View source for Howse Pass

{{Short description|Pass through the Rocky Mountains in Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Howse Pass
| photo = Howse Pass Canada 1902.jpg
| photo_caption = A camp in the Howse Pass in 1902
| elevation_m = 1539
| elevation_ref = 
| traversed = 
| location = [[Alberta]]–[[British Columbia]] border, [[Canada]]
| range = [[Canadian Rockies]]
| coordinates = {{coord|51|48|N|116|45|W|type:pass_region:CA|display=inline,title}}
| topo = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] {{Canada NTS Map Sheet}}
| map = Alberta#British Columbia#Canada
| map_caption = Location in Alberta##Location in British Columbia##Location in Canada
| embedded = {{Infobox designation list |embed=yes |designation1 =NHSC |designation1_offname =Howse Pass National Historic Site of Canada |designation1_date =1978 }}
}}

'''Howse Pass''' (el. {{convert|1539|m|ft|disp=or|abbr=on}}) is a [[mountain pass|pass]] through the [[Rocky Mountains]] in Canada.
The pass is located in [[Banff National Park]], between [[Mount Conway]] and [[Howse Peak]]. From here waters flow east via [[Conway Creek]], [[Howse River]], [[North Saskatchewan River]] to Lake Winnipeg and Hudson Bay. To the west it drains by the [[Blaeberry River]] to the Columbia River and on to the Pacific Ocean.

The pass was used by [[First Nations in Canada|First Nation]]s people such as the [[Kutenai people|Kootenay]] to the west and [[Northern Peigan|Peigan]] to the east. In 1806 two men from [[Rocky Mountain House]] cut a rough road from the Howse River toward the pass. In June 1807 [[David Thompson (explorer)|David Thompson]] crossed it to the Columbia River. It was named for [[Joseph Howse]], a [[Hudson's Bay Company]] factor who crossed it later, in 1809. The pass was not much used, [[Athabasca Pass]] being preferred.

Howse Pass is lower than many other passes in this range and it was considered for the [[Canadian Pacific]]'s route, but [[Kicking Horse Pass]] was chosen instead. There has been some talk of building a road through the pass from [[Saskatchewan River Crossing]] to [[Golden, British Columbia]], but this would involve cutting through the national park.

The pass was designated a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site of Canada]] in 1978.<ref>{{CRHP|11480|Howse Pass|22 January 2012}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Howse Pass 2013.jpg|Howse Pass from below
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of Rocky Mountain passes on the continental divide]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons inline}}
* [https://greatdividetrail.com/the-vanishing-trail/ The Vanishing Trail - The Great Divide Trail Association]
* [https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/culture/howse Parks Canada - Howse Pass National Historic Site]
* {{cite cgndb|id=JBAOC|name=Howse Pass}}
* {{cite cgndb|id=IAKYA|name=Howse Pass}}

{{Canadian Rockies|state=collapsed}}
{{NHSC}}
{{British Columbia parks}}

[[Category:Banff National Park]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of Alberta]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of British Columbia]]
[[Category:National Historic Sites in Alberta]]
[[Category:National Historic Sites in British Columbia]]