Bitterroot Range
Encyclopedia
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 (24,223 sq mi) and is named after the bitterroot
(Lewisia rediviva), a small pink flower that is the state flower of Montana.
and William Clark and aided by the Shoshone
Native American
tribe, crossed the Bitterroot Range several times. Lewis first crossed the mountains at Lemhi Pass
on August 12, then returned across the pass to meet Clark. The entire expedition then crossed the pass to the Salmon River
valley, and the next month entered the Bitterroot Valley
from the south via either Lost Trail Pass
or Chief Joseph Pass
. It then crossed Lolo Pass
to the west.
) to Monida Pass
,. It is sometimes considered to extend east of the Monida Pass to include the Centennial Mountains
. The range comprises the following subranges (from north to south):
on the north, the Slate Creek saddle on the east and the plateau of the Moscow, Idaho
/Pullman, Washington
area on the Idaho/Washington border.
, on the east by the Bitterroot River
and Valley
, and on the west by the Selway
and Lochsa
Rivers. Its highest summit is Trapper Peak
, at 10,157 feet (3,096 m).
. Passes in the mountains include Lemhi Pass
, Bannock Pass
, Big Hole Pass
, Big Hole Pass II, Junction Pass and Monida Pass
. The Beaverheads are further subdivided into the West Big Hole Mountains, the Big Hole Divide, the Tendoy Mountains
, the Italian Peaks, and the Garfield Peaks.
The Centennials are home to Brower's Spring
, discovered in 1888 by Jacob V. Brower
, which is believed to be the furthest point on the Missouri River
. Brower published his finding in 1896 in "The Missouri: It's Utmost Source."
The site of Brower's Spring at around 8,800 feet (2,680 m) feet in the Centennials. The site now commemorated by a rock pile at the source of Hellroaring Creek which flows into Red Rock River
and then into Clark canyon reservoir where it joins the Beaverhead River
and then the Big Hole River
before ultimately hooking up with the Jefferson River
.
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 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....
in the northwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The range spans an area of 62,736 square kilometers (24,223 sq mi) and is named after the bitterroot
Bitterroot
Bitterroot is a small, low plant with a pink to white flower. It is the state flower of Montana, United States....
(Lewisia rediviva), a small pink flower that is the state flower of Montana.
History
In 1805, the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether LewisMeriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
and William Clark and aided by the Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe, crossed the Bitterroot Range several times. Lewis first crossed the mountains at Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the continental divide, at an elevation of 7373 feet above sea level.-History:...
on August 12, then returned across the pass to meet Clark. The entire expedition then crossed the pass to the 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...
valley, and the next month entered the Bitterroot Valley
Bitterroot Valley
The Bitterroot Valley is located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. It extends over 100 miles from remote Horse Creek Pass north to a point near the city of Missoula...
from the south via either Lost Trail Pass
Lost Trail Pass
Lost Trail Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, on the border of Idaho and Montana in the Bitterroot Mountains. The pass is at an elevation of 7014 feet above sea level and is traversed by U.S. Highway 93...
or Chief Joseph Pass
Chief Joseph Pass
Chief Joseph Pass is a mountain pass on the continental divide of the Rocky Mountains in the northwestern United States, between the states of Idaho and Montana...
. It then crossed Lolo Pass
Lolo Pass (Idaho-Montana)
Lolo Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass in the United States, in the Bitterroot Range of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is on the border between the states of Montana and Idaho, approximately west-southwest of Missoula, Montana....
to the west.
Ranges
According to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the Bitterroot Range runs from Pend Oreille Lake (near Sandpoint, IdahoSandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products and light manufacturing, tourism and recreation and government services...
) to Monida Pass
Monida Pass
Monida Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of the northwestern United States, at an elevation of 6870 feet above sea level on Interstate 15....
,. It is sometimes considered to extend east of the Monida Pass to include the Centennial Mountains
Centennial Mountains
The Centennial Mountains are the southernmost sub-range of the Bitterroot Range in the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana. The Centennial Mountains include the Western and Eastern Centennial Mountains...
. The range comprises the following subranges (from north to south):
Coeur d'Alène Mountains
The Coeur d'Alène Mountains are the northwestern-most portion of the Bitterroot Range and encompass an area of 2,590 square miles (6,708 km²). The mountain range's two highest peaks are the 7,352 foot (2,241 m) Cherry Peak and the 6,837 foot (2,084 m) Patricks Knob.Saint Joe Mountains
The Saint Joe Mountains, the smallest named portion of the Bitterroot Range, encompass an area of 698 square miles (1,808 km²). They lie between the St. Joe River on the south, the Coeur d'Alène RiverCoeur d'Alene River
The Coeur d'Alene River flows from the Silver Valley into Lake Coeur d'Alene in the U.S. state of Idaho. The stream continues out of Lake Coeur d'Alene as the Spokane River...
on the north, the Slate Creek saddle on the east and the plateau of the Moscow, Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
/Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
area on the Idaho/Washington border.
