| Bitterroot Range | |
|---|---|
 Part of the Bitterroot Range in Montana, looking north from El Capitan peak | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Trapper Peak |
| Elevation | 10,157 ft (3,096 m) |
| Coordinates | 44°21′14″N112°49′17″W / 44.353807°N 112.821407°W /44.353807; -112.821407 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 304 mi (489 km) N/S |
| Width | 268 mi (431 km) E/W |
| Area | 14,742 sq mi (38,180 km2) |
| Geography | |
  Bitterroot Range | |
| Country | United States |
| States |
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| Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
TheBitterroot Range is amountain range and a subrange of theRocky Mountains that runs along the border ofMontana andIdaho in the northwesternUnited States. The range spans an area of 24,223 square miles (62,740 km2) and is named after thebitterroot (Lewisia rediviva), a small pink flower that is thestate flower of Montana.[1][2]
1805, theCorps of Discovery, led byMeriwether Lewis andWilliam Clark and aided bySacajawea of theShoshone tribe, crossed the Bitterroot Range several times. Lewis first crossed the mountains atLemhi Pass on August 12, then returned across the pass to meet Clark. The entire expedition then crossed the pass to theSalmon River valley, and the next month entered theBitterroot Valley from the south via eitherLost Trail Pass orChief Joseph Pass. It then crossedLolo Pass to the west. In June 1806 the Corps of Discovery was then lead by 5 members of theNez Percé back across the Bitterroot Range, from west to east. The Bitterroots also presented a massive problem for the expedition, ending their hope of finding an all water Northwest Passage.[3] The mountains were crossed by theChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the "Milwaukee Road").[4]
According to theU.S. Board on Geographic Names, the Bitterroot Range runs fromPend Oreille Lake (nearSandpoint, Idaho) toMonida Pass.[5] It is sometimes considered to extend east of the Monida Pass to include theCentennial Mountains. The range comprises the following subranges (from north to south):
TheCoeur d'Alène Mountains are the northwesternmost portion of the Bitterroot Range and encompass an area of 2,590 square miles (6,700 km2). The mountain range's two highest peaks are the7,352 foot (2,241 m)Cherry Peak and the6,837 foot (2,084 m)Patricks Knob.[6]
TheSaint Joe Mountains, the smallest named portion of the Bitterroot Range, encompass an area of698 square miles (1,808 km2). They lie between theSt. Joe River on the south, theCoeur d'Alene River on the north, the Slate Creek saddle on the east and the plateau of theMoscow, Idaho/Pullman, Washington area on the Idaho/Washington border.[7][8]
TheBitterroot Mountains, comprising theNorthern andCentral Bitterroot Ranges, are the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range and encompass an area of4,862 square miles (12,593 km2). The mountains are bordered on the north by Lolo Creek, on the south by theSalmon River, on the east by theBitterroot Riverand Valley, and on the west by theSelway andLochsa Rivers.[9] Its highest summit isTrapper Peak, at10,157 feet (3,096 m).[10][11]
TheBeaverhead Mountains encompass an area of4,532 square miles (11,738 km2). They lie to the east of the Bitterroot Mountains and lie to the west of theBig Hole Basin and thePioneer Mountains. Passes in the mountains includeLemhi Pass,Bannock Pass,Big Hole Pass, Big Hole Pass II, Junction Pass andMonida Pass. The Beaverheads are further subdivided into theWest Big Hole Mountains, theBig Hole Divide, theTendoy Mountains, theItalian Peaks, and theGarfield Peaks.[12]
TheCentennial Mountains encompass an area of2,064 square miles (5,346 km2).[13]
The Centennials are home toBrower's Spring, discovered in 1888 byJacob V. Brower, which is believed to be the furthest point on theMissouri River. Brower published his finding in 1896 in "The Missouri: Its Utmost Source."
The site of Brower's Spring is at about8,800 feet (2,680 m) in elevation in the Centennials. The site is now commemorated by a rock cairn at the source of Hellroaring Creek, which flows into theRed Rock River and then intoClark canyon reservoir, where it joins theBeaverhead River and then theBig Hole River, before ultimately joining with theJefferson River.[14]
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