This is a list of Rocky Mountain passes on the Continental Divide of the Americas .
Note Column:A=Automobile road R=Railway E=Used by early explorers *=not strictly a mountain pass on continental divide, included for reference.
| Location | Note | Name | Height | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CANADA | ||||
| Yukon and British Columbia | ||||
| 67°??'N | *E | Unnamed portage | From the Mackenzie river to the Yukon River. See Canadian canoe routes#Pacific coast | |
| 60°04′25″N130°56′30″W / 60.07361°N 130.94167°W | *A | Alaska Highway | The Alaska Highway crossing of the Continental Divide in south central Yukon, also known as Yukon Hwy 1. Bering Sea or Arctic Ocean drainage. | |
| 58°26′00″N130°01′27″W / 58.43333°N 130.02417°W | *A | Dease Lake, British Columbia | The town is sited on and straddles a gap that is the continental divide and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (also known as BC Hwy 37) passes through the town as well, thus also crossing the divide at that point. Pacific or Arctic Ocean drainage. | |
| 54°15'N | *A | Summit Lake, British Columbia | 710m | on British Columbia Highway 97 from Dawson Creek See Pine Pass(?). Pacific or Arctic Ocean drainage. |
| 54°1?'N | *E | low point used by Alexander Mackenzie in 1793 | ||
| 53°58′00″N120°13′00″W / 53.96667°N 120.21667°W | McGregor Pass | 1555 | Pacific or Arctic Ocean drainage. | |
| Alberta/British Columbia border. | ||||
| 53°10′02″N119°07′34″W / 53.16722°N 119.12611°W | Robson Pass | 1,652 m (5,420 ft) | near Mount Robson. Pacific or Arctic Ocean drainage. | |
| 52°53′33″N118°27′50″W / 52.89250°N 118.46389°W | AR | Yellowhead Pass | 1,131 m (3,711 ft) | near Jasper, Alberta. Canadian Northern Railway (1910), north branch of the Trans-Canada Highway. Pacific or Arctic Ocean drainage. |
| 52°22′35″N118°11′00″W / 52.37639°N 118.18333°W | E | Athabasca Pass | 1,753 m (5,751 ft) | Main fur-trade pass from 1811. Used by the York Factory Express. Pacific or Arctic Ocean drainage. |
| 51°48′N116°45′W / 51.800°N 116.750°W | E | Howse Pass | 1,539 m (5,049 ft) | First post-Mackenzie pass (1807). rarely used. Pacific Ocean or Hudson Bay drainage. |
| 51°27′10″N116°17′00″W / 51.45278°N 116.28333°W | AR | Kicking Horse Pass | 1,627 m (5,338 ft) | Near Lake Louise, Alberta. Canadian Pacific Railway (1880s), south branch of the Trans-Canada Highway. Pacific Ocean or Hudson Bay drainage. |
| 51°13′39″N116°02′59″W / 51.22750°N 116.04972°W | A | Vermilion Pass | 1,680 m (5,512 ft) | Near Banff, Alberta, Highway 93 south to Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia. Pacific Ocean or Hudson Bay drainage. |
| 51°04′51″N115°49′47″W / 51.08083°N 115.82972°W | E | Simpson Pass | 2,107 m (6,913 ft) | rarely used, southwest of Banff, found by Sir George Simpson in 1841. Pacific Ocean or Hudson Bay drainage. |
| 49°37′57″N114°41′33″W / 49.63250°N 114.69250°W | AR | Crowsnest Pass | 1,358 m (4,455 ft) | only road pass between Banff and US border. Canadian Pacific Railway (1898). Pacific Ocean or Hudson Bay drainage. |
| 49°00'N* | UNITED STATES | |||
| Montana | ||||
| 48°41′47.72″N113°43′5.91″W / 48.6965889°N 113.7183083°W | A | Logan Pass | 6,646 ft (2,026 m) | Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Divides Pacific Ocean and Hudson Bay drainages. |
| 48°19′06″N113°21′19″W / 48.318321°N 113.355255°W | AR | Marias Pass | 5,213 ft (1,589 m) | Great Northern Railroad 1889 (now used by BNSF Railway), US Highway 2. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 47°08′34″N112°25′44″W / 47.142701°N 112.428915°W | E | Lewis and Clark Pass | 6,424 ft (1,958 m) | Possibly used on Meriwether Lewis's return route, foot trail and unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 47°04′35″N112°22′11″W / 47.07639°N 112.36972°W | A | Rogers Pass | 5,610 ft (1,710 m) | Montana Highway 200. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 46°58′31″N112°21′30″W / 46.9753°N 112.3583°W | A | Flesher Pass | Montana Secondary Highway 279. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. | |
