4 Mountain Passes to Explore in Inyo County

Mengel Pass is a long and moderately difficult trail located in the Death Valley area. This Pass, is unpaved. It’s called Coyote Canyon Road. Road conditions are always changing. Experienced 4WD drivers only. Section over both sides of Mengel Pass is challenging, steep and rutted. Its harsh weather and terrain can be challenging, but its reward of solitude and spectacular scenery warrants the trip.

Morgan Pass is a saddle in Inyo County. Morgan can be accessed by trail from Rock Creek Canyon, above Tom's Place on 395. Its trailhead is at the far end of the lake. The trail is well marked the first 4 miles to Francis Lake, where it ends. From there it is a scramble up rocky slopes for 2 miles to the summit

Piute Pass is a 11,417 feet mountain pass along the crest of the Sierra Nevada, between Inyo and Fresno Counties in the John Muir Wilderness area. The trail is generally low angle and easy to travel on. It passes by a number of lakes and meadows making it a desirable destination for anglers, pack horses and hikers. For those going deeper into the wilderness, this trail provides an easy access into the back country.

A beautiful and risky mountain pass in the southern Sierra Nevada, California on the border of the Inyo National Forest. The pass is reachable from the east via a long, strenuous hike from the desert floor of the Owens Valley. On the west, it connects to the Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail in the National Park. It is one of the more difficult east side passes in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains range, partly due to the low starting elevation of the Owens Valley Trailhead.