List of mountain passes in California explained
The following is a list of mountain passes and gaps in California. California is geographically diverse with numerous roads and railways traversing within its borders. In the middle of the U.S. state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. Although most of these passes are now traversed by state highways, some date prior to California's statehood in 1850 and are today registered as California Historical Landmarks.
| Name | Mountain range | County | data-sort-type="number" | Elevation | Coordinates | Primary access route | Other access route(s) | GNIS |
|---|
| Adin Pass | Warner Mountains | Modoc | 5194feet | 41.3467°N -120.9214°W | | | |
| Alcoholic Pass | Santa Rosa Mountains | San Diego | 1565feet | 33.3603°N -116.3756°W | Alcoholic Pass Trail~ | Coyote Canyon Road~ | |
| Altamont Pass | Diablo Range | Alameda | 1009feet | 37.7458°N -121.6583°W | | Altamont Pass Road
Union Pacific Railroad | |
| Anderson Grade Summit | Cascade Range | Siskiyou | 3067feet | 41.8017°N -122.5819°W | | | N/A |
| Apache Saddle | San Emigdio Mountains | Kern | 6099feet | 34.8606°N -119.2094°W | | Cerro Noroeste Road | |
| Arrowhead Highlands Summit | San Bernardino Mountains | San Bernardino County | 5174feet | 34.2275°N -117.255°W | | | N/A |
| Bear Divide | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 2687feet | 34.36°N -118.3933°W | Little Tujunga Canyon Road | Santa Clara Truck Trail~ | |
| Beckwourth Pass[1] | Sierra Nevada | Plumas | 5221feet | 39.7917°N -120.1078°W | | Feather River Route | |
| Bernasconi Pass | Bernasconi Hills | Riverside | 1709feet | 33.8408°N -117.1617°W | | Bernasconi Road | |
| Berry Summit | Northern Coast Ranges | Humboldt | 2828feet | 40.8958°N -123.7711°W | | Old 299 HighwayTitlow Hill Road | |
| Big Valley Summit | Big Valley Mountains | Lassen | 4613feet | 41.06°N -121.2108°W | | | |
| Black Butte Summit | Cascade Range | | 3912feet | 41.3547°N -122.3539°W | | | |
| Buckhorn Summit | Klamath Mountains | Shasta | 3274feet | 40.6356°N -122.7336°W | | | |
| Burrows Gap | Northern Coast Ranges | Glenn | 876feet | 39.7503°N -122.5286°W | | | |
| Bushnell Summit | Sierra Pelona Mountains | Los Angeles | 4101feet | 34.7036°N -118.5281°W | | Forest Route 7N23 | |
| Cahuenga Pass | Santa Monica Mountains | Los Angeles | 745feet | 34.1244°N -118.3428°W | | | |
| Cajon Pass | San Bernardino/San Gabriel Mountains | San Bernardino | 3777feet | 34.3258°N -117.4283°W | |
Union Pacific Railroad
BNSF Railway | |
| Cajon Summit | San Bernardino/San Gabriel Mountains | San Bernardino | 4288feet | 34.3494°N -117.4464°W | | | |
| Carson Pass[2] | Sierra Nevada | Alpine | 8574feet | 38.6939°N -119.9875°W | | | |
| Cedar Pass | Warner Mountains | Modoc | 6407feet | 41.5625°N -120.2689°W | | | |
| Cloudburst Summit | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 7034feet | 34.3514°N -117.9344°W | | Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Conway Summit | Sierra Nevada | Mono | 8143feet | 38.0881°N -119.1819°W | | | |
| Corral Hollow Pass | Diablo Range | Alameda | 1600feet | 37.6492°N -121.6094°W | | | N/A |
