Galena Summit
Encyclopedia
Galena Summit is a high mountain pass
in central Idaho
, United States
, at an elevation of 8701 feet (2,652.1 m) above sea level. The pass is located in the Boulder Mountains, in the northwest corner of Blaine County
, within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area
of the Sawtooth National Forest
.
The summit is on State Highway 75
, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, and is 29 miles (46.7 km) northwest of Ketchum
and the Sun Valley
ski resort
. It is the highest summit of a highway in the Northwest
.
Galena Summit marks the divide between the Big Wood River
and Salmon River
drainage areas. A little more than 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the summit is Galena Overlook, a scenic viewpoint at 8400 feet (2,560.3 m). It offers views of the Sawtooth
range to the northwest and the headwaters of the Salmon River in the Stanley
Basin of Custer County
, which SH-75
follows north to Obsidian and Stanley
, then east and north towards Challis
.
The Galena Lodge (in historic Galena) is at 7289 feet (2,221.7 m), on the Ketchum side of the summit.
Galena
is a mineral
, lead sulfide, an important lead ore.
Deposits of galena often contain silver
.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in central Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at an elevation of 8701 feet (2,652.1 m) above sea level. The pass is located in the Boulder Mountains, in the northwest corner of Blaine County
Blaine County, Idaho
Blaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 21,376. The county seat and largest city is Hailey. The county is home to the Sun Valley ski resort....
, within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area
Sawtooth National Recreation Area
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area located in central Idaho, within the Boise, Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests. The recreation area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and includes the Sawtooth Wilderness...
of the Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest is in Idaho and Utah was protected in 1905 by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt as the Sawtooth Forest Reserve. Today the forest administers over 2.1 million acres of some of the most remote forestland in the lower 48 states, and there are over 1,000 lakes and 3,000...
.
The summit is on State Highway 75
Idaho State Highway 75
State Highway 75 is a two-lane highway that travels through the Sawtooth Range of central Idaho from Shoshone to Challis. The road is designated as one of Idaho's scenic byways and provides access to Sawtooth National Recreation Area...
, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, and is 29 miles (46.7 km) northwest of Ketchum
Ketchum, Idaho
Ketchum is a city in Blaine County, Idaho, United States, in the central part of the state. The population was 3,003 at the 2000 census. It is in the Wood River Valley, adjacent to Sun Valley; the two communities share many resources and both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its...
and the Sun Valley
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
. It is the highest summit of a highway in the Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Galena Summit marks the divide between the Big Wood River
Big Wood River
The Big Wood River is a river in central Idaho. It is a tributary of the Malad River, which in turn is tributary to the Snake River and Columbia River.-Course:...
and Salmon River
Salmon River (Idaho)
The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as The River of No Return. It flows for through central Idaho, draining and dropping more than between its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National...
drainage areas. A little more than 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the summit is Galena Overlook, a scenic viewpoint at 8400 feet (2,560.3 m). It offers views of the Sawtooth
Sawtooth Range (Idaho)
The Sawtooth Range is part of the Rocky Mountains, located within a few miles south of Stanley, Idaho, in the Western United States. Much of mountain range is within the Sawtooth Wilderness, part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area...
range to the northwest and the headwaters of the Salmon River in the Stanley
Stanley, Idaho
Stanley is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 100 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Idaho is located in Stanley.-Geography:...
Basin of Custer County
Custer County, Idaho
Custer County is a rural mountain county located in the center of the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1881, it was named for the General Custer Mine, where gold was discovered five years earlier . The population was 4,342 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have fallen to 4,166 by 2007...
, which SH-75
Idaho State Highway 75
State Highway 75 is a two-lane highway that travels through the Sawtooth Range of central Idaho from Shoshone to Challis. The road is designated as one of Idaho's scenic byways and provides access to Sawtooth National Recreation Area...
follows north to Obsidian and Stanley
Stanley, Idaho
Stanley is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 100 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Idaho is located in Stanley.-Geography:...
, then east and north towards Challis
Challis, Idaho
Challis is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 909 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
.
The Galena Lodge (in historic Galena) is at 7289 feet (2,221.7 m), on the Ketchum side of the summit.
Galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
is a mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
, lead sulfide, an important lead ore.
Deposits of galena often contain silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
.
External links
- Visit Idaho.org - official state tourism site - Galena Summit Overlook
- pbase.com - photo of Galena Summit Overlook - by V.P. Howe
- All Sun Valley.com - Galena Summit Overlook
- Idaho Transportation Dept. - Division of Highways - mountain passes