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39-597: Knife Point Glacier is on the east side Continental Divide in the northern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming . The glacier is in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest , and is among the largest grouping of glaciers in the American Rocky Mountains . Knife Point Glacier flows to the north and starts below the summit of Knife Point Mountain (13,001 mi (20,923 km)). Along with other glaciers in

78-538: A crossing of the Continental Divide, although that is a matter of interpretation. At about 41°42′58″N 107°46′55″W  /  41.716°N 107.782°W  / 41.716; -107.782 is the exit for Continental Divide Road, the highest point on I-80 within the Great Divide Basin, at an elevation of 7,130 ft (2,170 m). While this is no longer recognized as a crossing of

117-678: A relatively low and easy crossing of the Continental Divide, its aridity and endorheic nature were an obstacle to pioneers during the westward expansion of the United States ; it was known as the Saline Plain around the 1870s. Consequently, the Oregon Trail detoured north over South Pass, and the Overland Trail detoured south over Bridger Pass. In contrast, during the construction of the first transcontinental railroad,

156-803: A small lake located in the Athabasca Pass . The Alpine Club of Canada 's Abbot Pass Hut sat directly astride the Divide in Abbot Pass on the boundary between Banff National Park and Yoho National Park , and thus precipitation falling on the eastern half of the roof flowed via Lake Louise into Hudson Bay, while rain falling on the western half flowed via Lake O'Hara into the Pacific Ocean. Great Divide Basin The Great Divide Basin or Great Divide Closed Basin

195-555: Is also traversed in a north–south direction by U.S. 287 and Wyoming 789 . Even today the basin is very sparsely populated, the only incorporated town being Wamsutter , with a population of 203 at the 2020 census. A westward traveler on Interstate 80 crosses from the Gulf of Mexico drainage to the Great Divide Basin at about 41°47′17″N 107°22′34″W  /  41.788°N 107.376°W  / 41.788; -107.376 , roughly 7 miles west of Rawlins. A highway sign marks this as

234-699: Is an area of land in the Red Desert of Wyoming where none of the water falling as rain to the ground drains into any ocean, directly or indirectly. It is thus an endorheic basin , one of several in North America that adjoin the Continental Divide . To the south and west of the basin is the Green River watershed, draining to the Gulf of California / Pacific Ocean ; to the north and east

273-667: Is considered part of the Atlantic, then the triple point is at an unimportant-looking, permanently snow and ice covered hump on the border between Alberta and British Columbia , on the southern slope of Snow Dome at 3,456 metres (11,300 ft). The exact location of this potential triple point is somewhat indeterminate because the Columbia Icefield and the snow on top of it shifts from year to year. The snow that falls on it (about 10 metres (33 ft) per year) does not actually flow downhill as water, but creeps downhill in

312-425: Is now recognized as the true location of the Continental Divide, although the corresponding highway sign is located about 2.6 miles away at 41°38′02″N 108°15′40″W  /  41.634°N 108.261°W  / 41.634; -108.261 . (The placement of the Divide on the west rim of the basin signifies that this otherwise endorheic region would drain to the east if it were to overflow.) Having finally left

351-529: Is the North Platte watershed, draining to the Gulf of Mexico . The basin is very roughly rectangular in shape; the northwest corner is at Oregon Buttes near South Pass , about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Lander , and the southeast corner is in the Sierra Madre Range near Bridger Pass , about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Rawlins . Although the Great Divide Basin provides

390-460: Is the main reason behind the designation of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as the "Crown of the Continent" of North America. The summit of the peak is the world's only oceanic triple divide point. Discounting Antarctica and its ice sheets, only one other continent ( Asia ) borders three oceans, but the inward-draining Endorheic basin area of Central Asia from western China to

429-628: Is the world's only oceanic triple divide, there are secondary triple divide points wherever any two continental divides meet. North America has five major drainage systems: into the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, plus Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Other sources such as the International Hydrographic Organization add a sixth: Canada's Northwest Passage basin. Using just the five, there are four secondary continental divides and three secondary triple points,

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468-519: The Aral and Caspian Seas is so vast that any Arctic and Indian Ocean tributaries are never within proximity of each other. Thus, North America's status of having a single location draining into three oceans is unique in the world. Sources differ, however, on whether Hudson Bay, entirely south of the Arctic Circle , is part of the Atlantic or Arctic Ocean. Hudson Bay's water budget connects to

507-572: The Great Divide Basin , through the Sierra Madre Range into Colorado where it reaches its highest point in North America at the summit of Grays Peak at 4,352 metres (14,278 ft). It crosses US Hwy 160 in southwestern Colorado at Wolf Creek Pass , where a line symbolizes the division. The Divide then proceeds south into western New Mexico , passing along the western boundary of the endorheic Plains of San Agustin. Although

