Sylvan Pass (el. ) is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

located in the

Absaroka Range The Absaroka Range ( or ) is a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. The range stretches about across the Montana–Wyoming border, and at its widest, forming the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park along Paradise Va ...

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. The pass provides access to the park from the east entrance. The pass was named after nearby Sylvan Lake (derived from medieval Latin sylvānus, from Latin Silvānus, god of the woods, from silva, forest), and was formed by frost action breaking the rocks. The park road through the pass was closed during winter but is now open to visitors throughout winter. The road is maintained to allow access via snowmobile,

snow coach A snow coach is a specialized passenger transport vehicle designed to operate over snow or ice, similar to a large, multi-passenger snowcat that is equipped with bus-style seating. These vehicles may have multiple sets of very large, low-pressur ...

, and cross-country skiing. In the 2007–08 season it cost the parks service in excess of $200,000 to keep it open and avalanche control measures were put in place. The Sylvan Pass route is the only way to enter/exit Yellowstone National Park from the East Entrance. Sylvan Pass is the low point of the saddle between

Hoyt Peak Hoyt Peak is a summit located on the shared border of Yellowstone National Park and North Absaroka Wilderness, in Park County, Wyoming. It was named for John Wesley Hoyt (1831–1912), third Governor of Wyoming Territory. The mountain's name ...

and

Top Notch Peak Top Notch Peak is a 10,245-foot-elevation (3,123 meter) mountain summit located in Yellowstone National Park, in Park County, Wyoming, United States. Description The peak is situated immediately southwest of Sylvan Pass, and west of the ...

. The original road through the pass was designed by Captain Hiram Chittenden of the Army Corps of Engineers. File:SylvanPassLoop1922.jpg, Sylvan Pass Loop, East Side, 1921 File:1stAutosOverSylvanPassYNP1914.jpg, 1st automobile over pass, 1914

Notes

Mountain passes of Wyoming Landforms of Park County, Wyoming Landforms of Yellowstone National Park Transportation in Park County, Wyoming {{Wyoming-geo-stub