White Pass
Mountain pass in the U.S. and Canada
title: "White Pass" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["klondike-gold-rush", "mountain-passes-of-british-columbia", "mountain-passes-of-alaska", "landforms-of-skagway,-alaska", "atlin-district", "rail-mountain-passes-of-the-united-states", "boundary-ranges", "historic-trails-and-roads-in-alaska", "native-american-trails-in-the-united-states", "transportation-in-skagway,-alaska"] description: "Mountain pass in the U.S. and Canada" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Pass" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Mountain pass in the U.S. and Canada ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain pass"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | White Pass |
| photo | White Pass, Alaska.jpg |
| elevation_m | 873 |
| location | Atlin District, Canada / Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska, United States |
| range | Boundary Ranges |
| map | Alaska#British Columbia |
| map_caption | Location in Alaska##Location in British Columbia |
| coordinates | |
| topo | NTS |
| :: |
| name = White Pass | photo = White Pass, Alaska.jpg | photo_caption = | elevation_m = 873 | elevation_ref = | traversed = | location = Atlin District, Canada / Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska, United States | range = Boundary Ranges | map = Alaska#British Columbia | map_caption = Location in Alaska##Location in British Columbia | coordinates = | topo = NTS
White Pass, also known as the Dead Horse Trail (elevation 873 m), is a mountain pass through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains on the border of the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia, Canada. It leads from Skagway, Alaska, to the chain of lakes at the headwaters of the Yukon River (Crater Lake, Lake Lindeman, and Bennett Lake).
History
The White Pass was closely controlled by the Chilkoot Indians and was unknown to non-natives until 1887. While in Juneau, William Ogilvie had heard reports of a low pass near the Deyes Inlet to the headwaters of the Lewes River (Yukon River). The Ogilvie expedition was on its way to the Yukon territory in order to survey and mark the international boundary on the Yukon River. In June 1887, Ogilvie's expedition was at the head of Taiya Inlet doing a survey from Pyramid Island up through the Chilkoot Pass. William Moore, who had travelled up from Juneau on the steamer, had experience building roads in mountainous areas and wanted to try this route since the Chilkoot Pass was reported to be too steep for a wagon road. They had heard rumors about another lower pass that the Chilkoot Indians controlled. Ogilvie made inquiries and learned there was such a pass. An Indian named Jim, after much talk and encouragement, was persuaded to reveal it. Moore and his guide went over this low altitude pass. Ogilvie and his surveying party ascended the Chilkoot Pass. Among the many Chilkoot Indians hired to carry their supplies up the pass was Skookum Jim Mason, who, with his family, discovered the rich gold deposits in the Klondike. Moore did a rough survey of the new pass and returned with the satisfaction that he had found the route for his wagon road. The White Pass was named for the Canadian Minister of the Interior Thomas White by William Ogilvie.
William Moore and his son returned to stake a homesteader's claim in Skagua, as it was then known. They built a cabin and a wharf and surveyed a town site they called Mooresville. In 1894, the North-West Mounted Police arrived at Dyea and Mooresville on their way to Canada's Yukon Territory. The first group of prospectors hiked up Moore's crude trail over the White Pass. Once the gold rush began, the Moores were overrun. Mooresville was resurveyed by Frank Reid as Skaguay. The crude trail was made into a toll road by George A. Brackett, and the North-West Mounted Police guarded the passes and briefly maintained a post in Skaguay, which Canada claimed.
Gold rush years
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Whitepasstrail-1899.jpg" caption="White Pass trail in 1899"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/White_Pass_01.jpg" caption="White Pass summit seen from train, 2002"] ::
The White Pass trail was one of the two main passes used by prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush. The White Pass was an easier route to Lake Bennett than the Chilkoot Trail a few kilometers to the west, but it harbored a criminal element that preyed on the cheechakos (newcomers to the Klondike). These con artists were believed to be members of the infamous Soapy Smith gang from Skagway, Alaska. In 1898, Smith was killed at the famed Shootout on Juneau Wharf and his gang were run out of Skagway and the White Pass. So many horses died during the gold rush, the trail became known as the "Dead Horse Trail". The trail ended at Lake Bennett, where the prospectors built or purchased rafts or boats to float down the Yukon River to the Klondike gold fields near Dawson City.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/White_Pass_and_Yukon_Railroad_near_White_Pass,_Alaska,ca_1899(HEGG_21).jpeg" caption="Photograph of the [[W.P. & Y.R.]] near White Pass by [[Eric A. Hegg]] ca. 1899"] ::
The White Pass and Yukon Route (W.P. & Y.R.) narrow-gauge railroad was built between 1898 and 1900 through White Pass. The southern end of the Klondike Highway also uses the White Pass and parallels the railway.
