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Draft:Elizabeth Pass

Coordinates: 36°35′56″N 118°34′34″W / 36.5988288°N 118.5762066°W / 36.5988288; -118.5762066
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Elizabeth Pass
Turtle Pass
A view west down the canyon of the Middle Fork Kaweah from just below Elizabeth Pass. It lies on the divide between the Kaweah River to the south, and the Kings River to the North. High, exposed passes such as this one should be avoided during rain and lightning storms. (September 2nd, 2025)
Elevation3,467 m (11,375 ft)
LocationTulare County, California
RangeSierra Nevada
Coordinates36°35′56″N 118°34′34″W / 36.5988288°N 118.5762066°W / 36.5988288; -118.5762066
Map

Elizabeth Pass is an 11,375 foot high (3,467 m) [1] mountain pass on the border between Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park in Tulare County, California, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Geography

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Elizabeth Pass straddles the divide between the Kaweah and Kings Rivers, two of the most economically-important rivers in the southern San Joaquin Valley. [2][3]

It exists in an extremely rugged region of the southern Sierra Nevada and is surrounded on all sides by high granite mountains ranging in height from 10,000 to over 13,000 feet above sea level, and for this reason is seldom visited by most backpackers. [4]

It is most easily accessible from the southern side, where hikers can reach the pass from the relatively well-traveled upper canyon of the Middle Fork Kaweah River and its well-established backpacking trails and camps, such as Bearpaw High Sierra Camp which lies 5 miles from the pass by trail.[4]

To approach Elizabeth Pass from the north, travelers must begin at Road’s End in Kings Canyon National Park at an elevation of 5,035 feet (1,524 m) and climb over Avalanche Pass, which rises to 10,020 feet (3,048 m)[5] despite being only about six miles from the trailhead. [4] From there, the route continues for more than 14 miles to Deadman Canyon gaining over 6,000 additional feet through rugged granite terrain before reaching Elizabeth Pass.

See Also

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References

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  1. ^ "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  2. ^ "About the Tulare Basin". Tulare Basin Watershed Partnership and Network. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  3. ^ ca.water.usgs.gov https://ca.water.usgs.gov/projects/central-valley/tulare-basin.html. Retrieved 2025-10-22. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Elizabeth Pass Backpacking". highsierratrails.com. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  5. ^ "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-22.