California trails · Red Peak Pass
Red Peak Pass
A 11.4-mile out-and-back in California, with 2,226 ft of climbing. Reaches Red Peak Pass and other lake/pass/summit destinations. Managed by the National Park Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 56% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 3.8. It gives back about 2,443 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Red Peak Pass (pass)
- Lower Ottoway Lake (lake)
- Ottoway Lakes (lake)
- Upper Merced Pass Lake (lake)
- Red Peak (summit)
Heads up
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:38 a.m., the sun rises at 7:04 a.m. and sets at 6:22 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:48 p.m. (PDT) — 11 h 17 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 22.8-mile round trip takes roughly 10 h 40 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 5:44 p.m. — 37 min before sunset.
Nearby trails
- John Muir Trail — 9.6 mi
- Isberg — 11.2 mi
- Alger Lakes — 18.0 mi
- John Muir — 19.4 mi