| 46°53′37″N112°29′44″W / 46.8936°N 112.4956°W | A | Stemple Pass | Unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. | |
| 46°38′36″N112°18′50″W / 46.6434°N 112.3138°W | AER | Mullan Pass | 5,902 ft (1,799 m) | Mullan Road, Northern Pacific Railroad (now used by Montana Rail Link), unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 46°37′10″N112°17′55″W / 46.6194°N 112.2986°W | A | Priest Pass | Unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. | |
| 46°33′41″N112°18′31″W / 46.5614°N 112.3086°W | A | MacDonald Pass | 6,312 ft (1,924 m) | US Highway 12. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 45°02′11″N112°27′33″W / 45.0364°N 112.4592°W | AR | Elk Park Pass | 6,352 ft (1,936 m) | Great Northern Railroad (abandoned), Interstate 15. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 45°55′20″N112°24′58″W / 45.9221°N 112.4161°W | AR | Homestake Pass | 6,329 ft (1,929 m) | Northern Pacific Railroad (now used by BNSF Railway, inactive), Interstate 90. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 45°51′35″N112°26′00″W / 45.8597°N 112.4334°W | AR | Pipestone Pass | 6,453 ft (1,967 m) | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (abandoned), Montana Highway 2. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 45°52′58″N112°40′21″W / 45.8828°N 112.6725°W | AR | Deer Lodge Pass | 5,879 ft (1,792 m) | Utah and Northern Railway (now used by Union Pacific), Interstate 15. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 45°44′49″N112°54′00″W / 45.7469°N 112.9000°W | AE | Gibbons Pass | 2,117 m (6,946 ft) | Nez Perce National Historic Trail, possibly used on William Clark's return route, unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| Along Montana / Idaho border | ||||
| 45°41.0′N113°56.0′W / 45.6833°N 113.9333°W | A | Chief Joseph Pass | 7,251 ft (2,210 m) | Montana Highway 43. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 45°32′59″N113°49′13″W / 45.5497°N 113.8203°W | A | Big Hole Pass | 7,055 ft (2,150 m) | Unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 44°58′27″N113°26′42″W / 44.97417°N 113.44500°W | AE | Lemhi Pass | 7,373 ft (2,247 m) | Lewis and Clark Expedition outbound crossing of Continental Divide, unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 44°48′52″N113°16′19″W / 44.8144°N 113.2719°W | AR | Bannock Pass | 7,684 ft (2,342 m) | Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad (abandoned), Idaho Highway 29. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 44°33′31″N112°18′20″W / 44.55861°N 112.30556°W | AR | Monida Pass | 6,820 ft (2,079 m) | Utah and Northern Railway (now used by Union Pacific), Interstate 15. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 44°35′56″N111°31′25″W / 44.5989°N 111.5236°W | A | Red Rock Pass | Unimproved road. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. | |
| 44°42.6′N111°28.2′W / 44.7100°N 111.4700°W | AE | Raynolds Pass | 6,844 ft (2,086 m | Raynolds Expedition, Montana Highway 87. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| 44°40′29″N112°16′33″E / 44.6747°N 112.2758°E | A | Targhee Pass | 7,072 ft (2156 m) | US Highway 20. Divides Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. |
| Montana / Idaho / Wyoming border | ||||
| 44°26′30″N110°43′11″W / 44.44167°N 110.71972°W | A | Craig Pass | 8,262 ft (2,518 m | U.S. Route 191, in Yellowstone National Park. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 44°2′28″N110°10′3″W / 44.04111°N 110.16750°W | Two Ocean Pass | 8,130 ft (2,478 m) | In the Teton Wilderness. Notable for the Parting of the Waters.Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. | |
