National Historic Site

Cross the Kicking Horse Pass, the highest point on the Trans-Canada Highway, and stare down onto a spectacular mountain corridor between Banff and Yoho National Parks. The legendary pass opened British Columbia to the rest of Canada by rail in the 19th century.

The pass was first recorded in the report of the Palliser expedition of 1857-60. The pass takes its name from an incident in which Dr. James Hector, a surgeon to the expedition, was kicked by his horse while exploring in this vicinity.

In 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to adopt it as their new route through the Rockies.

Photo: Vlad Umnov.

Painting: Kicking Horse Pass, 1997; O’Brien, Lucius Richard, 1832-1900 – BC Archives #PDP04901 [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2532126