Lookout Pass
Encyclopedia
Lookout Pass is a mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of the northwestern United States
. The pass, in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains
of the Bitterroot Range
, is on the border between Idaho
and Montana
, traversed by Interstate 90
at an elevation
of 4710 feet (1436 m) above sea level.
Lookout Pass is the eastern border of northern Idaho's
Silver Valley, and has the distinction of being "Exit 0" on Interstate 90 in Montana. Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area
is on the eastbound side of the highway, straddling the border.
The pass separates the communities of Mullan
in Shoshone County
and Saltese
in Mineral County
.
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...
. The pass, in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains
Coeur d'Alene Mountains
The Coeur d'Alene Mountains are the northwestern-most portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the northern Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States....
of 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,...
, is on the border between 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 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,...
, traversed by Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Idaho
In the U.S. state of Idaho, Interstate 90 has a small routing in the panhandle, just under 74 miles . Traveling east from Spokane, Washington, I-90 passes through Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, over Fourth of July Summit, and through the Silver Valley before entering Montana at Lookout Pass.I-90 is...
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 4710 feet (1436 m) above sea level.
Lookout Pass is the eastern border of northern Idaho's
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
Silver Valley, and has the distinction of being "Exit 0" on Interstate 90 in Montana. Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area
Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area
Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is a ski area at Lookout Pass in northern Idaho on the Montana border, 4 miles east of Mullan on Interstate 90. It has a summit elevation of 5650 feet on Runt Mountain with a vertical drop of 1150 feet on the northeast-facing slopes...
is on the eastbound side of the highway, straddling the border.
The pass separates the communities of Mullan
Mullan, Idaho
Mullan is a city located in a sheltered canyon of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains in Shoshone County in the northern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 840 at the 2000 census and decreased to 692 at the 2010 census. The city is in the east end of the Silver Valley mining district; the...
in Shoshone County
Shoshone County, Idaho
Shoshone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1864, named for the Native American Shoshone tribe. The population was 12,765 at the 2010 census. Shoshone County is commonly referred to as the Silver Valley, due to its century-old mining history...
and Saltese
Saltese, Montana
Saltese is an unincorporated community in Mineral County, Montana, United States. Located at , Saltese lies an altitude of 3,366 feet ....
in Mineral County
Mineral County, Montana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,884 people, 1,584 households, and 1,067 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile . There were 1,961 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
.
External links
- Webcam - Lookout Pass from Montana Department of TransportationMontana Department of TransportationThe Montana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Montana, responsible for numerous programs related to the construction, maintenance, and monitoring of Montana's transportation infrastructure and operations...
- Topographic map and aerial photo from USGS