| Cottonwood Pass | | San Luis Obispo | 1998feet | 35.7803°N -120.2072°W | | | |
| Cottonwood Pass | | Riverside County | 2881feet | 33.7261°N -115.8131°W | Cottonwood Springs Road | | |
| Coyote Pass | Verdugo Mountains | Los Angeles | 407feet | 34.0536°N -118.1497°W | Monterey Pass Road | | |
| Cuesta Pass | Santa Lucia Range | San Luis Obispo | 1522feet | 35.3489°N -120.6311°W | | | |
| Damnation Pass | Klamath Mountains | Shasta | 4278feet | 40.9419°N -122.5411°W | Dog Creek Road~ | Sanford Pass Road~ | |
| Dawson Saddle | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 7943feet | 34.3678°N -117.8033°W | | | |
| Deadman Summit | Sierra Nevada | Mono | 8047feet | 37.7708°N -119.0083°W | | | |
| Devil's Gate Pass | Sweetwater Mountains | Mono | 7519feet | 38.3483°N -119.3619°W | | | |
| Dillon Divide | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 2,736 feet (834 m) | 34.3444°N -118.3486°W | Little Tujunga Canyon Road | | |
| Donner Pass | Sierra Nevada | Nevada | 7056feet | 39.3158°N -120.3214°W | | Donner Pass Road
California Trail
Overland Route | |
| Donner Summit | Sierra Nevada | Nevada | 6637feet | 39.3267°N -120.3931°W | | Donner Pass Road | |
| Dulzura Summit | Peninsular Ranges | San Diego | 1499feet | 32.6156°N -116.7381°W | | Little Tecate Road | |
| East Casitas Pass | Transverse Ranges/Santa Ynez Mountains | Ventura | 1,158 feet (353 m) | 34.3858°N -119.3811°W | | Casitas Pass Road | |
| Ebbetts Pass[3] | Sierra Nevada | Alpine | 8736feet | 38.5444°N -119.8119°W | | | |
| Echo Summit | Sierra Nevada | El Dorado | 7382feet | 38.8131°N -120.0303°W | | | |
| Etna Summit | Klamath Mountains | Siskiyou | 5912feet | 41.395°N -122.9931°W | Sawyers Bar Road~ | Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Eucalyptus Pass | Peninsular Ranges | San Diego | 640feet | 32.7789°N -116.9867°W | | | |
| Fandango Pass[4] | Warner Mountains | Modoc | 6135feet | 41.8022°N -120.2033°W | Fandango Pass Road~ | | |
| Foot and Walker Pass | Earthquake Valley | San Diego | 2589feet | 33.0367°N -116.4025°W | | Little Blair Valley Road~ | |
| Klamath Mountains | Siskiyou | 4097feet | 41.6758°N -122.7258°W | | | N/A |
| Forester Pass | Sierra Nevada | Tulare | 13153feet | 36.6942°N -118.3719°W | John Muir Trail^ | | |
| Fredonyer Pass | Sierra Nevada/Cascades | Lassen | 5751feet | 40.3597°N -120.8675°W | | | |
| Gaviota Pass[5] | Santa Ynez Mountains | Santa Barbara | 135feet | 34.4894°N -120.2261°W | | | |
| Gilbert Pass | White/Inyo Mountains | Inyo | 6381feet | 37.4308°N -117.9386°W | | | |
| Glen Pass | Sierra Nevada | Fresno | 11798feet | 36.7889°N -118.4125°W | John Muir Trail^ | | |
| Godde Pass | Sierra Pelona Mountains | Los Angeles | 3386feet | 34.6083°N -118.2444°W | Godde Hill Road | | |
| Goods Mountain | Northern Coast Ranges | Trinity | 4032feet | 40.38°N -123.0211°W | | McFarland Ridge Road | |
| Greenhorn Summit | Sierra Nevada | Kern | 6092feet | 35.7383°N -118.5572°W | | Rancheria Road | |
| Gunsight Pass | San Bernardino Mountains | San Bernardino | 7316feet | 34.0389°N -116.8303°W | Raywood Flat Road (Private)~ | | |
