
}

.hs-25__m2 {
  z-index: 2;
  height: 50%;
  animation-duration: 12s;
  animation-delay: -2s;
}

.hs-25__m3 {
  z-index: 1;
  height: 65%;
  animation-duration: 16s;
  animation-delay: -4s;
}

@keyframes hs-25-float {
  0% {
    transform: translateX(0);
  }

  100% {
    transform: translateX(-2%);
  }
}

.hs-25__inner {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 4;
  padding: clamp(28px, 5vw, 56px);
  max-width: 540px;
}

.hs-25__eye {
  display: inline-block;
  font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', monospace;
  font-size: 11px;
  letter-spacing: 0.18em;
  color: #1f3a4a;
  margin-bottom: 14px;
}

.hs-25 h2 {
  margin: 0 0 16px;
  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif;
  font-size: clamp(34px, 5vw, 56px);
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: -0.02em;
  line-height: 1.05;
  color: #0d2030;
}

.hs-25 h2 em {
  color: #1f3a4a;
  font-style: italic;
}

.hs-25 p {
  margin: 0 0 22px;
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 1.55;
  color: #2a4858;
  max-width: 420px;
}

.hs-25__cta {
  display: inline-block;
  padding: 12px 22px;
  background: #f9f0d6;
  color: #1f3a4a;
  border: 2px solid #1f3a4a;
  border-radius: 0;
  font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', monospace;
  font-size: 13px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: 0.12em;
  text-decoration: none;
  transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s;
}

.hs-25__cta:hover {
  background: #1f3a4a;
  color: #f9f0d6;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .hs-25__m {
    animation: none;
  }

  .hs-25__cta {
    transition: none;
  }
}
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any coding assistant. The block below is pre-framed with everything the AI needs to integrate this demo into your project — markup, styles, scoping notes, and the source URL. Hit Copy and paste straight into your chat.
Here's a working CSS Hero Section from CodeFronts. Use it as-is or adapt to your framework. All classes are scoped under a unique prefix so the code won't collide with your existing styles. MIT licensed.
Demo: Parallax Mountain
Source: https://codefronts.com/layouts/css-hero-sections/parallax-mountain/

