Broad Pass is an approximately 15-mile long[note 1] gap in the Alaska Range. It is a highway corridor for the Parks Highway and is roughly halfway between Fairbanks and Anchorage. The town of Cantwell is located at its northern boundary.
| Broad Pass | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 2,330 ft (710 m) |
| Traversed by | Parks Highway |
| Location | Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, US |
| Range | Alaska Range |
| Coordinates | 63°18′45″N 149°8′39″W / 63.31250°N 149.14417°W[1] |
| Topo map | USGS Healy A-5, B-4, B-5 |
It separates the Alaska Range to the west and an unnamed subrange to the east.
History
editThe area was known to Dena for millennia. The first recorded non-native expedition was done in 1898 by geologists George Homans Eldridge[2][note 2] and Robert Muldrow of the USGS. They also recorded the area's geology and topography, which led to railway plans in 1902.[3] Consequentially, the Alaska Railroad was completed between Fairbanks and Anchorage in 1923.[4] In 1971, the George Parks Highway was completed, and provided road access to the area.[5]
Notes
edit- ^ Using the boundaries defined in[1]
- ^ This person is not Civil War Veteran George H. Eldridge.
References
edit- ^ a b "Broad Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Cross, Whitman. Memoir of George H. Eldridge (PDF). Geological Society of America.
- ^ Fred H. Moffit (1916). Broad Pass Region, Alaska (PDF) (Report). United States Geological Survey.
- ^ "Alaska Railroad". History. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Alaska Department of Transportation". Parks Highway. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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