| 43°45′0″N110°4′48″W / 43.75000°N 110.08000°W | A | Togwotee Pass | 9,658 ft (2,944 m) | U.S. Route 287 and U.S. Route 26. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 42°22′12″N108°54′49″W / 42.37000°N 108.91361°W | * | South Pass | 7,412 ft (2,259 m) | Part of a mountain-free area in southwest Wyoming. Oregon Trail and Interstate 80. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 41°00'N | Colorado north border | |||
| 40°23′5″N106°36′42″W / 40.38472°N 106.61167°W | A | Rabbit Ears Pass | 9,426 ft (2,873 m) | U.S. Route 40. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 40°22′36″N106°34′47″W / 40.37667°N 106.57972°W | A | Muddy Pass | 8,772 ft (2,674 m) | U.S. Route 40. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 40°21′02″N106°05′32″W / 40.35056°N 106.09222°W | A | Willow Creek Pass | 9,659 ft (2,844 m) | Colorado State Highway 125. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 40°25′11″N105°48′41″W / 40.41972°N 105.81139°W | A | Milner Pass | 10,759 ft (3,279 m) | U.S. Route 34 in Rocky Mountain National Park. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 40°28′36″N105°49′24″W / 40.47667°N 105.82333°W | La Poudre Pass | 10,184 ft (3,104 m) | Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. | |
| 39°54′08″N105°38′46″W / 39.90235°N 105.6461°W | *R | Moffat Tunnel | 9,239 ft (2,816 m) | Railway tunnel finished in 1928. Avoids Rollins Pass 11,677 ft (3,559 m)Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 39°40′44″N105°55′12″W / 39.67889°N 105.92000°W | *A | Eisenhower Tunnel | 11,158 feet (3,401 m) | Interstate 70 to Denver. The highest point on the interstate system in the US. Avoids Loveland Pass. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 39°39′49″N105°52′45″W / 39.66361°N 105.87917°W | A | Loveland Pass | 11,990 ft (3,655 m) | US Highway 6. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 39°21′42″N106°03′45″W / 39.36167°N 106.06250°W | A | Hoosier Pass | 11,542 ft (3,518 m) | Colorado State Highway 9. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 39°21′59″N106°11′12″W / 39.36639°N 106.18667°W | AR | Fremont Pass | 11,318 feet (3,450 m) | Colorado State Highway 91, former railroad lines of Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad whose southern approach is operated by Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. |
| 39°21′45″N106°18′40″W / 39.36250°N 106.31111°W | AR | Tennessee Pass | 10,424 ft (3,177 m) | U.S. Route 24, former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad main line. |
| 39°15′54″N106°29′02″W / 39.26500°N 106.48389°W | R | Hagerman Pass | 11,925 feet (3,635 m) | Former Colorado Midland Railway via Hagerman Tunnel and later Busk–Ivanhoe Tunnel, unpaved road. |
| 39°6′29″N106°33′52″W / 39.10806°N 106.56444°W | A | Independence Pass | 12,095 ft (3,687 m) | Colorado State Highway 82. Until 2019, the highest paved crossing of Divide in US; now the second-highest behind Cottonwood Pass (see next line). Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 38°49′40″N106°24′33″W / 38.82778°N 106.40917°W | A | Cottonwood Pass | 12,126 ft (3,696 m) | Chaffee County Road 306 and Gunnison County Road 209. Until 2019, the highest unpaved road crossing of a pass in Colorado; now the highest paved crossing of Divide in US. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 38°38′45″N106°24′32″W / 38.64583°N 106.40889°W | *R | Alpine Tunnel | 11,523 feet (3,512 m) | Alpine Tunnel, first tunnel over Continental Divide in Colorado, highest railroad tunnel and at 1,772 ft (540 m) longest narrow-gauge tunnel in North America. Tunnel abandoned since 1910, impassable, unpaved road on approaches, reconstructed telegraph office with station platform near southern (wester |