The Skagway Historic District and White Pass is a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
Due to the harsh climate, grueling conditions, and length of journey, travelers on both the Chilkoot Trail and White Pass suffered from widespread starvation. Many of the starving people on the White Pass made meals of dead horses they found along the road.
Climate
There is a weather station for the Captain William Moore Bridge on the Alaskan side of White Pass, located near the summit at an elevation of 2250 ft (686 m). |single line = yes |location = Moore Creek Bridge, Alaska, 2005-2023 normals, 2004-2023 extremes: 2250ft (686m) |Jan record high F = 48 |Feb record high F = 44 |Mar record high F = 51 |Apr record high F = 56 |May record high F = 73 |Jun record high F = 80 |Jul record high F = 81 |Aug record high F = 79 |Sep record high F = 68 |Oct record high F = 56 |Nov record high F = 44 |Dec record high F = 45 |year record high F =
|Jan avg record high F = 37.3 |Feb avg record high F = 36.3 |Mar avg record high F = 40.1 |Apr avg record high F = 48.7 |May avg record high F = 65.2 |Jun avg record high F = 72.4 |Jul avg record high F = 73.9 |Aug avg record high F = 68.6 |Sep avg record high F = 59.3 |Oct avg record high F = 48.8 |Nov avg record high F = 37.3 |Dec avg record high F = 35.5 |year avg record high F = 76.8
|Jan high F = 23.4 |Feb high F = 24.0 |Mar high F = 29.2 |Apr high F = 39.4 |May high F = 50.1 |Jun high F = 55.1 |Jul high F = 57.0 |Aug high F = 54.6 |Sep high F = 48.1 |Oct high F = 38.7 |Nov high F = 27.2 |Dec high F = 23.7 |year high F =
|Jan mean F = 19.3 |Feb mean F = 20.0 |Mar mean F = 24.8 |Apr mean F = 34.6 |May mean F = 44.0 |Jun mean F = 49.1 |Jul mean F = 52.1 |Aug mean F = 50.7 |Sep mean F = 44.6 |Oct mean F = 35.9 |Nov mean F = 24.1 |Dec mean F = 20.2 |year mean F =
|Jan low F = 15.2 |Feb low F = 15.9 |Mar low F = 20.4 |Apr low F = 29.8 |May low F = 37.9 |Jun low F = 43.1 |Jul low F = 47.1 |Aug low F = 46.7 |Sep low F = 41.2 |Oct low F = 33.1 |Nov low F = 21.1 |Dec low F = 16.7 |year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = -10.3 |Feb avg record low F = -4.4 |Mar avg record low F = 2.9 |Apr avg record low F = 18.2 |May avg record low F = 32.0 |Jun avg record low F = 37.3 |Jul avg record low F = 42.4 |Aug avg record low F = 41.7 |Sep avg record low F = 34.3 |Oct avg record low F = 24.3 |Nov avg record low F = 4.1 |Dec avg record low F = -1.5 |year avg record low F = -15.6
|Jan record low F = −27 |Feb record low F = −22 |Mar record low F = −13 |Apr record low F = 4 |May record low F = 29 |Jun record low F = 35 |Jul record low F = 38 |Aug record low F = 37 |Sep record low F = 32 |Oct record low F = 13 |Nov record low F = −9 |Dec record low F = −17 |year record low F =
|precipitation colour= green |Jan precipitation inch = 4.55 |Feb precipitation inch = 3.57 |Mar precipitation inch = 3.13 |Apr precipitation inch = 2.09 |May precipitation inch = 1.95 |Jun precipitation inch = 1.90 |Jul precipitation inch = 2.65 |Aug precipitation inch = 4.09 |Sep precipitation inch = 6.12 |Oct precipitation inch = 6.10 |Nov precipitation inch = 5.26 |Dec precipitation inch = 5.38 |year precipitation inch =
|source 1 = XMACIS2 |url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title = xmACIS |access-date = February 11, 2024 |source 2 = NOAA (precipitation) |url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USS0035K02S&format=pdf |title= Moore Creek Bridge, Alaska 1991-2020 Monthly Normals |access-date = February 11, 2024
References
References
- Ogilvie, William. "Early Days on the Yukon".
- Information Respecting the Yukon District, William Ogilvie
- "Discover Skagway - History".
- [http://www.wpyr.com/history/ White Pass Yukon Route, History]
- "Data of Meteorological Station Moore Creek Bridge, Alaska". geographic.org.
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