California · Hiking · Hoover Wilderness

Emigrant Pass

7.8 mi
round trip
1,077 ft
climb
9,710 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Emigrant Pass open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Emigrant Pass, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Emigrant Pass is a hard hike of about 7.8 miles in the Hoover Wilderness, part of the Bridgeport Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in California. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface route that allows horses but not bikes. The pass is an out-and-back with a one-way climb of about 1,077 feet, starting at roughly 8,650 feet and reaching about 9,710 feet at the high point. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Tuolumne Meadows show July highs around 71°F with lows near 38°F, and the station sits about 1,000 feet lower than the pass, so temperatures up high run cooler. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 passes within a quarter mile, and the PCT: Sonora Pass - Dorothy Lk mountain biking route is about half a mile away. Tower Peak, a climbing area, is about 5.7 miles off, and Leavitt Meadows Campground is about 7.7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Emigrant Pass

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      41° / 13°

    2. Feb

      38° / 12°

    3. Mar

      42° / 15°

    4. Apr

      45° / 22°

    5. May

      54° / 27°

    6. Jun

      65° / 33°

    7. Jul

      71° / 38°

    8. Aug

      70° / 36°

    9. Sep

      65° / 32°

    10. Oct

      57° / 26°

    11. Nov

      47° / 20°

    12. Dec

      40° / 12°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 27.2 mi away at 8,694 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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