| Hatchet Mountain Pass(signage: Hatchet Mountain Summit) | Klamath Mountains/Cascade Range | Shasta | 4340feet | 40.8525°N -121.7669°W | | | |
| Haywards Pass | Diablo Range | Alameda | 699feet | 37.6972°N -121.9692°W | | | |
| Hebron Summit | Cascade Range | Siskiyou | 5223feet | 41.6994°N -122.0414°W | | | |
| Hecker Pass | Santa Cruz Mountains | Santa Cruz | 1339feet | 36.9944°N -121.7172°W | | | |
| Henness Pass | Sierra Nevada | Sierra | 6916feet | 39.5028°N -120.4394°W | Henness Pass Road | | |
| Sierra Nevada | Nevada | 7135feet | 39.3167°N -120.3261°W | Donner Pass Road | Pacific Crest Trail^ | N/A |
| Ibex Pass | Sperry Hills | Inyo-San Bernardino border | 2072feet | 35.7944°N -116.3406°W | | | |
| Islip Saddle | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 6670feet | 34.3569°N -117.8506°W | | (closed)
Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Laguna Summit | Cuyamaca Mountains | San Diego | 4055feet | 32.8108°N -116.51°W | | Sunrise Highway | N/A |
| Little Pigeon Pass | Riverside Mountains | San Bernardino | 1158feet | 34.0389°N -117.3014°W | Barton Road | Honey Hill Drive | |
| Lord-Ellis Summit | Northern Coast Ranges | Humboldt | 2267feet | 40.9303°N -123.86°W | | Old Dolly Varden Road
Old Highway 200 | |
| Low Gap | Northern Coast Ranges | Trinity | 2753feet | 40.4606°N -123.5236°W | | | |
| Luther Pass | Sierra Nevada | Alpine-El Dorado border | 7740feet | 38.7869°N -119.9458°W | | | |
| Mendocino Pass | Northern Coast Ranges | Glenn | 5006feet | 39.7942°N -122.935°W | ~ | | |
| Mill Creek Summit | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 4,898 feet (1,493 m) | 34.3917°N -118.0808°W | | Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Minaret Summit | Sierra Nevada | Madera-Mono border | 9265feet | 37.6564°N -119.0603°W | | Reds Meadow Road | |
| Mission Pass | Diablo Range | Alameda | 662feet | 37.5603°N -121.9108°W | | | |
| Monitor Pass | Sierra Nevada | Alpine | 8314feet | 38.6756°N -119.6194°W | | | |
| Morgan Summit | Sierra Nevada | Tehama | 5760feet | 40.3639°N -121.5353°W | | | |
| Mount Baldy Notch | San Gabriel Mountains | San Bernardino | 7821feet | 34.2728°N -117.6106°W | Mount Baldy Road (Private) | | |
| Muir Pass | Sierra Nevada | Fresno | 11955feet | 37.1117°N -118.6706°W | John Muir Trail^ | | |
| Newhall/Fremont Pass | Santa Susana/San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 750feet | 34.3453°N -118.5072°W | |
San Fernando Road
Sierra Highway | |
| Nojoqui Summit | Santa Ynez Mountains | Santa Barbara | 919feet | 34.5283°N -120.1969°W | | | |
| Oak Creek Pass[6] | Tehachapi Mountains | Kern | 4820feet | 35.0608°N -118.3889°W | Tehachapi Willow Springs Road | | |
| Onyx Summit | San Bernardino Mountains | San Bernardino | 8443feet | 34.1922°N -116.7189°W | | | |
| Oregon Mountain Summit (signage: Oregon Mountain Pass) | Klamath Mountains | Trinity | 2910feet | 40.7386°N -122.9831°W | | Glennison Gap Road
Jennings Road | |
| Pacheco Pass[7] | Diablo Range | Merced-Santa Clara border | 1368feet | 37.0664°N -121.2186°W | | | |
| Pacific Grade Summit | Sierra Nevada | Alpine | 8051feet | 38.5167°N -119.9094°W | | | |