546-844: The Hudson Bay - Arctic Ocean drainage region from the Atlantic watershed region. Secondary divides separate the watersheds that flow into the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River (ultimately into the Atlantic) from watersheds that flow to the Gulf of Mexico (also part of the Atlantic Ocean) via the Missouri-Mississippi-Ohio river system . Another secondary divide follows the Appalachian chain, which separates those streams and rivers that flow directly into

585-733: The Isthmus of Rivas at 47 metres (154 ft) in Nicaragua. In Panama, the Canal cuts through it at 26 metres (85 ft). The Divide continues into South America , where it follows the peaks of the Andes Mountains , traversing western Colombia , central Ecuador , western and southwestern Peru , and eastern Chile (essentially conforming to the Chile- Bolivia and Chile- Argentina boundaries), southward to Cabo San Diego at

624-823: The Northwest Territories in the Mackenzie Mountains . It then proceeds through the Northern British Columbia Interior via the Cassiar Mountains , Omineca Mountains and northern Nechako Plateau to Summit Lake , north of the city of Prince George and just south of the community of McLeod Lake . From there the Divide traverses the McGregor Plateau to the spine of the Rockies, following

663-628: The Union Pacific was laid directly across the southern part of the basin. (The original railroad map labelled one point along this route as Bridgers Pass , giving rise to the still-common misconception that the railroad followed the Overland Trail.) Roughly the same route across the basin was later taken by the transcontinental highways traversing the region, namely the Lincoln Highway , U.S. 30 , and Interstate 80 . The basin

702-649: The United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Continental Divide of the Americas Although there are many other hydrological divides in the Americas, the Continental Divide is by far the most prominent of these because it tends to follow a line of high peaks along the main ranges of the Rocky Mountains and Andes , at a generally much higher elevation than

741-816: The Atlantic Ocean from those that exit via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park , Montana, is the point where two of the principal continental divides in North America converge, the primary Continental Divide and the Northern or Laurentian Divide. From this point, waters flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic Ocean via Hudson Bay . Most geographers, geologists, meteorologists, and oceanographers consider this point

780-649: The Atlantic more than to the Arctic Ocean. The channels to the north of Hudson Bay are largely cut off by Baffin Island from the Arctic, so much of the water that enters it mixes with the Atlantic to the east via Hudson Strait rather than north into the Arctic. The result is that most of the ice flowing down the Saskatchewan Glacier eventually ends up as water in the Atlantic Ocean. If Hudson Bay

819-514: The Continental Divide in Wyoming. The Panama Canal has this same feature, but is man-made. Both the Chagres and Gatun rivers flow into Gatun Lake , which empties to both oceans. Several small lakes along the Divide in the Rocky Mountains between Alberta and British Columbia flow into both provinces and thus into both the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. An example is the " Committee's Punch Bowl ",

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858-414: The Divide or the other by their lowest perimeter pass; in other words, an assignment is made by determining how the drainage would occur if the basin were to be progressively filled with water until it overflowed. Large-scale maps, such as those on this page, often show double divide lines when endorheic basins are involved. However, the detailed USGS topographic maps of the United States generally show only

897-712: The Divide represents the height of land between watersheds, it does not always follow the highest ranges/peaks within each state or province. In Mexico , it passes through Chihuahua , Durango , Zacatecas , Aguascalientes , Jalisco , Guanajuato , Querétaro , México , the Federal District , Morelos , Puebla , Oaxaca , and Chiapas . In Central America, it continues through southern Guatemala , southwestern Honduras , western Nicaragua , western/southwestern Costa Rica , and southern Panama . The divide reaches its lowest natural point in Central America at

936-737: The Divide, it was evidently considered to be just that during the days of the Lincoln Highway and U.S. 30, and a monument to Henry B. Joy , the first president of the Lincoln Highway Association , was placed just south of this point along the old highway. (It was relocated to Sherman Summit in 2001 to protect it from increasing vandalism.) Further west, I-80 crosses to the Colorado River drainage at about 41°37′52″N 108°18′40″W  /  41.631°N 108.311°W  / 41.631; -108.311 . This

975-557: The Great Divide Basin behind, I-80 continues west and at 41°16′30″N 110°48′07″W  /  41.275°N 110.802°W  / 41.275; -110.802 , around 10 miles (16 km) east of Evanston , enters the vastly larger Great Basin , staying within it until the crest of the Sierra Nevada at Donner Summit . The Great Divide Basin is part of the Greater Green River Basin , separated from

1014-602: The Green River Basin by the Rock Springs Uplift during Late Cretaceous into the Early Eocene . While usually thought of as a single basin, the Great Divide Basin is actually several contiguous sub-basins, most notably those centered on Circle Bar Lake, Frewen Lake, Lost Creek Lake, Red Lake, and Separation Lake. The interior ridges separating these sub-basins have led to disagreement about

