Kicking Horse Pass

Pass in the Rocky Mountains, between British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It is located 56 km/35 mi northwest of Banff, to the west of Lake Louise. With an altitude of 1,627 m/5,338 ft, it is the highest point on the Canadian Pacific Railway. It lies in the Banff-Yoho national parks.

A party led by New Zealand scientist James Hector explored the area in 1858. The Canadian Pacific Railway chose the pass as its route through the Rockies; work was completed in 1884. The 4.5% downgrades on the British Columbia side (‘Big Hill’) led to construction of the two Spiral Tunnels (1909), now a major tourist attraction. The Trans-Canada Highway, developed in the 1960s, runs through the pass.