| Beckwourth Pass | |
|---|---|
 Beckwourth Pass as seen from theFeather River Route in theSierra Valley looking east | |
| Elevation | 5,221 ft (1,591 m) |
| Traversed by |  SR 70Feather River Route |
| Location | Plumas County |
| Range | Sierra Nevada (U.S.) |
| Coordinates | 39°47′30″N120°6′28″W / 39.79167°N 120.10778°W /39.79167; -120.10778 |
  Location inCalifornia | |
| Reference no. | 336 |
Beckwourth Pass is the lowestmountain pass in theSierra Nevada mountain range at an elevation of 5,221 feet (1,591 m).[1]
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Beckwourth Pass is located at the north eastern edge ofSierra Valley atChilcoot-Vinton, California near the border betweenPlumas County andLassen County, 20 miles (32 km) east ofPortola, California and 25 miles (40 km) northwest ofReno, Nevada.
California State Route 70 crosses over Beckwourth Pass. TheFeather River Route of the formerWestern Pacific Railroad, now theUnion Pacific Railroad, crosses beneath the pass via the Chilcoot Tunnel. Route 70 and the railroad line provide an alternate route betweenSacramento, California andReno, Nevada whenInterstate 80 and theOverland Route, which cross the Sierra Nevada nearDonner Pass, are impassable due to winter storms.
James Beckwourth discovered Beckwourth Pass in 1850. In 1851, he improved the path intoSierra Valley to create hisBeckwourth Trail. The trail ran fromTruckee Meadows (what is now known asSparks, Nevada) through the pass into California and on toMarysville.[2]
In late summer of 1851, James Beckwourth led the first wagon train of settlers along the Beckwourth Trail into Marysville.[3]
One of the settlers in Beckwourth's first wagon train was ten-year-old Josephine Donna Smith. Later, she took the nameIna Coolbrith, "Ina" is a diminutive name for Josephine and "Coolbrith" was her mother's maiden name. In 1915, Coolbrith would become California's first Poet Laureate.[4]
Between 1851 and 1854, 1,200 emigrants traveled the Beckwourth Trail, leading 12,000 head of cattle, 700 sheep, and 500 horses.[2][5] However, in 1854, use dropped sharply when the Beckwourth Trail became a toll road. The toll cost to move a ton of freight from Bidwell Bar to Quincy was about $18. This made using the Beckwourth Road an expensive enterprise and the use of the Beckwourth Trail declined.[6]
Between 1895 and 1916, the pass was used by theSierra Valley & Mohawk Railwaynarrow gauge.[7] The abandoned right-of-way is still visible on the south and eastern slope of the pass.
In 1906, the Chilcoot Tunnel, with a length of 6,002 feet (1,829 m), was constructed beneath Beckwourth Pass by theWestern Pacific Railroad as part of itsFeather River Route.[7] In 1937, a bronze plaque was erected at Beckwourth Pass by the Native Daughters of the Golden West to commemorate the discoverer and the pioneers who passed along the trail.[8]
On August 8, 1939, Beckwourth Pass was designated asCalifornia Historical Landmark Number 336.[citation needed]
In 1982, the Western Pacific was acquired by theUnion Pacific Corporation and it was merged into theUnion Pacific Railroad. The former Western Pacific Railroad's Feather River Route is owned and operated by theUnion Pacific Railroad.[9]
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