Continental Divide Trail – Chief Joseph Pass

Chief Joseph Pass sits at 7,241 feet on the Continental Divide, marking where the Nez Perce crossed into Montana during their 1877 flight from the U.S. Army. This remote section of the Continental Divide Trail follows old mining roads and pack trails through the Bitterroot Mountains, connecting Lost Trail Pass to Big Hole Valley. You’ll navigate loose granite switchbacks, cross seasonal snowfields even in summer, and encounter the remnants of turn-of-the-century mining operations including collapsed cabins and rusted machinery scattered along Divide Creek.

This is expert-level terrain requiring full skid plates, recovery gear, and experience with high-altitude driving. Snow can persist until July, and afternoon thunderstorms roll in fast above treeline. No cell service for 40+ miles, and the nearest fuel is back in Salmon, Idaho. What you get is solitude in some of the most pristine alpine country in the lower 48, plus a piece of American history that most people only read about.