Eagle Pass, Rail mountain pass in British Columbia, Canada
Eagle Pass is a rail and road mountain pass through the Gold Range of the Monashee Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. It runs through a natural valley that connects the Columbia River basin to the Fraser River system.
Walker Moberly found this passage in 1865 while working as Assistant Surveyor General and named it after spotting an eagle's nest nearby. Two decades later, the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed through here, changing how the country's east and west were connected.
The last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven at Craigellachie, just inside Eagle Pass, on November 7, 1885, making this spot a symbol of national unity. A small monument marks the site today, and many travelers stop there to read the plaque and take photos.
The Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway both run through the pass, connecting Revelstoke to the west and Sicamous to the east. Winter conditions can make the road difficult, so checking road reports before traveling through is a good idea.
The pass sits at a relatively low elevation for a mountain crossing in this part of Canada, which made it one of the few places where a railway line could realistically be built. Without this natural gap through the Monashees, the transcontinental railway route would likely have taken a very different course.
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