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Sitgreaves Pass

Nature & parks
In Oatman, Arizona
On Route 66

Sitgreaves Pass is the gap where Route 66 crosses the Black Mountains near Oatman, AZ, at 3,586 feet. The road over it is famous for sharp switchbacks and steep grades, and it now forms part of a 42-mile Back Country Byway managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management. For drivers, the climb is a highlight of the Arizona section and a real test of patience on the curves.

What is Sitgreaves Pass?

The pass is a low point in Mohave County's Black Mountains where the road threads through the range. The historic Route 66 alignment climbs to the gap in tight curves, then drops toward Oatman, about 4.4 miles away by road.

History of Sitgreaves Pass

Edward Fitzgerald Beale took his wagon road over this gap in October 1857 and named it John Howells Pass, after a member of his party. In March 1858 Lieutenant Joseph Christmas Ives renamed it for Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, who had led an 1851 survey party that followed the Zuni and Colorado rivers. Ives believed Sitgreaves had crossed here, but that party had actually used gaps farther north. The name stuck anyway, and the pass later became a landmark on Route 66.

Visiting Sitgreaves Pass: tips

Drive the pass slowly and in a car you are comfortable handling on steep grades and sharp bends. Stop only where there is room to pull fully off the road. Oatman is about 1.9 miles away and the Durlin Hotel about 1.8 miles, so the pass pairs naturally with a town stop.