Mountain Passes

Fourth of July Pass: What to Know Before You Drive I-90

Published 2026-01-18 · 5 min read

Fourth of July Pass is the first real climb you hit driving east out of Coeur d'Alene on Interstate 90, topping out around 3,081 feet in central Kootenai County before dropping toward Cataldo, Kellogg, and the Silver Valley. It is lower and shorter than Lookout Pass an hour farther east, which is exactly why it catches people out: it does not feel like a "mountain pass," right up until the morning it is glazed with ice.

A commuter pass, not just a travel pass

Plenty of people cross Fourth of July every workday — Silver Valley residents commuting toward Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, and vice versa. That daily rhythm is the hidden hazard. On a clear summer morning the pass is a non-event, so it is easy to treat it as ordinary highway. But the summit sits high enough to collect snow and form ice when the valleys below are merely cold and damp, and a routine commute can turn into a white-knuckle descent without warning.

Winter conditions

The pass gets heavy snow in winter, and ITD will require chains here when the road turns hazardous, just as it does on the higher passes. The grades are more moderate than Lookout's, but black ice on the shaded descents is the real concern — particularly early morning and after sunset, when meltwater from the day refreezes. If the valley is at freezing and the camera shows a wet-looking deck at the summit, assume the shaded curves are slicker than they look.

The recreation traffic factor

Fourth of July is also a winter-recreation hub: the area around the summit has miles of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, which means parking areas, slowing vehicles, and pedestrians near the highway on snowy weekends. Give yourself extra following distance when the lots are full.

Check it before you climb

Because Fourth of July is the gateway to the Silver Valley and on to Lookout Pass, it is a good early indicator of what the rest of your eastbound I-90 trip will look like. Before you head over:

• Watch the summit cameras on our dashboard for the live road surface and visibility.
• Check Idaho 511 (511.idaho.gov) for the official report and any chain-up activation.
• If you are continuing east, look ahead at Lookout Pass too — it is higher, more exposed, and more likely to be the part of your trip that actually closes.

For the rules on tires and chains that apply on this pass, see our Idaho winter driving laws guide.