National Historic Landmark · mountain pass · South Pass City, Wyoming

South Pass

Route across Continental Divide in Wyoming. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

National Historic LandmarkListed 1966
B-12. Lander Road "Point of Interest" (WY-28, south of South Pass City) on the California and Oregon National Historic Trails (2006) (672a7b2b-abd4-4987-84aa-6129fa94d36a)B-13. South Pass Rest Area (south of South Pass City) on the California, Mormon Pioneer, and Oregon National Historic Trails (2003) (eed42956-974a-43ee-9e98-104384d4d854)B-14. South Pass Overlook (west of South Pass City) on the California, Mormon Pioneer, and Oregon National Historic Trails (2003) (49008a89-8329-4aac-93d1-cd43c3407933)DSCN6109 pacificspringsandsouthpass e 600
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

South Pass is a route across the Continental Divide, in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. It lies in a broad high region, 35 miles (56 km) wide, between the nearly 14,000 ft (4,300 m) Wind River Range to the north and the over 8,500 ft (2,600 m) Oregon Buttes and arid, saline near-impassable Great Divide Basin to the south. The Pass lies in southwestern Fremont County, approximately 35 miles (56 km) SSW of Lander.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeSite
AddressAbout 10 mi. SW of South Pass City on WY 28, South Pass City vicinity, WY
CountyFremont County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forExploration and settlement
Level of significanceNational
Reference number66000754
Type of placemountain pass
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 site

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressAbout 10 mi. SW of South Pass City on WY 28, South Pass City, WY
Coordinates42.3499° N, 108.8784° W · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitCalifornia National Historic Trail · 7 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyAtlantic City Campground 5 miles · Atlantic City Campground 6 miles · Big Atlantic Gulch Campground 6 miles
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was South Pass listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Where is South Pass?

About 10 mi. SW of South Pass City on WY 28, South Pass City vicinity, Fremont County, Wyoming. The nearest national park unit is California National Historic Trail, 7 miles away.

Source: California National Historic Trail

Are there historic photographs or drawings of South Pass?

Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.

Source: Library of Congress

Where is the nomination form for South Pass?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near South Pass?

Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Atlantic City Campground, 5 miles away. Atlantic City Campground is 6 miles away, and Big Atlantic Gulch Campground is 6 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at South Pass?

FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000754. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.