Mountain pass

A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass.

A mountain pass is typically formed between two volcanic peaks or created by erosion from water or wind.

Back to Wild Terrain & Parks →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

OUTRAIL

Hike farther, plan smarter — free calculators for hiking time, calories, pack weight, water, trail difficulty, and daylight, plus trail guides and a museum of great trails, parks, and peaks.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every entry, image, fact, and figure is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.