Monitor Pass
Hwy 89 / Alpine County · near Markleeville / Topaz · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Road Cycling
At a glance
- Distance
- long
- Best season
- Summer–early fall ONLY; closed by snow in winter
What is here
- Scenery
- mountain
- Amenities
- Sweeping Eastern Sierra views · Sagebrush & golden aspen · Spectacular Topaz-side descent · Classic Death Ride pass
- Best for
- A sweeping, view-filled high pass
- Features
- Dramatic open high-pass climbs · Huge Eastern Sierra vistas · Golden aspen in fall · Death Ride classic
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- SEASONAL — closed by snow in winter · Long exposed climbs — heat, sun & wind · High altitude; few services · Fast, sweeping descents — control speed
- Beginner friendly
- No
Road Cycling detail
- Ride types
- pass · climb
- Road
- quiet
- Climbing
- 4
- Ride notes
- A dramatic, sweeping high pass on Highway 89 at 8,314 ft — long, open climbs through sagebrush and aspen with huge Eastern Sierra views and a spectacular plunging descent toward the Topaz side, a classic Death Ride pass
- Stats note
- Summit 8,314 ft; long open climbs both sides; a Death Ride pass
- Seasonal
- Yes
- Intl tip
- One of the most dramatic, view-filled Eastern Sierra passes — Hwy 89 to 8,314 ft in Alpine County, with long, open, sweeping climbs through sagebrush and aspen, huge Great Basin–edge views, and a spectacular plunging descent toward Topaz. A classic Death Ride pass, superb in fall when the aspens turn gold. Strictly seasonal (snow-closed in winter). Long exposed climbs bring heat, sun, and wind at altitude with few services: carry water and food, dress for changeable weather, control your speed on the descents.
The guide
Monitor Pass, crossing at 8,314 feet on Highway 89 in Alpine County, is one of the most dramatic and view-filled of the Eastern…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Monitor Pass — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.6707, -119.6151