Stampede Pass

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The Stampede Pass, is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington,

Although roadways pass through Stampede Pass, they are privately held and not open to the public. However the public can gain access to the high point in the pass from the east.

[edit] History

In 1888 the Northern Pacific Railway (now the BNSF Railway) completed a rail tunnel (the "Stampede Tunnel") through Stampede Pass, connecting the port of Tacoma with points east. As early as 1887 the Northern Pacific ran trains over the pass on temporary tressels and switchbacks (the train was required to reverse several times to negotiate the switchbacks and could only pull 5 cars using what were then two of the largest locomotives in service).

Supposedly Stampede Pass was named when, during rail construction, a particularly unpleasant rail foreman arrived and the construction crew "stampeded" back to Seattle.

The Northern Pacific received twenty 1/4 mile sections of land for every mile of track laid in Washington in alternate sections. As a result, much of Stampede pass wound up in private hands.