| Panoche Pass | Diablo Range | San Benito | 2250feet | 36.6281°N -121.0142°W | | | |
| Patchen Pass | Santa Cruz Mountains | Santa Cruz-Santa Clara border | 1814feet | 37.1442°N -121.9847°W | | Summit Road | |
| Patterson Pass | Diablo Range | Alameda | 1608feet | 37.6869°N -121.63°W | Patterson Pass Road | | |
| Pigeon Pass | Riverside Mountains | San Bernardino | 1923feet | 33.9928°N -117.2761°W | Pigeon Pass Road | | |
| Pine Mountain Summit | Santa Ynez Mountains | Ventura | 5160feet | 34.65°N -119.3856°W | | | N/A |
| Pioneer Pass | Simi Hills | Ventura | 1,726 feet (526 m) | 34.2569°N -118.6492°W | Box Canyon Road | | |
| Polonio Pass | Temblor / Diablo Range | Kern | 1407feet | 35.7236°N -120.1933°W | | | |
| Red Box Gap | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 4,636 feet (1,413m) | 34.2586°N -118.105°W | | | |
| Ridgewood Summit | Mendocino Range | Mendocino | 1956feet | 39.3407°N -123.3167°W | | | N/A |
| Saddleback | Cuyamaca Mountains | San Diego | 1955feet | 33.0022°N -116.7147°W | Eagle Peak Road~ | Cedar Creek Road~ | |
| San Fernando Pass | Santa Susana/San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 1,726 feet (526 m) | 34.3458°N -118.51°W | Sierra Highway | | |
| San Francisquito Pass | Sierra Pelona Mountains | Los Angeles | 1114feet | 34.6394°N -118.3806°W | San Francisquito Canyon Road | | N/A |
| San Gorgonio Pass | San Bernardino/San Jacinto Mountains | Riverside | 1591feet | 33.9167°N -116.7508°W | | Railroad AvenueUnion Pacific Railroad | |
| San Marcos Pass | Santa Ynez Mountains | Santa Barbara | 2225feet | 34.5117°N -119.8247°W | | | |
| Santa Rosa Summit | Santa Rosa | Riverside | 4997feet | 33.5614°N -116.5703°W | | | |
| Santa Susana Pass | Santa Susana Mountains/Simi Hills | Los Angeles | 1608feet | 34.2683°N -118.6328°W | | Santa Susana Pass Road | |
| Scott Mountain Summit | Klamath Mountains | Trinity | 5558feet | 41.2761°N -122.6933°W | | Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Sepulveda Pass | Santa Monica Mountains | Los Angeles | 1130feet | 34.1269°N -118.4747°W | | Sepulveda Boulevard | N/A |
| Sespe Gorge | Topatopa Mountains | Ventura | 3,556 feet (1,084 m) | 34.5789°N -119.2581°W | | | |
| Sherman Pass | Sierra Nevada | Tulare | 9200feet | 35.9906°N -118.3658°W | Sherman Pass Road | | |
| Sherwin Summit | Sierra Nevada | Mono | 6426feet | 37.5144°N -118.6278°W | | | |
| Slate Range Crossing | Slate Range | Inyo | 2943feet | 35.9603°N -117.335°W | Trona Wildrose Road | | |
| Soledad Pass | Sierra Pelona / San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 3209feet | 34.5067°N -118.1122°W | | Angeles Forest Highway
Sierra Highway
Union Pacific Railroad | |
| Sonora Pass | Sierra Nevada | Mono-Tuolumne border | 9624feet | 38.3278°N -119.6358°W | | | |
| Sunshine Summit | | San Diego | 3,294 feet (1,004m) | 33.3517°N -116.7386°W | | | |
| Sweeney Pass | Coyote Mountains | San Diego | 988feet | 32.8333°N -116.1786°W | | | |
| Sweetwater Pass | Peninsular Ranges | San Diego | 587feet | 32.7756°N -116.9286°W | Grove Road | | |
| Tecate Divide | Cuyamaca Mountains | San Diego | 4140feet | 32.7008°N -116.3253°W | | Manzanita Road | |
