Dunraven Pass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dunraven Pass |
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Dunraven Pass, circa 1918
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| Elevation | 8,859 ft (2,700 m) |
| Traversed by | Grand Loop Road |
| Location | Yellowstone National Park, Park County, Wyoming, United States |
| Range | Washburn Range |
| Coordinates | 44°47′12″N 110°27′09″W / 44.78667°N 110.45250°W NAVD 88 |
Dunraven Pass is a high mountain road located in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. It is an important part of the famous Grand Loop Road, connecting areas like Tower and Canyon. This pass reaches an elevation of about 8,859 feet (2,700 m), making it one of the highest points on the road.
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The Story of Dunraven Pass
Have you ever wondered how places get their names? Dunraven Pass has an interesting story connected to a special visitor from a long time ago.
How Dunraven Pass Got Its Name
The pass is named after a British nobleman, the 4th Earl of Dunraven. He played a small but important role in making Yellowstone National Park famous.
The Earl's Visit to Yellowstone
In 1874, just two years after Yellowstone became America's first national park, a man named The 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl visited. He was an important person from Ireland and Britain, often called a "peer." He came to Yellowstone as part of a hunting trip in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
Lord Dunraven was incredibly impressed by the park's beauty. He wrote a whole book about his experiences called The Great Divide. This book, published in London in 1876, had over 150 pages all about Yellowstone. It was one of the first books to truly praise and share the wonders of the park with the world.
Naming Dunraven Peak
Because of how much Lord Dunraven's book helped publicize Yellowstone, people wanted to honor him. In 1878, a geographer named Henry Gannett was working with the U.S. Geological Survey in the park. He decided to name a mountain peak after the Earl of Dunraven. This peak, called Dunraven Peak, is located just a couple of miles southwest of Mount Washburn.
The Pass is Named
The very next year, in 1879, the park's Superintendent, Philetus Norris, officially named the mountain pass Dunraven. He chose this name because the pass was very close to the newly named Dunraven Peak. And that's how Dunraven Pass got its name, honoring a visitor who helped share the magic of Yellowstone with the world!