| 38°29′48″N106°19′30″W / 38.49667°N 106.32500°W | A | Monarch Pass | 11,312 ft (3,448 m) | US Highway 50. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 38°23′29″N106°14′50″W / 38.39139°N 106.24722°W | AR | Marshall Pass | 10,842 ft (3,305 m) | former narrow-gauge railroad closed in 1955. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 38°13′00″N106°34′32″W / 38.21667°N 106.57556°W | A | North Pass | 10,010 ft (3,051 m) | Colorado State Highway 114. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 37°56′27″N107°09′33″W / 37.94083°N 107.15917°W | A | Spring Creek Pass | 10,889 ft (3,319 m) | Traversed by Colorado State Highway 149, notably lower than Slumgullion Pass dividing just tributaries of Gunnison River that is also traversed by SH 149. |
| 37°29′00″N106°48′11″W / 37.48333°N 106.80306°W | A | Wolf Creek Pass | 10,857 ft (3,309 m) | U.S. Highway 160. Pacific or Gulf of Mexico drainage. |
| 37°00'N* | Colorado south border | |||
The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride. Large scale mining has ended in the region, although independent prospectors still work claims throughout the range. The last large-scale mines were the Sunnyside Mine near Silverton, which operated until late in the 20th century, and the Idarado Mine on Red Mountain Pass, which closed in the 1970s. Famous old San Juan mines include the Camp Bird and Smuggler Union mines, both located between Telluride and Ouray.
The Continental Divide of the Americas is the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas. The Continental Divide extends from the Bering Strait to the Strait of Magellan, and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, including those that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and Hudson Bay.
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of 3,028 miles (4,873 km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. Frequent route changes and a large number of alternate routes result in an actual hiking distance of 2,700 miles (4,300 km) to 3,150 miles (5,070 km). The CDT follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. In Montana near the Canadian border the trail crosses Triple Divide Pass.
Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located approximately 55 mi (89 km) northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The eastern and western slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the center of the park with the headwaters of the Colorado River located in the park's northwestern region. The main features of the park include mountains, alpine lakes and a wide variety of wildlife within various climates and environments, from wooded forests to mountain tundra.
The summit of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4401.2 m) elevation is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America, the highest point in the U.S. State of Colorado, and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney, which is slightly taller. The ultra-prominent fourteener is the highest peak in the Sawatch Range, as well as the highest point in the entire Mississippi River drainage basin. Mount Elbert is located in San Isabel National Forest, 12.1 miles (19.4 km) southwest of the City of Leadville in Lake County, Colorado.
The Sawatch Range or Saguache Range is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.
Grays Peak is the tenth-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14,278-foot (4352 m) fourteener is the highest summit of the Front Range and the highest point on the Continental Divide and the Continental Divide Trail in North America. Grays Peak is located in Arapahoe National Forest, 3.9 miles (6.2 km) southeast by east of Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide between Clear Creek and Summit counties. The peak is the highest point in both counties.
Torreys Peak is a mountain in the Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It is one of 58 fourteeners in Colorado. Its nearest major city is Denver. Torreys Peak is located along the Continental Divide, as well as the division between Clear Creek County and Summit County. In the Arapaho language Torrey's Peak and the adjacent Gray's Peak are named, Heeniiyoowuu or "Ant Hills".
