California trails · Mcgee Pass
Mcgee Pass
A 14.3-mile network in California, with 4,059 ft of climbing. Reaches McGee Pass and other lake/pass/spring destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 53% of the ascent falls between mile 4.8 and mile 9.5. It gives back about 2,451 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- McGee Pass (pass)
- Buzztail Spring (spring)
- Little McGee Lake (lake)
- Big McGee Lake (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
MCGEE PASS TH — parking nearby, restroom, water. About 32 min drive (18 mi, 1 of them unpaved) from Mammoth Lakes. 37.55097, -118.80252 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:36 a.m., the sun rises at 7:02 a.m. and sets at 6:19 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:45 p.m. (PDT) — 11 h 17 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 14.3-mile route takes roughly 7 h 19 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 2:21 p.m. — 3 h 58 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Mcgee Pass + Mcgee Creek Spur + Mcgee Pack Station — 1.7 mi loop, 373 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Minnow Creek — 9.1 mi
- Mono Creek — 10.6 mi
- John Muir — 16.7 mi
- Alger Lakes — 24.2 mi