Bitterroot Mountains
The Bitterroot Mountains, comprising the Northern and Central Bitterroot Ranges, are the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range and encompass an area of 4,862 square miles (12,593 km²). The mountains are bordered on the north by Lolo Creek, on the south by the Salmon RiverSalmon 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...
, on the east by the Bitterroot River
Bitterroot River
The Bitterroot River is a tributary of the Clark Fork River in southwestern Montana, USA. It runs for about 75 miles south-to-north through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner to the Clark Fork near Missoula.Ravalli County and Missoula County...
and Valley
Bitterroot Valley
The Bitterroot Valley is located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. It extends over 100 miles from remote Horse Creek Pass north to a point near the city of Missoula...
, and on the west by the Selway
Selway River
The Selway River is located in north central Idaho in the northwestern United States within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It is a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River in the Clearwater National Forest...
and Lochsa
Lochsa River
The Lochsa River is located in the northwestern United States, in the mountains of north central Idaho. It is one of two primary tributaries of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River in the Clearwater National Forest. Lochsa is a Nez Perce word meaning rough water.The Lochsa was included by the...
Rivers. Its highest summit is Trapper Peak
Trapper Peak (Montana)
Trapper Peak is the highest point in the Bitterroot Mountains, part of the larger Bitterroot Range in western Montana. The peak is located within the Central Bitterroot subrange of the Bitterroot Mountains and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. It rises over above the nearby Bitterroot...
, at 10,157 feet (3,096 m).
Beaverhead Mountains
The Beaverhead Mountains encompass an area of 4,532 square miles (11,738 km²). They lie to the east of the Bitterroot Mountains and lie to the west of the Big Hole Basin and the Pioneer MountainsPioneer Mountains (Montana)
The Pioneer Mountains cover in Beaverhead County in southwestern Montana, USA.The highest peaks in this range include:# Tweedy Mountain # Torrey Mountain # Baldy Mountain # Mount Fleecer # Odell Mountain...
. Passes in the mountains include Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the continental divide, at an elevation of 7373 feet above sea level.-History:...
, Bannock Pass
Bannock Pass
Bannock Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the continental divide, at an elevation of 7684 feet above sea level....
, Big Hole Pass
Big Hole Pass
Big Hole Pass is a high mountain pass on Montana State Route 278.-References:*...
, Big Hole Pass II, Junction Pass and Monida Pass
Monida Pass
Monida Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of the northwestern United States, at an elevation of 6870 feet above sea level on Interstate 15....
. The Beaverheads are further subdivided into the West Big Hole Mountains, the Big Hole Divide, the Tendoy Mountains
Tendoy Mountains
The Tendoy Mountains, el. , is a small mountain range northwest of Lima, Montana in Beaverhead County, Montana. The mountains are a subrange of the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range....
, the Italian Peaks, and the Garfield Peaks.
Centennial Mountains
The Centennial Mountains encompass an area of 2,064 square miles (5,346 km²).The Centennials are home to Brower's Spring
Brower's Spring
Brower's Spring is a spring in the Centennial Mountains of Montana that is believed to be the ultimate headwaters of the Missouri River.The spring is named for Jacob V. Brower who in 1896 declared it to be the source of the Missouri in The Missouri: Its Utmost Source...
, discovered in 1888 by Jacob V. Brower
Jacob V. Brower
Jacob Vandenberg Brower was a prolific writer of the Upper Midwest region of the United States who championed the location and protection of the utmost headwaters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.He was born in Michigan and moved to Minnesota...
, which is believed to be the furthest point on the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. Brower published his finding in 1896 in "The Missouri: It's Utmost Source."
The site of Brower's Spring at around 8,800 feet (2,680 m) feet in the Centennials. The site now commemorated by a rock pile at the source of Hellroaring Creek which flows into Red Rock River
Red Rock River (Montana)
The Red Rock River is a roughly river in southwestern Montana in the United States. Its drainage basin covers over . Its farthest tributary, Hell Roaring Creek, originates in the Beaverhead National Forest near the Montana-Idaho border at Brower's Spring, at an elevation of...
and then into Clark canyon reservoir where it joins the Beaverhead River
Beaverhead River
The Beaverhead River is an approximately -long tributary of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana . It drains an area of roughly . The river's original headwaters, formed by the confluence of the Red Rock River and Horse Prairie Creek, are now flooded under Clark Canyon Reservoir, which also...
and then the Big Hole River
Big Hole River
The Big Hole River is a tributary of the Jefferson River, approximately 153 miles long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in Skinner lake in the Beaverhead National Forest in the Beaverhead Mountains of the Bitterroot Range at the continental divide along the...
before ultimately hooking up with the Jefferson River
Jefferson River
The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks...
.