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 Elevation Coordinates Primary access route Other access route(s) GNISAdin PassWarner MountainsModocAlcoholic PassSanta Rosa MountainsSan Diego Alcoholic Pass Trail~ Coyote Canyon Road~ Altamont Pass Diablo Range Alameda * Altamont Pass RoadUnion Pacific Railroad Anderson Grade Summit Cascade Range Siskiyou * N/A Apache Saddle San Emigdio Mountains Kern Cerro Noroeste Road Arrowhead Highlands Summit San Bernardino Mountains San Bernardino County N/A Bear Divide San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles Little Tujunga Canyon Road Santa Clara Truck Trail~ Beckwourth Pass Sierra Nevada Plumas Feather River Route Bernasconi PassBernasconi HillsRiversideBernasconi RoadBerry SummitNorthern Coast RangesHumboldtOld 299 Highway Titlow Hill RoadBig Valley SummitBig Valley MountainsLassen Black Butte Summit Cascade Range Siskiyou Buckhorn SummitKlamath MountainsShastaBurrows GapNorthern Coast RangesGlenn Bushnell Summit Sierra Pelona Mountains Los Angeles Forest Route 7N23 Cahuenga Pass Santa Monica Mountains Los Angeles Cajon Pass San Bernardino/San Gabriel Mountains San Bernardino * Union Pacific RailroadBNSF Railway Cajon SummitSan Bernardino/San Gabriel MountainsSan Bernardino Carson Pass Sierra Nevada Alpine Cedar Pass Warner Mountains Modoc Cloudburst Summit San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles Pacific Crest Trail^ Conway Summit Sierra Nevada Mono Corral Hollow Pass Diablo Range Alameda N/A Cottonwood Pass Diablo Range San Luis Obispo Cottonwood Pass Cottonwood Mountains Riverside County Cottonwood Springs Road Coyote PassVerdugo MountainsLos AngelesMonterey Pass Road Cuesta Pass Santa Lucia Range San Luis Obispo Damnation Pass Klamath Mountains Shasta Dog Creek Road~ Sanford Pass Road~ Dawson Saddle San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles Deadman Summit Sierra Nevada Mono Devil's Gate Pass Sweetwater Mountains Mono Dillon DivideSan Gabriel MountainsLos Angeles2,736 feet (834 m)Little Tujunga Canyon Road Donner Pass Sierra Nevada Nevada * Donner Pass RoadCalifornia TrailOverland Route Donner SummitSierra NevadaNevadaDonner Pass RoadDulzura SummitPeninsular RangesSan DiegoLittle Tecate RoadEast Casitas PassTransverse Ranges/Santa Ynez MountainsVentura1,158 feet (353 m)Casitas Pass Road Ebbetts Pass Sierra Nevada Alpine Echo Summit Sierra Nevada El Dorado Escondido Summit Sierra Pelona Mountains Los Angeles Etna Summit Klamath Mountains Siskiyou Sawyers Bar Road~ Pacific Crest Trail^ Eucalyptus PassPeninsular RangesSan Diego Fandango Pass Warner Mountains Modoc Fandango Pass Road~ Foot and Walker PassEarthquake ValleySan Diego Little Blair Valley Road~Forest Mountain Summit Klamath MountainsSiskiyouN/A Forester Pass Sierra Nevada Tulare John Muir Trail^ Fredonyer Pass Sierra Nevada/Cascades Lassen Gaviota Pass Santa Ynez Mountains Santa Barbara Gilbert Pass White/Inyo Mountains Inyo Glen Pass Sierra Nevada Fresno John Muir Trail^ Godde Pass Sierra Pelona Mountains Los Angeles Godde Hill Road Goods MountainNorthern Coast RangesTrinityMcFarland Ridge Road Greenhorn Summit Sierra Nevada Kern Rancheria Road Gunsight Pass San Bernardino Mountains San Bernardino Raywood Flat Road (Private)~ Hatchet Mountain Pass (signage: Hatchet Mountain Summit) Klamath Mountains/Cascade Range Shasta Haywards PassDiablo RangeAlamedaHebron SummitCascade RangeSiskiyou Hecker Pass Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Henness Pass Sierra Nevada Sierra Henness Pass Road Historic Donner Summit Sierra NevadaNevadaDonner Pass Road Pacific Crest Trail^N/A Ibex Pass Sperry Hills Inyo-San Bernardino border Islip Saddle San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles (closed) Pacific Crest Trail^ Kaiser Pass Sierra Nevada Fresno Kaiser Pass Road Laguna Summit Cuyamaca Mountains San Diego Sunrise Highway N/ALittle Pigeon PassRiverside MountainsSan BernardinoBarton RoadHoney