Monida Pass
Encyclopedia
Monida Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of the northwestern United States
, at an elevation
of 6870 feet (2094 m) above sea level on Interstate 15.
On the continental divide in the Bitterroot Range
, it marks the divide between the Beaverhead Mountains and the Centennial Mountains.
Its name is derived from the states it separates, "Mon" from Montana
and "-ida" from Idaho
.
The pass forms part of the border between eastern Idaho
and southwestern Montana
, between the towns of Spencer
in Clark County
and Lima
in Beaverhead County
. On the Idaho side is Beaver Creek running through Beaver Canyon, Idaho, which was the route of the Utah and Northern Railway
in 1880 and is still used by Union Pacific Railroad
.
Union Pacific once had an icemaking plant at Humphrey, Idaho, which is now a ghost town
; Monida, Montana, which is near the top of the pass, is also almost a ghost town. Only seven people now live in Monida. Its elevation
is 6820 feet (2079 m), 50 feet (15 m) below the pass on I-15.
In the late 19th century stagecoach
es ferried tourists from the railroad at Monida Pass to Yellowstone National Park
, until UP built a branch line
to the park. Interstate 15, "Veterans Memorial Highway," starts in Montana at the Idaho border at Monida Pass and runs north to the international boundary with Canada
at Sweetgrass
.
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 the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
of the northwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 6870 feet (2094 m) above sea level on Interstate 15.
On the continental divide in the Bitterroot Range
Bitterroot Range
The Bitterroot Range runs along the border of Montana and Idaho in the northwestern United States. The range spans an area of 62,736 square kilometers and is named after the bitterroot , a small pink flower that is the state flower of Montana.- History :In 1805, the Corps of Discovery,...
, it marks the divide between the Beaverhead Mountains and the Centennial Mountains.
Its name is derived from the states it separates, "Mon" from Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and "-ida" from 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....
.
The pass forms part of the border between eastern 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....
and southwestern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, between the towns of Spencer
Spencer, Idaho
Spencer is a city in Clark County, Idaho, United States. The population was 38 at the 2000 census.The city is noted as being the "Opal Capital of America"...
in Clark County
Clark County, Idaho
Clark County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 1,022 . The county seat and largest city is Dubois...
and Lima
Lima, Montana
Lima is a town in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States. The population was 242 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lima is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
in Beaverhead County
Beaverhead County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Beaverhead National Forest * Big Hole National Battlefield* Nez Perce National Historical Park * Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge-History:...
. On the Idaho side is Beaver Creek running through Beaver Canyon, Idaho, which was the route of the Utah and Northern Railway
Utah and Northern Railway
The Utah and Northern Railway is a defunct railroad that was operated in the Utah Territory and later in the Idaho Territory and Montana Territory in the western United States during the 1870s and 1880s. It was the first railroad in Idaho and in Montana....
in 1880 and is still used by Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
.
Union Pacific once had an icemaking plant at Humphrey, Idaho, which is now a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
; Monida, Montana, which is near the top of the pass, is also almost a ghost town. Only seven people now live in Monida. Its elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is 6820 feet (2079 m), 50 feet (15 m) below the pass on I-15.
In the late 19th century stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
es ferried tourists from the railroad at Monida Pass to Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, until UP built a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
to the park. Interstate 15, "Veterans Memorial Highway," starts in Montana at the Idaho border at Monida Pass and runs north to the international boundary with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass, Montana
Sweet Grass is an unincorporated community in Toole County, Montana, United States, on the Canada-US border. It is the northern terminus of Interstate 15, an important route connecting western Canada, the western United States, and Mexico.In 2004, a joint border facility opened at the Sweetgrass...
.
External links
- Montana Dept. of Transportation - webcam - Monida Pass