The Centennial Mountains are the southernmost sub-range of the
Bitterroot Range in the U.S. states of
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
and
Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
. The Centennial Mountains include the Western and Eastern Centennial Mountains. The range extends east from
Monida Pass along the
Continental Divide to
Henrys Fork NNW of
Ashton, Idaho; bounded on the west by Beaver Creek, on the north by Centennial Valley and
Henrys Lake Mountains, on the east by Henrys Lake Flat, and on the south by Shotgun Valley and the
Snake River Plain. The highest peak in the range is
Mount Jefferson.
They are one of only a few ranges within the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
that trend west to east, and the Continental Divide runs along their ridge line.
The Western Centennial Mountains extends west from the Eastern Centennial Mountains along the Continental Divide to Monida Pass, 25 mi NE of
Dubois, Idaho; Snake River Plain, on the north by Centennial Valley, and the east by a line connecting Odell Creek and an unnamed tributary, in Montana, to Ching Creek in Idaho.
About 100,000 acres of the Centennials are roadless.
This includes National Forest lands, the
Bureau of Land Management's Centennial Mountains Primitive Area, a portion of
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, state and private land, and part of a
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...
Agricultural Research Station for sheep.
[ Around 326 ]vascular plant
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes (, ) or collectively tracheophyta (; ), are plants that have lignin, lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified Ti ...
species have been identified in the Centennials, an unusual plant diversity for the Yellowstone region.[ Grizzly bears inhabit the area, as nearly all species indigenous to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are present.][ The north slope of the Centennials rises abruptly 3,000 feet above the Centennial Valley.][
]
Peaks
Highest peaks of the Centennial MountainsCentennial Mountains, Peakbagger.com
Retrieved May 28, 2023.
* Mount Jefferson 10,216 ft
* Baldy Mountain 9,892 ft
* Sawtell Peak 9,884 ft
* Baldy Mountain West 9,880+
* Taylor Mountain 9,863 ft
* Slide Mountain 9,800+ ft
* Sheep Mountain 9,688 ft
See also
* List of mountain ranges in Montana
Notes
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Bitterroot Range
Mountain ranges of Idaho
Mountain ranges of Montana
Landforms of Clark County, Idaho
Landforms of Fremont County, Idaho
Ranges of the Rocky Mountains