Impassable Pass facts for kids
Impassable Pass is a natural opening, like a doorway, through Alvord Mountain in San Bernardino County, California. This special place is located just south of the Fort Irwin National Training Center boundary. It has been an important route for travelers for hundreds of years.
History of Impassable Pass
Impassable Pass was a very important pathway through Alvord Mountain. It was used by two famous old routes: the Old Spanish Trail and later the Mormon Road. These trails helped people travel between Bitter Spring and the Mojave River. The next water stop after Bitter Spring was called Fork of the Road, which was on the Mojave River.
The pass allowed travelers to move through the mountains. From the pass, you can look down into Spanish Canyon. The old routes went through this canyon, which led to the open desert beyond the mountains. This made the journey much easier for people and wagons.
What Impassable Pass Looks Like Today
Even today, you can see signs of the past at Impassable Pass. There are deep ruts in the ground. These ruts were made by the many wagons that traveled through here.
Many different groups used this road. Mormons traveled here, as did the Forty-niners during the Gold Rush. Later, other immigrants and large freight wagons also used the road starting in 1855.
Today, a large group of boulders blocks the old road at the top of the pass. This stops modern vehicles from driving over the historic wagon ruts. There is also a circle of rocks at the top of the pass. Some people think this might be the remains of signal fires used by the Mormons long ago.