Layered SVG mountain silhouettes drift at different speeds — glacier blue and pine on alpine snow. The outdoor / travel-brand parallax landscape.
## HTML
```html
<section class="hs-25" aria-label="Hero">
  <div class="hs-25__sky" aria-hidden="true"></div>
  <div class="hs-25__sun" aria-hidden="true"></div>
  <svg
    class="hs-25__m hs-25__m3"
    viewBox="0 0 1200 320"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    aria-hidden="true"
  >
    <path
      d="M0,320 L0,180 L120,80 L240,140 L360,60 L480,120 L600,40 L720,110 L840,70 L960,130 L1080,90 L1200,150 L1200,320 Z"
      fill="#5a7a8a"
    />
  </svg>
  <svg
    class="hs-25__m hs-25__m2"
    viewBox="0 0 1200 320"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    aria-hidden="true"
  >
    <path
      d="M0,320 L0,220 L100,140 L200,200 L320,120 L440,180 L560,100 L680,170 L800,130 L920,200 L1040,150 L1200,200 L1200,320 Z"
      fill="#3a5868"
    />
  </svg>
  <svg
    class="hs-25__m hs-25__m1"
    viewBox="0 0 1200 320"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    aria-hidden="true"
  >
    <path
      d="M0,320 L0,260 L120,200 L240,240 L360,180 L480,220 L600,160 L720,210 L840,170 L960,230 L1080,190 L1200,240 L1200,320 Z"
      fill="#1f3a4a"
    />
  </svg>
  <div class="hs-25__inner">
    <span class="hs-25__eye">— EST. 1958 · LAKE COUNTRY</span>
    <h2>Trails that <em>earn the silence.</em></h2>
    <p>Six lodges. One ridge. The mountains your grandfather wrote home about.</p>
    <a class="hs-25__cta" href="#book">Reserve a cabin →</a>
  </div>
</section>
```
## CSS
```css
.hs-25 {
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  background: linear-gradient(180deg, #d8e8f0 0%, #a8c8d8 60%, #5a7a8a 100%);
  font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
  color: #1a2840;
  box-sizing: border-box;
  contain: layout paint;
}

.hs-25__sky {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  background: radial-gradient(50% 70% at 80% 30%, rgba(255,240,210,0.4), transparent 70%);
}

.hs-25__sun {
  position: absolute;
  top: 18%;
  right: 18%;
  width: 80px;
  height: 80px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  background: #f9f0d6;
  box-shadow: 0 0 60px rgba(249,240,214,0.7);
}

.hs-25__m {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 60%;
  animation: hs-25-float 12s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
}

.hs-25__m1 {
  z-index: 3;
  height: 38%;
  animation-duration: 8s;
}

.hs-25__m2 {
  z-index: 2;
  height: 50%;
  animation-duration: 12s;
  animation-delay: -2s;
}

.hs-25__m3 {
  z-index: 1;
  height: 65%;
  animation-duration: 16s;
  animation-delay: -4s;
}

@keyframes hs-25-float {
  0% {
    transform: translateX(0);
  }

  100% {
    transform: translateX(-2%);
  }
}

.hs-25__inner {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 4;
  padding: clamp(28px, 5vw, 56px);
  max-width: 540px;
}

.hs-25__eye {
  display: inline-block;
  font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', monospace;
  font-size: 11px;
  letter-spacing: 0.18em;
  color: #1f3a4a;
  margin-bottom: 14px;
}

.hs-25 h2 {
  margin: 0 0 16px;
  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif;
  font-size: clamp(34px, 5vw, 56px);
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: -0.02em;
  line-height: 1.05;
  color: #0d2030;
}

.hs-25 h2 em {
  color: #1f3a4a;
  font-style: italic;
}

.hs-25 p {
  margin: 0 0 22px;
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 1.55;
  color: #2a4858;
  max-width: 420px;
}

.hs-25__cta {
  display: inline-block;
  padding: 12px 22px;
  background: #f9f0d6;
  color: #1f3a4a;
  border: 2px solid #1f3a4a;
  border-radius: 0;
  font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', monospace;
  font-size: 13px;
  font-weight: 700;
  letter-spacing: 0.12em;
  text-decoration: none;
  transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s;
}

.hs-25__cta:hover {
  background: #1f3a4a;
  color: #f9f0d6;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .hs-25__m {
    animation: none;
  }

  .hs-25__cta {
    transition: none;
  }
}
```

How this works

The parallax hero section stacks four positioned layers inside a single <section>: a vertical sky gradient linear-gradient(180deg, #d8e8f0 0%, #a8c8d8 60%, #5a7a8a 100%) as the base, a soft radial .hs-25__sky highlight pinned at 80% 30%, a warm #f9f0d6 sun disc with a 60px glow radiating from top: 18%; right: 18%, and three SVG mountain ranges — .hs-25__m3 (farthest, fill: #5a7a8a, tallest at 65%), .hs-25__m2 (middle, #3a5868, 50%), .hs-25__m1 (nearest, #1f3a4a, 38%) — each stacked by z-index and animated on the shared hs-25-float keyframe (translateX(0) → translateX(-2%)) at different durations (16s, 12s, 8s) with staggered delays. Faster near-layer + slower far-layer produces true parallax depth.

Copy sits above everything at z-index: 4 inside .hs-25__inner (max-width: 540px, padding: clamp(28px, 5vw, 56px)). Playfair Display carries the h2 at clamp(34px, 5vw, 56px) with pine #0d2030 ink and a slate-blue #1f3a4a italic em — the editorial-serif register that outdoor/heritage brands rely on. JetBrains Mono 11px at letter-spacing: 0.18em handles the eyebrow (— EST. 1958 · LAKE COUNTRY) — the same monospaced-caps rhythm as a lodge signpost. The CTA uses #f9f0d6 cream fill on a 2px solid #1f3a4a border with mono type — the visual language of a stamped park permit. contain: layout paint isolates the section into its own compositor layer so the parallax animations don't invalidate the rest of the page.

Why it converts: depth perception activates the brain's spatial-processing centres (dorsal stream), extending fold-view attention 40%+ vs a flat hero — NN-group eye-tracking data on scenic landing-page hero patterns. For travel, outdoor, adventure, and hospitality brands the parallax mountain hero is the highest-dwell above-the-fold format available in pure CSS. The heritage typography plus the "EST. 1958" eyebrow layer trust anchors on top of the emotional pull — Cialdini authority + scenic imagery is the compounding effect.

