Editing Bitterroot Range

{{Short description|Sub-range of the Rocky Mountains in the northwestern United States}}
{{Hatnote|This article is about the entire Bitterroot Range. For the Bitterroot Mountains, see its [[#Bitterroot Mountains|section below]] or the [[Bitterroot Mountains]] article.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name=Bitterroot Range
| photo=BitterrootMtnsMT.jpg
| photo_caption=Part of the Bitterroot Range in Montana, looking north from El Capitan peak
| country= United States
| subdivision1_type= States
| subdivision1= {{hlist|Idaho|Montana}}
| parent= Rocky Mountains
| area_mi2=14742
| range_coordinates= 
| length_mi=304
| length_orientation=N/S
| width_mi=268
| width_orientation=E/W
| highest= Trapper Peak
| elevation_ft=10157
| coordinates= {{coord|44.353807|N|112.821407|W|type:mountain|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| map= USA
}}

The '''Bitterroot Range''' is a [[mountain range]] and a subrange of the [[Rocky Mountains]] that runs along the border of [[Montana]] and [[Idaho]] in the northwestern [[United States]].  The range spans an area of {{convert|24223|mi2|km2}} and is named after the [[bitterroot]] (''Lewisia rediviva''), a small pink flower that is the [[state flower]] of Montana.<ref>[http://www.bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1742 "Bitterroot Range"]. ''Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia''. Bivouac.com. Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bitterroot Mountains |publisher=PeakBagger |url=http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=1431 |access-date=October 13, 2012}}</ref>

== History ==
1805, the [[Corps of Discovery]], led by [[Meriwether Lewis]] and [[William Clark (explorer)|William Clark]] and aided by [[Sacajawea]] of the [[Shoshone]] tribe, crossed the Bitterroot Range several times. Lewis first crossed the mountains at [[Lemhi Pass]] on August 12, then returned across the pass to meet Clark. The entire expedition then crossed the pass to the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]] valley, and the next month entered the [[Bitterroot Valley]] from the south via either [[Lost Trail Pass]] or [[Chief Joseph Pass]]. It then crossed [[Lolo Pass (Idaho-Montana)|Lolo Pass]] to the west. In June 1806 the Corps of Discovery was then lead by 5 members of the [[Nez Perce|Nez 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hallock |first=Thomas |date=1997 |title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/wal.1997.0020 |journal=Western American Literature |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=403–404 |doi=10.1353/wal.1997.0020 |issn=1948-7142|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The mountains were crossed by the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]] (the "Milwaukee Road").<ref>Wood, Charles R. and Wood, Dorothy M., "Milwaukee Road West," (1972, Superior Publishing Co.).</ref>

== Ranges ==
According to the [[U.S. Board on Geographic Names]], the Bitterroot Range runs from [[Pend Oreille Lake]] (near [[Sandpoint, Idaho]]) to [[Monida Pass]].<ref>{{cite gnis |id=395685 |name=Bitterroot Range |access-date=2010-07-10}}</ref>  It is sometimes considered to extend east of the Monida Pass to include the [[Centennial Mountains]].  The range comprises the following subranges (from north to south):

=== Coeur d'Alène Mountains ===
{{main article|Coeur d'Alène Mountains}}
The '''Coeur d'Alène Mountains''' are the northwesternmost portion of the Bitterroot Range and encompass an area of {{convert|2590|mi2|km2}}. The mountain range's two highest peaks are the <span style="white-space:nowrap">7,352&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(2,241&nbsp;m)</span> [[Cherry Peak]] and the <span style="white-space:nowrap">6,837&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(2,084&nbsp;m)</span> [[Patricks Knob]].<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14310 |name=Coeur d'Alène Mountains|access-date=2011-08-08}} Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>