Castle Peak is the ninth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14,279-foot (4352.2 m) fourteener is the highest summit of the Elk Mountains and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The peak is located 11.6 miles (18.7 km) northeast by north of the Town of Crested Butte, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide separating Gunnison National Forest and Gunnison County from White River National Forest and Pitkin County. The summit of Castle Peak is the highest point of both counties.
Milner Pass, elevation 10,759 ft (3,279 m) is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. It is located on the continental divide in the Front Range, within Rocky Mountain National Park, along the boundary between Larimer and Grand counties. The pass provides the passage over the continental divide for US 34, also known as Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake. The pass is not, however, the high point on Trail Ridge Road, which crests at 12,183 ft (3,713 m) east of the pass within Rocky Mountain National Park. Along with the rest of Trail Ridge Road, the pass is generally closed in winter from the first heavy snow fall until the opening of the road around Memorial Day. The gentle pass divides the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre River and several creeks near the headwaters of the Colorado River to the west. The road near the pass provides a panoramic view of the Never Summer Mountains to the west.
Mount Ouray is a high and prominent mountain summit in the far southern Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,961-foot (4255.4 m) thirteener is located in San Isabel National Forest, 7.5 miles (12.0 km) west of Poncha Pass, Colorado, United States, on the boundary between Chaffee and Saguache counties. The mountain was named in honor of Ute Chief Ouray.
The geography of the U.S. State of Colorado is diverse, encompassing both rugged mountainous terrain, vast plains, desert lands, desert canyons, and mesas. Colorado is a landlocked U.S. state. In 1861, the United States Congress defined the boundaries of the new Territory of Colorado exclusively by lines of latitude and longitude, stretching from 37°N to 41°N latitude, and from 102°02'48"W to 109°02'48"W longitude. Starting in 1868, official surveys demarcated the boundaries, deviating from the parallels and meridians in several places. Later surveys attempted to correct some of these mistakes but in 1925 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the earlier demarcation was the official boundary. The borders of Colorado are now officially defined by 697 boundary markers connected by straight boundary lines. Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are the only states that have their borders defined solely by straight boundary lines with no natural features. The southwest corner of Colorado is the Four Corners Monument at 36°59'56"N, 109°2'43"W. This is the only place in the United States where four states meet: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
East Spanish Peak is a prominent mountain summit that is the lower of the two Spanish Peaks in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 12,688-foot (3,867 m) peak is located in the Spanish Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 9.3 miles (14.9 km) southeast by south of the Town of La Veta, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Huerfano and Las Animas counties. The Spanish Peaks are two large igneous stocks which form an eastern outlier of the Culebra Range, a subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. East Spanish Peak is higher than any point in the United States east of its longitude; it is also the easternmost point in the United States over 12,000 feet (3,700 m), 11,000 feet (3,400 m), and 10,000 feet (3,000 m) feet above sea level.
Grizzly Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,995-foot (4265.6 m) thirteener is located 2.6 miles (4.2 km) south-southwest of Independence Pass, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide separating San Isabel National Forest and Chaffee County from White River National Forest and Pitkin County.
Eldorado Mountain is a mountain summit on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 8,344-foot (2,543 m) peak is located 8.1 miles (13.1 km) south by west of downtown Boulder, Colorado, United States. The mountain is largely in Boulder County but it straddles the border and its southern flanks are located in Jefferson County. Its name was probably borrowed from the nearby community of Eldorado Springs.
Gemini Peak is a summit in the Mosquito Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,958-foot (4,254 m) mountain is located 0.68 miles (1.1 km) north northeast of Mount Sherman, on the drainage divide separating Lake County from Park County. Gemini Peak is appropriately named considering the mountain has two distinct summits and that the Latin word Gemini means "twins." The northeast summit is slightly higher than its southwest "twin."
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