Kicking Horse Pass (el. ) is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta–British Columbia border, and lying within Yoho and Banff national parks. Divide Creek forks onto both sides of the continental divide.

Explorers

First Nations had known and used the pass, but it was first explored by Europeans in 1858 by the Palliser Expedition led by Captain John Palliser. It and the adjacent Kicking Horse River were named after James Hector (Hector's Branch Expeditions, 3 August 1858 – 26 May 1859), was kicked by his horse while attempting rescue of another horse that had gone into the river. Hector was led to the pass by his Stoney Nakoda guide Hector Nimrod.

From Hector's summary, which appears on pages 105–106 of Palliser's diary,

Railway

A National Historic Site of Canada, the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was constructed between Lake Louise, Alberta, and Field, British Columbia, using this route in 1884, in preference to the original survey through the more northerly Yellowhead Pass.

The original section of the CPR between the summit of the pass near Wapta Lake and Field was known as "The Big Hill". With a ruling gradient of 4.5% (1 in 23), it was the steepest stretch of main-line railroad in North America.

Owing to frequent accidents and expensive helper engines associated with railroading in the pass, the CPR built the two Spiral Tunnels that opened in 1909, replacing the direct route. Although they add several kilometres, they reduce the ruling grade to a more manageable 2.2% (1 in 46). Accidents still occur, including a major derailment in 2019 that killed three CPR employees.

Road

The pack train trail over the pass, established at the time of the railway, gradually became a wagon road. In 1928, the Golden–Lake Louise highway, which essentially followed the CPR route, was completed.

British Columbia Highway 1, part of the Trans-Canada Highway was built in 1962, following a more northerly placement along the eastern approach. It reaches its highest point at Kicking Horse Pass at an elevation of .

The original stretch of Highway 1 through the canyon was two lanes wide with sharp corners, uneven grade and a risk of falling rocks. It had twice the provincial average of incidents and accidents. Since the 2000s, 25 kilometres of road have been rebuilt in phases to modern standards, with 4 lanes and the removal of sharp corners. The final phase was completed in August 2024.

Television

Dave Broadfoot played The Honourable Member for Kicking Horse Pass in the CBC Television satirical series Royal Canadian Air Farce and in his personal standup routines.

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File:Kicking Horse Pass BC AB on the Trans Canadian Highway August 2013.jpg|Looking east at Kicking Horse Pass from the Trans-Canada Highway

File:Spiral Tunnels 1908 Kodak.jpg|Panorama of the tunnels from the west, 1908 The Big Hill on the Canadian Pacific Railway

File:Kicking Horse Canyon Train.jpg|The train runs along the embankment at the side of the Kicking-Horse River pre-1942

File:Kicking Horse Canyon Tunnel.jpg|View from the tracks through a tunnel along the Canadian Pacific Railway pre-1942

</gallery>

See also

  • List of railroad crossings of the North American continental divide
  • List of Rocky Mountain passes on the continental divide

References

  • Zoomable map of Kicking Horse Pass showing railway
  • Ten Mile Hill Project HD Video
  • LibriVox Audiobook Recordings