Lolo Pass (Idaho–Montana)

{{Other uses|Lolo (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox mountain pass

| name = Lolo Pass

| photo = Lolo Summit Sign.jpg

| photo_caption = Historical marker sign in Idaho in 2011

| elevation_ft = 5233

| elevation_ref =

| traversed = {{jct|country=USA|US|12}}

| location = Idaho County, Idaho, /
Missoula County, Montana, U.S.

| range = Bitterroot Range,
Rocky Mountains

| map = USA#USA Idaho

| map_caption = Location in the United States##Location on the Idaho–Montana border

| coordinates = {{coord|46.635|N|114.580|W|type:pass}}

| topo =

}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Lolo Trail

| nrhp_type = nhl

| image =

| caption =

| location = Bitterroot Mountains,
Idaho-Montana

| locmapin =

| coordinates = {{coord|46.635|N|114.580|W|display=inline,title}}

| area =

| built = 1805

| architect =

| architecture =

| added = October 15, 1966

| refnum = 66000309{{cite web|url={{NHLS url|id=66000309}}|title=National Historic Landmark nomination for Lolo Pass|date=July 11, 2010|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}}

}}

Lolo Pass, elevation {{convert|5233|ft|0}}, is a mountain pass in the western United States, in the Bitterroot Range of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is on the border between the states of Montana and Idaho, approximately {{convert|40|mi|round=5|spell=in}} west-southwest of Missoula, Montana.

The pass is the highest point of the historic Lolo Trail, between the Bitterroot Valley in Montana and the Weippe Prairie in Idaho. The trail, known as naptnišaqs, or "Nez Perce Trail" in Salish,{{Cite book

| edition = 2nd

| publisher = Salish Kootenai College Press

| isbn = 9781934594063

| last = Tachini

| first = Pete

| title = Seliš nyoʻnuntn, Medicine for the Salish language : English to Salish translation dictionary

| location = Pablo, MT

| page = 374

| year = 2010

}} was used by Nez Perce in the 18th century, and by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, guided by Old Toby of the Shoshone, on their westward snowbound journey in September 1805. After a winter at Fort Clatsop in present-day northwestern Oregon, the Corps of Discovery returned the following June. The Lolo Trail is a National Historic Landmark, designated for its importance to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and its role in the 1877 Nez Perce War.

The name of the pass is sometimes said to have been Salish version of the French name Laurence or Laurent, but was probably a regular French nickname.{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|authorlink=William Bright|title=Native American Placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA255|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|pages=11, 255}} The name Lolo was not used by Lewis and Clark. Its first known mention is in the 1810 journal of David Thompson, who described three fur trappers, probably of French descent, named Michael, Lolo, and Gregoire.{{cite book|last=Saindon|first=Robert A.|title=Explorations Into the World of Lewis and Clark V-2 of 3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TygK-g-UguQC&pg=PA968|year=2003|publisher=Digital Scanning Inc|isbn=978-1-58218-764-8|page=968}}

The pass was also used in 1877 during the Nez Perce War as some of the Nez Perce under Chief Joseph tried to escape the U.S. Army. Shortly after crossing the pass, the two sides clashed at the Battle of the Big Hole in Montana.{{cite web |url= http://www.nps.gov/nepe/historyculture/lolo-trail-and-pass.htm|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|title= Lolo Trail and Pass |publisher= National Park Service |accessdate= 8 October 2011}}

U.S. Highway 12, belatedly completed in 1962, crosses the pass. At the August dedication ceremony at Lolo Pass attended by thousands, the states' governors, Bob Smylie of Idaho and Tim Babcock of Montana, cut through a ceremonial cedar log with a two-man crosscut saw.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KL5eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JzEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4003%2C3235536|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|location=(Idaho)|last=Campbell|first=Thomas W.|title=Thousands witness L-C Highway dedication|date=August 20, 1962|page=1}}

Lolo Hot Springs is {{convert|7|mi|spell=in}} east of the pass in Montana. The first limited services in Idaho are in Powell, {{convert|13|mi|spell=in}} to the west of the pass, then another {{convert|65|mi|0}} to Lowell, at the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway Rivers to form the Middle Fork of the Clearwater. The primary city in Idaho served by U.S. 12 is Lewiston, {{convert|170|mi}} west of the pass at the border with Washington, where the Clearwater meets the Snake.

On March 1, 2014, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced that 23 wolves had been killed in the Lolo Pass area, in order to boost elk populations.{{Cite news

| title = Idaho Fish and Game kills 23 wolves in Lolo Pass area

| work = Missoulian

| accessdate = 2014-06-12

| date = 2014-03-01

| url = http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/idaho-fish-and-game-kills-wolves-in-lolo-pass-area/article_1afad70c-a144-11e3-9871-0019bb2963f4.html

}}

Nez Perce Trail Historical Marker, Lolo Pass.jpg|Nez Perce Trail Historical Marker, Lolo Pass 2017

Lolo Pass walking trail.jpg|Lolo Pass walking trail 2017

File:Lolo Pass Apr 2008.jpg|Lolo Pass, Montana side, approaching summit, westbound

Winter Road Montana.jpg|Entering Montana from Lolo Pass

File:Lolo Pass Visitor's Center.jpg|Lolo Pass visitor center

File:FEMA - 8293 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 08-18-2003 in Montana.jpg|Forest fire near Lolo Pass, 2003

File:Lochsa River.jpg|Idaho's Lochsa River, west of Lolo Pass

File:PackerMeadowscamas.JPG|Camas blooming at Packer Meadows, near Lolo Pass, Idaho