1053-933: The US bisects Glacier National Park. Further south, the Divide forms the backbone of the Rocky Mountain Front (Front Range) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness , heads south towards Helena and Butte , then west past the namesake community of Divide, Montana , through the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness to the Bitterroot Range , where it forms the eastern third of the state boundary between Idaho and Montana. The Divide crosses into Wyoming within Yellowstone National Park and continues southeast around

1092-585: The Wind River Range, Knife Point Glacier's rapid retreat since the end of the Little Ice Age in 1850 has exposed the remains of numerous specimens of the now believed to be extinct Rocky Mountain locust ( Melanoplus spretus ) and other related species. This article about a location in Wyoming is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a glacier in

1131-458: The correct path of the Continental Divide across or around the basin. The Lucite Hills form part of the western boundary of the basin, featuring Black Rock Butte and Emmons Cone. Alkali Flat and Greasewood Flat are directly to their northeast. Sand dunes lie in the central western part of the basin. In the southern part of the western basin, Red Desert Flat and Red Desert Basin are the major features. These are about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of

1170-469: The crest of the Canadian Rockies southeast to the 120th meridian west , from there forming the boundary between southern British Columbia and southern Alberta . The Divide crosses into the United States in northwestern Montana , at the boundary between Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park . In Canada, it forms the western boundary of Waterton Lakes National Park, and in

1209-733: The form of glacial ice. That ice flows down the Athabasca Glacier to the Arctic Ocean via the Athabasca and Mackenzie rivers. Ice flowing west goes to the Pacific Ocean via Bryce Creek and the Bush and Columbia Rivers . Ice flowing down the Saskatchewan Glacier goes via the North Saskatchewan , Saskatchewan , and Nelson rivers into Hudson Bay . While Triple Divide Peak (or, alternatively, Snow Dome)

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1248-584: The hydrological apex of North America, as Hudson Bay is generally considered part of the Arctic Ocean. For example, the International Hydrographic Organization (in its current unapproved working edition only of Limits of Oceans and Seas ) defines the Hudson Bay, with its outlet extending from 62.5 to 66.5 degrees north (just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle ) as being part of the Arctic Ocean, specifically "Arctic Ocean Subdivision 9.11." This hydrological apex of North America status of Triple Divide Peak

1287-653: The main Divide as determined by the overflow rule. Among other things, this eliminates the need to trace out the boundary for a basin that is very shallow and has a nebulous rim, such as the San Luis Closed Basin in Colorado and the basin of the lost streams of Idaho . Another rare exception occurs when a stream near a divide splits and flows in both directions, or a lake straddling the divide overflows in both directions. Examples of these are, respectively, North Two Ocean Creek and Isa Lake , both located on

1326-588: The other hydrological divisions. Beginning at the westernmost point of the Americas , Cape Prince of Wales , just south of the Arctic Circle, the Continental Divide's geographic path runs through Arctic Alaska , where it reaches its more northerly point close to the U.S.-Canada border near the Beaufort Sea. The Divide zig-zags southwardly over Yukon , and forms part of the boundary between Yukon and

1365-821: The others and its two main triple points are much more prominent. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) follows the Divide through the U.S. from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border . The trail itself is a corridor of pathways; that is, dedicated footpaths or back roads, either on or near the Continental Divide. A less-developed Canadian extension called the Great Divide Trail continues through five national parks and six provincial parks , ending at Kakwa Lake in east-central British Columbia. Many endorheic regions in North and South America complicate

1404-427: The simple view of east or west, "ocean-bound" water flow. Several endorheic basins straddle or adjoin the Continental Divide, notably the Great Divide Basin in Wyoming, the Plains of San Agustin and the Animas Valley in New Mexico, the Guzmán Basin in New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico, and both the Bolsón de Mapimí and the Llanos el Salado in Mexico. Such basins can be, and routinely are, assigned to one side of

1443-419: The southern end of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego . The Divide passes through the Punta Cancanan Pass in Peru at 4,700 metres (15,420 ft). The Arctic Divide or Northern Divide in northern and western Canada separates the Arctic Ocean watershed from the Hudson Bay watershed. Another, mainly non-mountainous, divide, the Laurentian Divide (also sometimes called the Northern Divide), further separates

1482-542: The town of Wamsutter. In the northeast part of the Great Divide Basin is Chain Lakes Flat, southwest and downslope from Bairoil and Lamont . The basin is a high desert dominated by sand dunes , bluffs and alkali flats . Flora and fauna include small trees in some ravines and the occasional shrub , along with many birds and pronghorn , mule deer , feral horses , and a desert elk herd. The basin includes uranium ore deposits and many oil and natural gas wells. There has been debate between those who wish to exploit

1521-400: The two mentioned previously and a third near Hibbing, Minnesota , where the Northern Divide intersects the Saint Lawrence Seaway divide. Since there is no true consensus on what a continental divide is, there is no real agreement on where the secondary triple points are located. However, the main Continental Divide described in this article is a far more distinctive geological feature than

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