White Bird Hill Summit

White Bird Hill Summit is a mountain pass in the northwest United States, located in north central Idaho on U.S. Highway 95. In Idaho County, it is midway between White Bird and Grangeville. The summit elevation of the highway is 4245 ft above sea level, through a substantial cut.

The modern multi-lane highway was completed, following ten years of construction which concluded with the opening of the bridge at the base over White Bird Creek in June 1975. The treeless northbound grade climbs 2700 feet in 7 mi, an average gradient of over 7%.

The contract for the original road, 22 mi from the mouth of White Bird Creek at the Salmon River to Grangeville, was awarded in late 1918. Completed in 1921 and first paved in 1938, it rose slightly higher to 4429 ft, due to the absence of a summit cut. Located to the east, the old road was twice the length and had a multitude of switchbacks ascending a treeless slope. On the present highway, the descent north of the summit is less dramatic as the grade drops less than 850 ft in the forest with few curves onto the Camas Prairie towards Grangeville at 3400 ft.

White Bird Hill Summit marks the divide between the Salmon River and the Camas Prairie. The Battle of White Bird Canyon of the Nez Perce War occurred in the valley south of the summit in 1877. The summit is named after Chief White Bird, a leader of the Nez Perce tribe.

As far back as the early 1950s, alternatives were proposed; one in 1952 bypassed the summit and Grangeville by continuing down the lower Salmon River another 15 mi, then climbed Rock Creek (45.905°N, -116.397°W) to Graves Creek to Cottonwood.

Video

 * YouTube video - motorcycle POV - White Bird Hill - northbound US-95 - June 2011
 * YouTube video - motorcycle trailer POV - White Bird Hill - southbound US-95 - June 2011