Red Peak Pass Trail

At 11,155 feet, Red Peak Pass is the highest point reached by any maintained trail in Yosemite National Park. It's the high point of the Red Peak Pass Loop, a demanding multi-day backpacking route through the Clark Range in Yosemite's southern wilderness — a serious undertaking for experienced backpackers, not a day hike.

The Route

The roughly 50-mile loop can be started from a few different trailheads, most commonly Mono Meadow off Glacier Point Road or Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley by way of the Merced Lake High Sierra Camp area. However you approach it, expect several days of travel with more than 8,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, climbing through forest and past granite domes before switchbacking above treeline to the pass itself. The trail is well-defined but rocky and exposed near the top, and snow can linger on the pass well into early summer even after the valley floor has dried out. From the summit, views open south past the park boundary and north into Yosemite's high country, with alpine lakes along the descent.

Permits and Planning

Because this is an overnight wilderness route, a Yosemite wilderness permit is required, and bear-resistant food storage is mandatory throughout the park's backcountry. Permits can be reserved up to 24 weeks ahead, with a smaller batch of spots released closer to your start date, so plan early since backcountry quotas fill quickly in summer. This is a high-elevation, multi-day trip — come prepared for altitude, changeable mountain weather, and long stretches without cell coverage.