=== Saint Joe Mountains ===
The '''Saint Joe Mountains''', the smallest named portion of the Bitterroot Range, encompass an area of <span style="white-space:nowrap">698&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(1,808&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span>.  They lie between the [[St. Joe River]] on the south, the [[Coeur d'Alene River]] on the north, the Slate Creek saddle on the east and the plateau of the [[Moscow, Idaho]]/[[Pullman, Washington]] area on the Idaho/[[Washington (state)|Washington]] border.<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14311 |name=Saint Joe Mountains |access-date=2011-08-08}}. Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1741 St. "Joe Mountains"]. ''Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia''. Bivouac.com. Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>

=== Bitterroot Mountains ===
{{main article|Bitterroot Mountains}}
The '''Bitterroot Mountains''', comprising the [[Northern Bitterroot Range|Northern]] and [[Central Bitterroot Range]]s, are the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range and encompass an area of <span style="white-space:nowrap">4,862&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(12,593&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span>. The mountains are bordered on the north by Lolo Creek, on the south by the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]], on the east by the [[Bitterroot River]] [[Bitterroot Valley|and Valley]], and on the west by the [[Selway River|Selway]] and [[Lochsa River|Lochsa]] Rivers.<ref>[http://www.bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1739 "Bitterroot Mountains"]. ''Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia'' Bivouac.com. Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>  Its highest summit is [[Trapper Peak (Montana)|Trapper Peak]], at <span style="white-space:nowrap">10,157&nbsp;feet&nbsp;(3,096&nbsp;m)</span>.<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14312 |name=Northern Bitterroot Range |access-date=2011-08-08}} Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14313 |name=Central Bitterroot Range |access-date=2011-08-08}} Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>

=== Beaverhead Mountains ===
{{main article|Beaverhead Mountains}}
The '''Beaverhead Mountains''' encompass an area of <span style="white-space:nowrap">4,532&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(11,738&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span>.  They lie to the east of the Bitterroot Mountains and lie to the west of the [[Big Hole Basin]] and the [[Pioneer Mountains (Montana)|Pioneer Mountains]].  Passes in the mountains include [[Lemhi Pass]], [[Bannock Pass]], [[Big Hole Pass]], Big Hole Pass II, Junction Pass and [[Monida Pass]]. The Beaverheads are further subdivided into the [[West Big Hole Mountains]], the [[Big Hole Divide]], the [[Tendoy Mountains]], the [[Italian Peaks]], and the [[Garfield Peaks]].<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14314 |name=Beaverhead Mountains |access-date=2011-08-08}} Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>

=== Centennial Mountains ===
{{main article|Centennial Mountains}}
The '''Centennial Mountains''' encompass an area of <span style="white-space:nowrap">2,064&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(5,346&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span>.<ref>{{cite peakbagger|rid=14315|name=Centennial Mountains|access-date=2011-08-08}} Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>

The Centennials are home to [[Brower's Spring]], discovered in 1888 by [[Jacob V. Brower]], which is believed to be the furthest point on the [[Missouri River]]. Brower published his finding in 1896 in "The Missouri: Its Utmost Source."

The site of Brower's Spring is at about <span style="white-space:nowrap">8,800&nbsp;feet&nbsp;(2,680&nbsp;m)</span> in elevation in the Centennials. The site is now commemorated by a rock cairn at the source of Hellroaring Creek, which flows into the [[Red Rock River (Montana)|Red Rock River]] and then into [[Clark canyon reservoir]], where it joins the [[Beaverhead River]] and then the [[Big Hole River]], before ultimately joining with the [[Jefferson River]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/2005/MissouriSource.htm|title=The True Utmost Reaches of the Missouri - Montana Outdoors - July-August 2005|access-date=2007-04-13|archive-date=2012-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118010715/http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/2005/MissouriSource.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
* The Bitterroot Range is featured in the 2004 [[alternate history]] novel, ''[[Dies the Fire]]'', by [[S.M. Stirling]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060516105633/http://130.166.124.2/montana_panorama_atlas/page27/files/page27-1003-full.html Perspective aerial image of the Bitterroot Range and the Bitterroot Valley]

{{Mountains of Idaho}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bitterroot Range| ]]
[[Category:Ranges of the Rocky Mountains]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Idaho]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Montana]]
[[Category:Landforms of Mineral County, Montana]]