| Tehachapi Pass | Tehachapi Mountains / Sierra Nevada | Kern | 3771feet | 35.1022°N -118.2828°W | | Union Pacific Railroad | |
| Tejon Pass | San Emigdio / Tehachapi Mountains | Los Angeles / Kern County | 4160feet | 34.8028°N -118.8769°W | | North Peace Valley RoadRalphs Ranch Road Tejon Pass
| |
| Teofulio Summit | San Felipe Hills | San Diego | 3681feet | 33.2047°N -116.6036°W | | | |
| The Narrows | Peninsular Ranges | San Diego | 3169feet | 32.7°N -116.48°W | Cameron Truck Trail~ | | |
| Tioga Pass | Sierra Nevada | Mono-Tuolumne border | 9943feet | 37.9111°N -119.2581°W | | | |
| Towne Pass | Inyo Mountains | Inyo | 4951feet | 36.4017°N -117.2803°W | | | |
| Triunfo Pass | Santa Monica Mountains | Ventura | 2103feet | 34.1133°N -118.9164°W | Yerba Buena Road | | |
| Vincent Gap | San Gabriel Mountains | Los Angeles | 6581feet | 34.3736°N -117.7522°W | | Big Rock Creek Road
Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Walker Pass[8] | Sierra Nevada | Kern | 5250feet | 35.6631°N -118.0269°W | | Pacific Crest Trail^ | |
| Westgard Pass | White/Inyo Mountains | Inyo | 7313feet | 37.3003°N -118.1531°W | | | |
| West Casitas Pass | Transverse Ranges/Santa Ynez Mountains | Ventura | 1,024 feet (312 m) | 34.3889°N -119.4144°W | | Casitas Pass Road | |
| Wheeler Gorge | Topatopa Mountains | Ventura | 1,755/ feet (535 m) | 34.5083°N -119.2747°W | | | |
| Yaqui Pass | Santa Rosa | San Diego | 1742feet | 33.1464°N -116.3517°W | | | |
| Yuba Pass | Sierra Nevada | Sierra | 6709feet | 39.6175°N -120.4889°W | | | | |
See also
Notes and References
- 336. Beckwourth Pass. Beckwourth Pass ... was discovered in 1851 by James P. Beckwourth. July 8, 2013.
- 315. Kit Carson Marker. On this spot, the summit of the Kit Carson Pass, stood the Kit Carson Tree on which the famous scout Kit Carson inscribed his name in 1844 when he guided the then Captain John C. Frémont, head of a government exploring expedition, over the Sierra Nevada. July 8, 2013.
- 318. Ebbetts Pass Route. The Emigrant Trail through Ebbetts Pass, discovered by and named after Major John Ebbetts, was opened up in the early 1850s. July 8, 2013.
- 546. Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail (Fandango Pass). This spot marks the convergence of two pioneer trails used by emigrants during the years 1846-1850. July 8, 2013.
- 248. Gaviota Pass. Here, on Christmas Day, 1846, natives and soldiers from the Presidio of Santa Barbara lay in ambush for Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont ... [he] learned of the plot and ... came instead over the San Marcos Pass to capture Santa Barbara. July 8, 2013.
- 97. Oak Creek Pass. In 1776, Father Francisco Garcés used the Oak Creek Pass to return to the Mojave after exploring the San Joaquin Valley. July 8, 2013.
- 829. Pacheco Pass. On June 21, 1805, on his first exploratory journey into the San Joaquin Valley, Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga traversed and recorded this pass. July 8, 2013.
- 99. Walker Pass. Discovered by Joseph R. Walker, American trailblazer, who left the San Joaquin Valley through this pass in 1834. July 8, 2013.
