| Stampede Pass | |
|---|---|
  Stampede Pass  Stampede Pass | |
| Elevation | 3,672 ft (1,119 m) |
| Traversed by | Forest Service Road 54, BNSF Railway |
| Location | King / Kittitas counties, Washington, US |
| Range | Cascade Range |
| Coordinates | 47°17′00″N 121°21′04″W / 47.2834°N 121.3512°W |
Stampede Pass (elevation 3,672 feet (1,119 m)) is a mountain pass in the northwest United States, through the Cascade Range in Washington. Southeast of Seattle and east of Tacoma, its importance to transportation lies almost entirely with railroading, as no paved roads cross it. It is approximately twelve miles (20 km) south-southeast of Snoqualmie Pass, the gap for Interstate 90, and two miles (3 km) south of Keechelus Lake.
The pass, and the tunnel to the south which takes advantage of it, the 1.86-mile (3.0 km) Stampede Tunnel (47°16′44″N 121°19′23″W / 47.279°N 121.323°W), just below 2,850 feet (870 m),[1] played a significant role in the history of the Northern Pacific Railway. The tunnel opened for service in May 1888,[2] and is currently operated by the NP's successor, BNSF Railway.
After over a decade of dormancy in the late 20th century, the Stampede Pass Line and Tunnel were reopened in 1997 by BNSF, which uses the route as one of two direct Northern Transcon main lines through the Cascades, between Spokane and the Seattle metropolitan area.[3]
- ^ "Tunnel". The New International Encyclopedia. Dodd, Mead, and Company. 1904. p. 998.
- ^ MacIntosh, Heather M. (February 22, 1999). "Stampede Pass tunnel opens on May 27, 1888". HistoryLink.org. (essay 931). Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Wilma, David (July 29, 2005). "Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad reopens Stampede Pass line on December 5, 1996". HistoryLink.org. (essay 7364). Retrieved June 22, 2017.