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{{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 7,352 foot (2,241 m) [[Cherry Peak]] and the 6,837 foot (2,084 m) [[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 698 square miles (1,808 km2). 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 4,862 square miles (12,593 km2). 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 10,157 feet (3,096 m).<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 4,532 square miles (11,738 km2). 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 2,064 square miles (5,346 km2).<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 8,800 feet (2,680 m) 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]]

Bitterroot Range - Revision history

imported>OAbot: Open access bot: url-access updated in citation with #oabot.