Location |
State(s) |
Elevation |
Built by |
Currently |
Years of operation |
Notes |
Marias Pass |
Montana |
5,213 ft (1,589 m) |
Great Northern Railway |
BNSF Railway |
1893-present |
|
Mullan Pass |
Montana |
5,566 ft (1,697 m) |
Northern Pacific Railroad |
Montana Rail Link |
1883-present |
Passes through the Mullan Tunnel |
Elk Park Pass |
Montana |
6,365 ft (1,940 m) |
Great Northern Railway |
Burlington Northern Railroad |
1888-1972 |
|
Homestake Pass |
Montana |
6,328 ft (1,929 m) |
Northern Pacific Railroad |
BNSF Railway |
1888-present (dormant since 1983) |
|
Pipestone Pass |
Montana |
6,347 ft (1,935 m) |
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad |
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad |
1909-1980 |
Passed through the Pipestone Pass Tunnel |
Deer Lodge Pass |
Montana |
5,900 ft (1,798 m) |
Utah and Northern Railway |
Union Pacific Railroad |
1881-present |
Narrow gauge until 1887 |
Bannock Pass |
Montana and Idaho |
7,237 ft (2,206 m) |
Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad |
Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad |
1910-1939 |
Tunnel at summit |
Monida Pass |
Montana and Idaho |
6,823 ft (2,080 m) |
Utah and Northern Railway |
Union Pacific Railroad |
1880-present |
Narrow gauge until 1886 |
Reas Pass |
Montana and Idaho |
7,078 ft (2,157 m) |
Union Pacific Railroad |
Union Pacific Railroad |
1905-1981 |
Branch to West Yellowstone |
South Pass |
Wyoming |
7,550 ft (2,301 m) |
U.S. Steel |
U.S. Steel |
1962-1983 |
Served U.S. Steel Atlantic City Ore Mine |
Robinson |
Wyoming |
7,107 ft (2,166 m) |
Union Pacific Railroad |
Union Pacific Railroad |
1868-present |
Two sides of the Great Divide Basin |
Hadsell |
Wyoming |
|
Rollins Pass |
Colorado |
11,660 ft (3,554 m) (1904), 9,239 ft (2,816 m) (1928) |
Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway |
Union Pacific Railroad |
1904-present |
Original alignment replaced in 1928 by the Moffat Tunnel [1]) |
Jones Pass |
Colorado |
|
Henderson Mine |
|
1976-1999 |
Narrow gauge, passed through the Henderson Tunnel; replaced by a conveyor belt |
Boreas Pass |
Colorado |
11,493 ft (3,503 m) |
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad |
Colorado and Southern Railway |
1882-1937 |
Narrow gauge |
Fremont Pass |
Colorado |
11,319 ft (3,450 m) |
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad |
Colorado and Southern Railway |
1884-1937 |
Narrow gauge. Line south of Climax retained, converted to standard gauge 1943, now operated by Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad |
Fremont Pass |
Colorado |
11,330 ft (3,453 m) |
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad |
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad |
1881-1923 |
Narrow gauge |
Tennessee Pass |
Colorado |
10,424 ft (3,177 m) [2] |
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad |
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad |
1887-1890 |
Narrow gauge, replaced by standard gauge Tennessee Pass Tunnel |
Tennessee Pass |
Colorado |
10,239 ft (3,121 m) (1890), 10,221 ft (3,115 m) (1945) [3] |
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad |
Union Pacific Railroad (dormant) |
1890-present (dormant since 1997) |
Passed through the Tennessee Pass Tunnel (original tunnel built 1890, replaced in 1945) |
Hagerman Pass |
Colorado |
11,528 ft (3,514 m) (1887),10,953 ft (3,338 m) (1893) |
Colorado Midland Railway |
Colorado Midland Railway |
1887-1918 |
Passed through the Hagerman Tunnel, replaced in 1893 by the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel. Reverted to original route between 1897 and 1899 |
Alpine Tunnel |
Colorado |
11,612 ft (3,539 m) |
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad |
Colorado and Southern Railway |
1881-1910 |
Narrow gauge |
Marshall Pass |
Colorado |
10,856 ft (3,309 m) [4] |
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad |
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad |
1881-1953 |
Narrow gauge. Original D&RG mainline before Tennessee Pass line opened |
Azotea |
New Mexico |
7,773 ft (2,369 m) [5] |
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad |
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad |
1880-1968 |
Narrow gauge |
Hillcrest |
New Mexico |
7,714 ft (2,351 m) |
Rio Grande and Southwestern Railroad |
Rio Grande and Southwestern Railroad |
1903-1924 |
Narrow gauge |
Campbell Pass |
New Mexico |
7,244 ft (2,208 m) |
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway |
BNSF Railway |
1882-present |
|
Tyrone |
New Mexico |
|
Burro Mountain Railroad |
Southwestern Railroad |
|
Serves Phelps Dodge copper pit |
Wilna |
New Mexico |
4,584 ft (1,397 m) |
Southern Pacific Railroad |
Union Pacific Railroad |
1883-present |
|
Hachita |
New Mexico |
4,495 ft (1,370 m) |
Arizona and New Mexico Railroad |
Southern Pacific Railroad |
1902-1934 |
|
Vista |
New Mexico |
4,650 ft (1,417 m) (east), 4,694 ft (1,431 m) (west) |
El Paso and Southwestern Railroad |
Southern Pacific Railroad |
1902-1961 |
Two crossings 2 miles apart |
(name unknown) |
New Mexico |
4,525 ft (1,379 m) |
Phelps Dodge |
Phelps Dodge |
1970s-1999 |
Line served Hidalgo Smelter |
Antelope |
New Mexico |
4,510 ft (1,375 m) |
El Paso and Southwestern Railroad |
Southern Pacific Railroad |
1902-1961 |
|