South Pass (elevation and ) is a route across the Continental Divide, in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. It lies in a broad high region, wide, between the nearly Wind River Range to the north and the over Oregon Buttes and arid, saline near-impassable Great Divide Basin to the south. The Pass lies in southwestern Fremont County, approximately SSW of Lander.

Though it approaches a mile and a half high, South Pass is the lowest point on the Continental Divide between the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains. The passes furnish a natural crossing point of the Rockies. The historic pass became the route for emigrants on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails to the West during the 19th century. It was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961.

History

Though well known to Native Americans, South Pass was first traversed in 1812 by American explorers who were seeking a safer way to return from the West Coast than they had taken to it. As a natural crossing point of the Rockies its pioneering was a significant achievement in the westward expansion of the United States. Because the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803–1806 was searching for a water route across the Continental Divide it did not learn of South Pass from local peoples. Instead, the expedition followed a northerly route up the Missouri River, crossing the Rockies over difficult passes in the Bitterroot Range between present-day Montana and Idaho.

The first recorded crossing was made on October 22, 1812 by Robert Stuart, and six companions from the Pacific Fur Company of John Jacob Astor. They were trying to avoid Crow warriors farther north, on their return to St. Louis, Missouri from Astoria, Oregon. A Shoshone had told Stuart of "...a shorter trace to the South than that by which Mr. Hunt had traversed the R. Mountains..." In 1856 Ramsay Crooks, one of the party, wrote a letter describing their journey:

Stuart's "Travel Memorandum" was left with President James Madison, but the War of 1812 preempted western exploration. A translation of his journal was published in an 1821 French journal, but South Pass would have to be rediscovered by later explorers from information provided by Crow Indians.]]

Stephen W. Kearny led the first military expedition to South Pass in 1845. By 1848, 18,487 Americans had crossed the pass, and over 300,000 by 1860.

Wyoming Highway 28 traverses the modern pass, roughly following the route of the Oregon Trail. Wagon ruts are still clearly visible at numerous sites within a few miles of the highway.

Topography

The pass is a broad open saddle with prairie and sagebrush, allowing a broad and nearly level route between the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. The Sweetwater River flows past the east side of the pass, and Pacific Creek rises on the west side. Historic South Pass is the lower of the two passes (elevation ), and was the easy crossing point used by emigrants. Wyoming Highway 28 crosses the Continental Divide to the northwest at elevation , and its crossing is also named South Pass. The Lander Cutoff Route crosses the Continental Divide at the far northwest end of the broad South Pass region, about to the northwest of the South Passes, at an elevation of .

See also

  • Great Migration of 1843
  • Mormon Emigration
  • Overland Trail
  • Continental Divide of the Americas
  • List of passes of the Rocky Mountains
  • South Pass City, Wyoming
  • South Pass greenstone belt

References

  • History and virtual tour of South pass
  • "Ramsay Crooks 1856 letter", XMission.com
  • South Pass National Historic Landmark , Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office