Simpson Pass

Simpson Pass, el. 2,107 m (6,913 ft), is a mountain pass on the border between the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, in the area of the Ball Range. It is the prominence col for Mount Ball on the Continental Divide in the vicinity of Sunshine Village ski resort. Simpson River and Simpson Pass are named after Sir George Simpson who first explored the area in 1841.

The British Columbian side (Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park) is drained by the Simpson River, via its tributary the North Simpson River to the Kootenay River and then the Columbia River. The drainage on the Alberta side (Banff National Park) is Healy Creek to the Bow River, then into the Saskatchewan River system to Lake Winnipeg and finally Hudson Bay. At the summit is a small lake called the Committee's Punch Bowl that drains both east and west.

See also

• List of Rocky Mountain passes on the continental divide

References

• "Simpson Pass". BC Geographical Names.
• Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia entry (dead link 22feb16)

Coordinates: 51°04′51″N 115°49′47″W / 51.08083°N 115.82972°W