Two Ocean Pass

Two Ocean Pass
Modified portion of the USGS Two Ocean Pass Quadrangle[1]
Elevation	8,130 ft (2,478 m)[2]
Traversed by	North Two Ocean Creek
Location	Teton County, Wyoming
Range	Absaroka Range
Coordinates	44°02′28″N 110°10′03″W / 44.04111°N 110.16750°W
Topo map	USGS Two Ocean Pass
U.S. National Natural Landmark
Designated	October 1965

Two Ocean Pass is a mountain pass on North America's Continental Divide, in the Teton Wilderness, which is part of Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. The pass is notable for Parting of the Waters, where one stream, North Two Ocean Creek, splits into two distributaries, Pacific Creek and Atlantic Creek, at Parting of the Waters National Natural Landmark. These two creeks ultimately flow into their respective oceans.^[3] Atlantic Creek water eventually flows into the Yellowstone River and empties into the Atlantic via the Missouri River and Mississippi River. Pacific Creek water eventually flows into the Snake River and empties into the Pacific via the Columbia River.

A drawing made in 1894 of Two Ocean Pass with a view to the northeast.^[4] Atlantic Creek exits the pass between the hills in the upper part of the image. Pacific Creek exits to the southwest in the lower part of the image. North Two Oceans Creek enters from the left side of the image and divides into its two distributaries and South Two Ocean Creek enters from the right of the image and is also shown dividing into two streams. Evermann Creek also enters the area from the west (just above the tents).

Recreation

The Continental Divide Trail reaches this location in northern Wyoming. It is accessible by foot or horseback from the south via Brooks Lake Trail head off of Highway 287 or from the north via an extensive hike from Fox Park near Yellowstone National Park's southern border.^[5]

Here Two Ocean Creek spits in two directions on the Continental Divide. Water on the left in this 2011 photo goes to the Atlantic and water on the right to the Pacific Ocean.

References

1. Two Ocean Pass Quadrangle, Wyoming-Teton Co. USGS Topographic Quadrangle, 1996: Note the 1996 quad does not show a split in the continental divide; however both the 1959 Two Ocean Pass, Wyoming 15 minute quadrangle and the 1982 Yellowstone National Park South, Wyo. 30x60 minute quad do show a split in the continental divide which includes the drainage basins of both North Two Ocean Creek and South Two Ocean Creek. The divide split is 8.7 kilometres (5.4 mi) in length.
2. "Two Ocean Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
3. Two Ocean Pass, National Natural Landmarks
4. Barton Warren Evermann: Two-Ocean Pass. In: Popular Science Monthly. V. 47, 1895, pp. 175–186
5. Davis, Lora (2000). Wyoming's Continental Divide Trail. Westcliffe Publishers, Inc. pp. 242–249. ISBN 1-56579-332-3.

External links

• Two Ocean Pass National Natural Landmark, National Park Service website.
• Parting of the Waters: a creek that flows to two oceans
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Two Ocean Pass
• America's Little-Known Natural Wonders: Spectacular destinations you may not know about, By Christopher Vourlias, Forbes Traveler via Yahoo Traveler, 9/1/09.