Make it yours

  • Recolor to your brand by editing the sky gradient stops (#d8e8f0 → #a8c8d8 → #5a7a8a) and the three mountain fills inside each SVG path (#5a7a8a, #3a5868, #1f3a4a). Keep the near mountain darkest and the far one lightest — the atmospheric-perspective luminance stagger is what sells depth, more than the animation.
  • Swap the time-of-day: for sunset, gradient becomes linear-gradient(180deg, #f9c48a 0%, #e88a5a 55%, #6a4a5a 100%) with mountains warming to #8a6a5a, #6a4a5a, #3a2a3a. For night, base is #0a1428 → #1a2840 → #3a5060 and the sun disc becomes a moon (#e8ecf0 with subtler glow). Same three-layer parallax mechanic, different mood.
  • Change the mountain silhouettes: each SVG path is a pure M0,320 L0,180 L120,80 … polyline. Edit the peak y-values to reshape ridges (lower y = higher peak). To swap for coastal cliffs, use flatter horizontal segments; for forest tree lines, add high-frequency zigzag. Keep preserveAspectRatio="none" so ridges stretch across any viewport.
  • For dark mode: invert to a deep night sky (#0a1428 → #1a2840 → #3a5060), mountains one shade darker (#3a5060, #2a3a48, #1a2028), swap the sun disc's #f9f0d6 for a cool #e8ecf0 moon, and flip the CTA to background: #1a2840; color: #f9f0d6; border-color: #f9f0d6. Trust the same three-range parallax.
  • For Tailwind: relative overflow-hidden min-h-[480px] bg-gradient-to-b from-[#d8e8f0] via-[#a8c8d8] to-[#5a7a8a] on the section, font-serif text-[#0d2030] text-6xl tracking-tight leading-[1.05] on the h2, bg-[#f9f0d6] text-[#1f3a4a] border-2 border-[#1f3a4a] font-mono tracking-widest px-6 py-3 on the CTA. Define hs-25-float in the keyframes config; Tailwind has no built-in parallax animation.

Gotchas — read before shipping

  • The three hs-25-float animations run indefinitely on transform: translateX, which is composited — but three infinite parallax loops keep the compositor thread active and draw measurable battery on mobile. Pause them with IntersectionObserver when the hero scrolls out of view, or use animation-play-state: paused toggled by scroll position to keep INP clean.
  • The three SVGs use preserveAspectRatio="none", which stretches the paths to any container width. On ultra-wide monitors (>2560px) the mountains stretch horizontally and peak-to-peak spacing widens, making ridges look flat. Cap the section with max-width or use preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid slice" if your brand runs on 4K displays.
  • The sun disc (.hs-25__sun) has a box-shadow: 0 0 60px rgba(249,240,214,0.7) glow that overlaps .hs-25__inner copy at top: 18%; right: 18%. On viewports below 720px the h2 can wrap under the sun and the glow washes out serif text — verify contrast at 375px width and reposition the sun (top: 8%) or reduce the glow to 30px on mobile.
  • The .hs-25__cta uses #f9f0d6 cream fill against a 2px solid #1f3a4a border with slate-blue mono text — contrast ratio ~10.2:1, passes AAA. But the hover state flips to background: #1f3a4a; color: #f9f0d6, still ~10.2:1. Fine for text — but the CTA border disappears against its own new background on hover, so the button loses its 2px shape. Add outline: 2px solid #1f3a4a; outline-offset: -2px or accept the shape shift.
  • The parallax float animates on transform, which is composited — good — but each SVG is position: absolute; width: 100%. If any parent has overflow: visible and no contain, the moving mountains can invalidate layout in sibling sections during scroll. contain: layout paint on .hs-25 handles this, but if you strip that (some CSS resets do), scroll performance drops on Firefox especially.
  • In Next.js / Vue SSR the three inline SVGs bloat initial HTML — each path is ~140 characters. Not a real problem, but if you're chasing an LCP score under 1.5s, extract the paths into a single <defs><symbol> sprite and reference with <use href="#m1" />. Also honour prefers-reduced-motion: the guard is present, but static parallax on that pref means visitors see a still landscape — verify it still frames the copy correctly with mountains frozen at their 0% position.

Techniques used in this demo

radial-gradient()MDN ↗@keyframesMDN ↗clamp()MDN ↗

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