Carson Pass & Meiss Country
Hwy 88 / Carson Pass · near Kirkwood / Markleeville · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Nordic & Snowshoe · Road Cycling
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–May; snow-sure high country (~8,600 ft)
- Distance
- long
- Best season
- Late spring–fall; snow-affected in winter (plowed but harsh)
What is here
- Activities
- backcountry · snowshoe
- Setting
- summit
- Amenities
- Premier backcountry touring · Wide-open Meiss meadows · Snow-sure high country · Round Top objectives
- Best for
- Classic Sierra backcountry touring
- Features
- High, snow-sure terrain · Meiss meadow tours · Round Top backcountry · Long spring season
- Scenery
- mountain
- Amenities
- Silver, Caples & Red alpine lakes · Granite & forest scenery · South-Tahoe access · Former Death Ride pass
- Best for
- A scenic, achievable high pass
- Features
- Beautiful alpine-lake climbs · South of Lake Tahoe · Slightly more forgiving high pass · Longtime Death Ride pass
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Avalanche terrain — check the forecast · High elevation & winter navigation · Storms & Hwy 88 closures · Sno-Park permit; carry the essentials
- Good for a first timer
- No
- Hazards
- High altitude — thin air, sun & cold · Traffic on Hwy 88, especially weekends · Snow & cold possible outside summer · Fast descents — control your speed
- Beginner friendly
- No
Guides, rentals and operators
- Rentals
- No
Nordic & Snowshoe detail
- Venue
- sno-park
- Ability
- advanced
- Snow
- 5
- Trail notes
- A high, snow-sure pass that's a premier backcountry Nordic and snowshoe zone — tour into the wide-open Meiss meadows and toward Round Top through classic Sierra high country
- Terrain note
- ~8,600–9,000 ft; ungroomed backcountry; long, reliable snow
- Intl tip
- A high, snow-sure Sierra-crest pass on Hwy 88 south of Tahoe (~8,600 ft) — a premier backcountry Nordic and snowshoe zone. From the Carson Pass Sno-Park, tour north into the sublime open Meiss meadows or toward Round Top and Winnemucca Lake for steeper objectives. Deep snow often lasts into May (great spring touring). Serious terrain: many slopes are avalanche country (check the Sierra Avalanche Center forecast), carry navigation and rescue gear, expect cold/wind/whiteouts, and storms can close the pass. Sno-Park permit required.
Road Cycling detail
- Ride types
- pass · climb
- Road
- mixed
- Climbing
- 4
- Ride notes
- A scenic high crossing on Highway 88 at 8,574 ft — climbs past Silver, Caples, and Red lakes through granite and forest south of Lake Tahoe, a beautiful and slightly more forgiving high pass
- Stats note
- Summit 8,574 ft; scenic climbs past alpine lakes; a longtime (now former) Death Ride pass
- Seasonal
- Yes
- Intl tip
- Among the most scenic and forgiving of the Sierra high passes — Hwy 88 to 8,574 ft south of Lake Tahoe, climbing through granite and forest past gem-like alpine lakes (Silver, Caples, Red Lake). Long a Death Ride pass (recently dropped for Pacific Grade), with a gentler character than savage Sonora or Ebbetts. High altitude still means thin air, intense sun, and possible cold; Hwy 88 carries more traffic (ride early). Carry layers and food, control the descents. Snow-affected outside summer — plan late spring–fall.
The guide
Carson Pass, crossing the Sierra crest at around 8,600 feet on Highway 88 south of Lake Tahoe, is one of the premier backcountr…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Carson Pass & Meiss Country — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.69, -120