Hill Drive Lord-Ellis Summit Northern Coast Ranges Humboldt Old Dolly Varden RoadOld Highway 200 Low Gap Northern Coast Ranges Trinity Luther Pass Sierra Nevada Alpine-El Dorado border Mendocino Pass Northern Coast Ranges Glenn ~ Mill Creek SummitSan Gabriel MountainsLos Angeles4,898 feet (1,493 m) Pacific Crest Trail^ Minaret Summit Sierra Nevada Madera-Mono border Reds Meadow Road Mission Pass Diablo Range Alameda Monitor Pass Sierra Nevada Alpine Morgan Summit Sierra Nevada Tehama Mount Baldy Notch San Gabriel Mountains San Bernardino Mount Baldy Road (Private) Muir Pass Sierra Nevada Fresno John Muir Trail^ Newhall/Fremont Pass Santa Susana/San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles San Fernando RoadSierra Highway Nojoqui SummitSanta Ynez MountainsSanta Barbara Oak Creek Pass Tehachapi Mountains Kern Tehachapi Willow Springs Road Onyx Summit San Bernardino Mountains San Bernardino Oregon Mountain Summit (signage: Oregon Mountain Pass) Klamath Mountains Trinity Glennison Gap RoadJennings Road Pacheco Pass Diablo Range Merced-Santa Clara border Pacific Grade Summit Sierra Nevada Alpine Panoche Pass Diablo Range San Benito Patchen Pass Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz-Santa Clara border Summit Road Patterson PassDiablo RangeAlamedaPatterson Pass RoadPigeon PassRiverside MountainsSan BernardinoPigeon Pass Road Pine Mountain Summit Santa Ynez Mountains Ventura N/APioneer PassSimi HillsVentura1,726 feet (526 m)Box Canyon Road Polonio Pass Temblor / Diablo Range Kern Red Box GapSan Gabriel MountainsLos Angeles4,636 feet (1,413m) Ridgewood Summit Mendocino Range Mendocino N/ASaddlebackCuyamaca MountainsSan Diego Eagle Peak Road~ Cedar Creek Road~San Fernando PassSanta Susana/San Gabriel MountainsLos Angeles1,726 feet (526 m)Sierra Highway San Francisquito Pass Sierra Pelona Mountains Los Angeles San Francisquito Canyon Road N/A San Gorgonio Pass San Bernardino/San Jacinto Mountains Riverside * Railroad Avenue Union Pacific Railroad San Marcos Pass Santa Ynez Mountains Santa Barbara Santa Rosa Summit Santa Rosa Riverside Santa Susana Pass Santa Susana Mountains/Simi Hills Los Angeles Santa Susana Pass Road Scott Mountain SummitKlamath MountainsTrinity Pacific Crest Trail^ Sepulveda Pass Santa Monica Mountains Los Angeles Sepulveda Boulevard N/ASespe GorgeTopatopa MountainsVentura3,556 feet (1,084 m) Sherman Pass Sierra Nevada Tulare Sherman Pass Road Sherwin Summit Sierra Nevada Mono Slate Range CrossingSlate RangeInyoTrona Wildrose Road Soledad Pass Sierra Pelona / San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles Angeles Forest HighwaySierra HighwayUnion Pacific Railroad Sonora Pass Sierra Nevada Mono-Tuolumne border Sunshine SummitSan Diego3,294 feet (1,004m)Sweeney PassCoyote MountainsSan DiegoSweetwater PassPeninsular RangesSan DiegoGrove RoadTecate DivideCuyamaca MountainsSan DiegoManzanita Road Tehachapi Pass Tehachapi Mountains / Sierra Nevada Kern Union Pacific Railroad Tejon Pass San Emigdio / Tehachapi Mountains Los Angeles / Kern County North Peace Valley Road Ralphs Ranch Road
Tejon Pass Teofulio Summit San Felipe Hills San Diego The NarrowsPeninsular RangesSan Diego Cameron Truck Trail~ Tioga Pass Sierra Nevada Mono-Tuolumne border Towne Pass Inyo Mountains Inyo Triunfo PassSanta Monica MountainsVenturaYerba Buena Road Vincent Gap San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles Big Rock Creek RoadPacific Crest Trail^ Violin Summit Sierra Pelona Mountains Los Angeles Old Ridge Route Walker Pass Sierra Nevada Kern Pacific Crest Trail^ Westgard Pass White/Inyo Mountains Inyo West Casitas PassTransverse Ranges/Santa Ynez MountainsVentura1,024 feet (312 m)Casitas Pass RoadWheeler GorgeTopatopa MountainsVentura1,755/ feet (535 m) Yaqui Pass Santa Rosa San Diego Yuba Pass Sierra Nevada Sierra
See also
List of mountain passes and hills in the Tour of California List of Sierra Nevada road passes
References