Montana Highway 87
Encyclopedia
Highway 87 in the U.S. State
of Montana
is a route running northerly from the Idaho
state line at Raynolds Pass
to an intersection with U.S. Route 287
about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Quake Lake
, a distance of approximately 9 miles (14.5 km). The route traverses a high and arid mountain valley, flanked by the Horn Mountains; the land is mostly uninhabited. Raynolds Pass is on the Continental Divide
.
The road across Raynolds Pass was first developed into a state highway in 1959, to provide a bypass route after an earthquake
temporarily severed the roadway through the upper Madison River
canyon to the east. Originally, the Raynolds Pass Road was designated as part of Montana Highway 287; the current number was assigned after US 287 was extended northward through Montana.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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,...
is a route running northerly from the 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....
state line at Raynolds Pass
Raynolds Pass
Raynolds Pass, el. is a mountain pass on the Montana-Idaho border in the Rocky Mountains, United States. The pass is on the Continental Divide, and is traversed by a state highway . The pass is named for Captain William F...
to an intersection with U.S. Route 287
U.S. Route 287
U.S. Route 287 is a north–south United States highway. It is long. It serves as the major truck route between the Texas cities of Fort Worth and Amarillo...
about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Quake Lake
Quake Lake
Quake Lake is a lake in southwestern Montana, United States. It was created after a massive earthquake struck on August 17, 1959, which killed 27 people. Today, Quake Lake is 190 feet deep and six miles long...
, a distance of approximately 9 miles (14.5 km). The route traverses a high and arid mountain valley, flanked by the Horn Mountains; the land is mostly uninhabited. Raynolds Pass is on the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
.
The road across Raynolds Pass was first developed into a state highway in 1959, to provide a bypass route after an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
temporarily severed the roadway through the upper Madison River
Madison River
The Madison River is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 183 miles long, in Wyoming and Montana. Its confluence with the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana form the Missouri River....
canyon to the east. Originally, the Raynolds Pass Road was designated as part of Montana Highway 287; the current number was assigned after US 287 was extended northward through Montana.