Lolo Peak is a mountain in the
Bitterroot Range
The Bitterroot Range is a mountain range and a subrange of the Rocky Mountains that runs along the border of Montana and Idaho in the northwestern United States. The range spans an area of and is named after the bitterroot (''Lewisia rediviva ...
of western
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 ...
, United States. It is in
Missoula County
Missoula County is a county located in the state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,922, making it Montana's third most populous county. Its county seat and most populous city is Missoula. The county was founded in 186 ...
, southwest of
Missoula
Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River, Bitterroot and Blackfoot River (Montana), ...
.
East of
Lolo Pass at the
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), ...
border, the peak is visible to the south from
US 12
U.S. Route 12 or U.S. Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) ...
, which runs between the pass and
Traveler's Rest in the town of
Lolo.
History
The name "Lolo" probably evolved from "Lou-Lou," a pronunciation of "Lawrence," a French-Canadian fur trapper killed by a
grizzly bear
The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.
In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...
and buried at Grave Creek. The first written evidence of the name "Lolo" appears in 1831 when
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
fur trader
John Work refers in his journal to Lolo Creek as "Lou Lou."
In an 1853 railroad survey and map,
Lieutenant John Mullan spelled the creek and trail "Lou Lou." However, by 1865 the name was shortened to Lolo and is currently the name of a
national forest National Forest may refer to:
* National forest or state forest, a forest administered or protected by a sovereign state
** National forest (Brazil)
** National forest (France)
** National forest (United States)
** State Forests (Poland)
** The N ...
, town, creek, mountain peak, mountain pass, and historic trail in west central Montana.
Climate
St Joseph Peak (Montana) is a nearby peak to the south of Lolo Peak.
References
{{reflist
External links
Lolo Days(Lolo's Annual Town Festival)
"Friends of Lolo Peak"
Mountains of Missoula County, Montana
Mountains of Montana
Chinook Jargon place names