Lolo Peak

Lolo Peak, a 9,143-foot mountain in western Montana’s Bitterroot Range near Lolo Pass and the Idaho border, is a prominent landmark visible from U.S. 12 between the pass and Traveler’s Rest. Its importance is tied to the history of the Lolo country through the origin of its name. “Lolo” likely evolved from “Lou-Lou,” a pronunciation of “Lawrence,” associated with a French-Canadian fur trapper killed by a grizzly bear and buried at Grave Creek. Written as “Lou Lou” in 1831 by Hudson’s Bay Company trader John Work and still used in 1853 by Lieutenant John Mullan, the name had shortened to “Lolo” by 1865 and spread across the surrounding landscape.

Montana · United States