Reas Pass, elevation 6,930 feet (2,110 m), is a mountain pass on the Continental Divide in Fremont County, Idaho, about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of West Yellowstone, Montana. The pass lies essentially on the Idaho-Montana border, but modern maps[1] show that the summit lies entirely in Idaho, because the Divide and the state line do not quite coincide here. The pass is also somewhat unusual in that, despite being the lowest crossing of the Divide in the vicinity, it has evidently never been traversed by a highway of any significance.[2] Starting in 1909, it was used by a branch line of the Union Pacific Railroad running between Ashton, Idaho and West Yellowstone; however, the line eventually became unprofitable and was closed in 1979.[3]

Reas Pass
Elevation6,930 ft (2,112 m)[1]
Traversed byformer Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way
LocationFremont County, Idaho, US
RangeRocky Mountains
Coordinates44°34′03″N 111°11′22″W / 44.56750°N 111.18944°W / 44.56750; -111.18944[1]
Topo mapUSGS Reas Pass

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Reas Pass, Idaho, USGS 7.5 minute topographic map via TopoQuest". USGS. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  2. ^ "Ashton, 1972 USGS 1:250,000 topographic map via TopoQuest". USGS. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
  3. ^ "Old Union Pacific Railroad - Island Park, Idaho". IslandParkIdaho.com. Retrieved 2013-06-08.