McKenzie Pass
| McKenzie Pass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Elevation | 5,325 ft (1,623 m)[1] |
| Traversed by |  OR 242 |
| Location | Deschutes / Linn counties, Oregon, United States |
| Range | Cascades |
| Coordinates | 44°15′35″N 121°48′35″W / 44.25972°N 121.80972°W |
  Location in Oregon | |
McKenzie Pass, elevation 5,325 feet (1,623 m),[1] is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in central Oregon in the United States.[2]
It is located at the border of Linn and Deschutes counties,[2] approximately 25 miles (40 km) as the crow flies northwest of Bend,[3] between the Three Sisters to the south and Mount Washington to the north. Oregon Route 242 goes over the pass.[1]
At the summit of the pass, Oregon Route 242 crosses a 65-square-mile (170 km2) lava flow just west of Sisters. Surrounded by lava, the Dee Wright Observatory was constructed in 1935 by Civilian Conservation Corps workers and named after their foreman. Visitors climb to the observatory to view the Cascade peaks visible from McKenzie Pass. Also near the summit is Clear Lake, a renowned location for fresh-water diving.
Highway 242 is not recommended for large trucks, trailers or motor homes due to numerous tight switchbacks. The pass is closed from November to July due to snow.
The pass is named for Donald McKenzie, a Scottish Canadian fur trader who explored parts of the Pacific Northwest for the Pacific Fur Company in the early 19th century.[4][5][6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "McKenzie Highway". Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ a b "McKenzie Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. November 28, 1980. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application" (Map). The National Map. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ "Indians, Surveyors, Incidents Gave Names to Streams, Lakes and Mountains". Eugene Register-Guard. January 4, 1942. p. 5. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0875952772.
- ^ Mackenzie, Cecil Walter (1937). Donald Mackenzie, "King of the Northwest". Los Angeles, California: I. Deach, Jr. p. 91. OCLC 3023859.
External links
- Gerald W. Williams, McKenzie Pass at The Oregon Encyclopedia
 | This Deschutes County, Oregon state location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| This Linn County, Oregon state location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |