Chief Joseph Pass | |
---|---|
US Forestry sign at Chief Joseph Pass |
|
Elevation | 7,264 ft (2,214 m) |
Traversed by | = MT 43 |
Location | |
Location | Lemhi County, Idaho / Beaverhead County, Montana, United States |
Range | Bitterroot Mountains, Bitterroot Range, Rocky Mountains |
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. At an elevation of 7264 feet (2214 m) above sea level in the Bitterroot Mountains, it is traversed by Montana State Highway 43.
West of the pass, the highway quickly connects with US-93 at Lost Trail Pass, about a half-mile (1 km) west of the Divide. Between the passes the Montana highway is actually in Idaho, for about a mile (1.6 km).
This is the final pass on the continental divide between Idaho & Montana. Less than a mile north, the Continental Divide heads eastward into Montana, following the Ravalli-Beaverhead county line towards Butte. East of Chief Joseph Pass, Highway 43 descends to Wisdom, 26 miles (42 km) away; just over halfway is the historic Big Hole National Battlefield of 1877.