Editing Targhee Pass

{{Short description|Mountain pass in Idaho and Montana}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Targhee Pass
| photo =
| photo_caption =
| elevation_ft = 7072
| elevation_ref =
| traversed = [[U.S. Route 20 in Montana|US 20]]<!--{{jct|country=USA|US|20}}-->
| location = [[Fremont County, Idaho]] /<br>[[Gallatin County, Montana]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| range = [[Rocky Mountains]]
| map = USA#Idaho
| map_caption = Location in the [[United States]]##Location on the [[Idaho]] / [[Montana]] border
| map_size = 250
| label = Targhee Pass
| coords = {{coord|44|40|29|N|111|16|33|W|type:pass|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = <ref>{{cite gnis |id=791897 |name=Targhee Pass}}</ref>
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] Targhee Pass
}}
'''Targhee Pass''' is a mountain pass in the [[Western United States|western]] [[United States]] on the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]]. It&nbsp;is located along the border between southeastern [[Idaho]] and southwestern [[Montana]], in the [[Henrys Lake Mountains]] at an [[elevation]] of {{convert|7072|ft}} above [[sea level]]. The pass is named for a [[Bannock people|Bannock]] <!--Indian-->chief.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rees|first=John E.|title=Idaho Chronology, Nomenclature, Bibliography|url=https://archive.org/details/idahochronologyn00reesrich|year=1918|publisher=W.B. Conkey Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/idahochronologyn00reesrich/page/115 115]}}</ref>

[[U.S. Route 20 in Idaho|U.S. Highway&nbsp;20]] (US&nbsp;20) crosses the pass, approximately {{convert|15|mi|spell=in}} west of [[West Yellowstone, Montana|West Yellowstone]], on the western boundary of [[Yellowstone National Park]]. The pass provides the most direct access to the park from southern Idaho.

The pass is located in the [[Caribou–Targhee National Forest]]. [[Henrys Lake]], the headwaters of the [[Henrys Fork (Snake River tributary)|Henrys Fork]], a [[tributary]] of the [[Snake River]] is located just west of the pass. [[Hebgen Lake]], a reservoir on the [[Madison River]], a tributary of the [[Missouri River]], is located just north of the pass.

==Nez Perce War==
During the [[Nez Perce War]] in 1877, [[Chief Joseph]]'s band of Nez Perce traversed the pass on August 22 while evading [[United States Cavalry|U.S. Cavalry]] forces under the command of General [[Oliver O. Howard]].  The Nez Perce had just engaged the army in the [[Idaho Territory]] at the [[Battle of Camas Creek]].  After entering [[Montana Territory]], the Indians moved east up the [[Madison River]] into [[Yellowstone National Park]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Utley, Robert M. |title=Frontier Regulars the United States Army and the Indian, 1866-1891 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |location=Lincoln, NE |year=1973 |isbn= 0-8032-9551-0  |pages=308–309 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Mountain passes in Montana (M-Z)|Mountain passes in Montana]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{Montana}}

[[Category:Landforms of Fremont County, Idaho]]
[[Category:Landforms of Gallatin County, Montana]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of Idaho]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of Montana]]
[[Category:Great Divide of North America]]
[[Category:Transportation in Fremont County, Idaho]]
[[Category:Transportation in Gallatin County, Montana]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 20]]


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