The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, known as the Milwaukee Road, was regarded by many former employees as the finest railroad in America. Built to the Pacific Ocean between 1907 and 1909, it operated until March 1980. Near milepost 1763, this former siding lay 1,763 rail miles west of Chicago, Illinois. Preserved as a trail, this section of the old railroad stands as a testament to the adventurous people who built and operated the line over the Bitterroot Mountains for seventy-one years.