Athabasca Pass

Athabasca Pass
Elevation	1,753 m (5,751 ft)
Location	Alberta–British Columbia border, Canada
Range	Rocky Mountains
Coordinates	52°22′35″N 118°11′00″W / 52.37639°N 118.18333°W
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name	Athabasca Pass National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	1971

Athabasca Pass (el. 1,753 m or 5,751 ft) is a high mountain pass in the Canadian Rockies.^[1] It is the headwaters of the Whirlpool River, a tributary of the Athabasca River. In fur-trade days it connected Jasper House on the Athabasca River with Boat Encampment on the Columbia River.

The pass lies between Mount Brown and McGillivray Ridge. It is south of Yellowhead Pass and north of Howse Pass.

The pass is first mentioned in the historical record in the papers of British explorer David Thompson, who was shown the route in 1811 by an Iroquois^[2] man named Thomas. The pass subsequently became a major point on the fur trade route between Rupert's Land and the Columbia District, used by the York Factory Express.^[3][4] The pass was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1971.^[5]

See also

• List of Rocky Mountain passes on the continental divide

References

1. "Athabasca Pass". BC Geographical Names.
2. Allen, W.G.P. A Trail through the Pembina Valley 1790-1909.
3. Peakfinder: Athabasca Pass
4. Athabasca Pass National Historic Site. Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. Parks Canada. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
5. Athabasca Pass National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 30 November 2012.

Coordinates: 52°22′35″N 118°11′00″W / 52.37639°N 118.18333°W