Ebbetts Pass

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title: "Ebbetts Pass" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mountain-passes-of-the-sierra-nevada-(united-states)", "landforms-of-alpine-county,-california", "historic-trails-and-roads-in-california", "california-historical-landmarks"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebbetts_Pass" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain pass"]

FieldValue
nameEbbetts Pass
photoEbbetts Pass 04 (4894171880).jpg
photo_captionSubalpine meadow at Ebbetts Pass
mapCalifornia
map_captionLocation in California
map_reliefyes
elevation_ft8736
elevation_ref
traversed
locationAlpine County, California, U.S.
rangeSierra Nevada
coordinates
embedded
::

| name = Ebbetts Pass | photo = Ebbetts Pass 04 (4894171880).jpg | photo_caption = Subalpine meadow at Ebbetts Pass | map = California | map_caption = Location in California | map_relief = yes | elevation_ft = 8736 | elevation_ref = | traversed = | location = Alpine County, California, U.S. | range = Sierra Nevada | coordinates = | embedded =

Ebbetts Pass (el. 8736 ft), named after John Ebbetts, is a high mountain pass through the Sierra Nevada range in Alpine County, California. Ebbetts is the eastern of two passes in the area traversed by State Route 4. The western pass is the Pacific Grade Summit (el 8050 ft). The pass is registered as a California Historical Landmark. The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2650 mi long National Scenic Trail crosses State Route 4 at Ebbetts Pass.

History

Native Americans were undoubtedly the first humans to traverse the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but it is unknown if they regularly used Ebbetts Pass since any trail they would have used is no longer traceable. It is traditionally held to be the pass used by Jedediah Smith in late spring of 1827 when leaving California at the end of his first exploratory journey, the first crossing ever of the Sierra Nevada by a non-native, but snow would have obscured any trail so he was blazing his own path. It may also have been used by the Bartleson–Bidwell Party on their emigration to California.

John Ebbetts, a fur trader turned guide for California Gold Rush "Forty-niners" claimed to have led a string of pack mules easterly over the Sierras in the vicinity of Ebbetts Pass in April 1851. He believed the pass he had used would be suitable for the transcontinental railroad, as he noted little snow at the time. He later surveyed near the pass for a possible railroad route, but found it unsuitable. He intended to return to the pass itself to survey it for a road but was killed in the explosion of the steamboat Secretary on San Pablo Bay in 1854 before he could do so.

The route was used only occasionally until silver was discovered east of the Sierra, and merchants in Murphys had a road constructed to Markleeville to more easily transport supplies over the pass to the miners. This became a toll road in 1862. From Markleeville, travel further eastward was taken along established routes.

It was not until the early 1950s that the road over Monitor Pass to U.S. Route 395 was completed, connecting the eastern terminus of State Route 4 to U.S. Route 395 via State Route 89 near the community of Topaz.

Ebbetts Pass was designated as a California State Scenic Highway in 1971; it was similarly honored with National Scenic Byway status on September 22, 2005. It is one of only seven nationally so-designated byways in California, and of 151 in the entire nation.

Current usage

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Ebbetts_Pass_sign.jpg" caption="Historical marker at Ebbetts Pass"] ::

Today, Ebbetts Pass is one of the least traveled passes in the Sierra Nevada. A 23-mile stretch between Lake Alpine and Centerville Flat is less than two lanes, and lacks a dividing line between them. It has very steep sections with hairpin corners. The eastern slope is particularly difficult, as many of the hairpin corners are blind, and steepen suddenly at the apex, making it necessary to shift to first gear in most vehicles. It is rarely used by commercial traffic and is not recommended for vehicles towing long trailers. Furthermore, the pass closes during the winter months, often from November through as late as May.

Geology

The pass is the namesake of Ebbetts Pass Granodiorite, a Late Cretaceous rock unit that was identified in 1957 in a geologic survey of the mountain pass.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ebbetts Pass has a dry-summer subarctic climate, abbreviated "Dsc" on climate maps. While snowfall totals aren’t measured, roughly 400+ inches of snow fall on average annually.

|location = Ebbetts Pass, California |single line = Yes

|Jan high F = 36 |Feb high F = 36 |Mar high F = 39 |Apr high F = 44 |May high F = 51 |Jun high F = 61 |Jul high F = 69 |Aug high F = 68 |Sep high F = 63 |Oct high F = 53 |Nov high F = 42 |Dec high F = 35 |year high F =

|Jan low F = 19 |Feb low F = 18 |Mar low F = 20 |Apr low F = 23 |May low F = 31 |Jun low F = 40 |Jul low F = 48 |Aug low F = 47 |Sep low F = 41 |Oct low F = 32 |Nov low F = 24 |Dec low F = 18 |year low F =

|precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 9.30 |Feb precipitation inch = 8.29 |Mar precipitation inch = 7.70 |Apr precipitation inch = 4.71 |May precipitation inch = 2.93 |Jun precipitation inch = 1.05 |Jul precipitation inch = 0.59 |Aug precipitation inch = 0.50 |Sep precipitation inch = 0.89 |Oct precipitation inch = 3.08 |Nov precipitation inch = 5.27 |Dec precipitation inch = 9.21 |year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 12.6 |Feb precipitation days = 13.0 |Mar precipitation days = 13.3 |Apr precipitation days = 12.6 |May precipitation days = 9.1 |Jun precipitation days = 4.0 |Jul precipitation days = 2.4 |Aug precipitation days = 1.9 |Sep precipitation days = 3.7 |Oct precipitation days = 6.6 |Nov precipitation days = 10.2 |Dec precipitation days = 13.2

|Jan snow depth inch = 74 |Feb snow depth inch = 88 |Mar snow depth inch = 101 |Apr snow depth inch = 87 |May snow depth inch = 58 |Jun snow depth inch = 19 |Jul snow depth inch = 0 |Aug snow depth inch = 0 |Sep snow depth inch = 0 |Oct snow depth inch = 6 |Nov snow depth inch = 23 |Dec snow depth inch = 52 |year snow depth inch = 109

|source 1 = XMACIS2 |url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title = xmACIS2 |access-date = March 7, 2023

References

References

  1. {{cite ngs
  2. {{cite gnis
  3. {{cite ohp
  4. Marvin, Judith. "Ebbetts Pass History". CalaverasHistory.org.
  5. "History". Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway.
  6. Gudde, Erwin Gustav. (2004). "California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names". University of California Press.
  7. "State Route 89". California Highways.
  8. "Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway".
  9. Morey, Kathy. (2005). "Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada". Wilderness Press.
  10. "Corridor Management Plan". Calaveras Council of Governments.
  11. "Winter Driving Tips". Caltrans.
  12. (1957). "Propylitization of Tertiary volcanic rocks near Ebbetts Pass, Alpine County, California". University of California Press.

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mountain-passes-of-the-sierra-nevada-(united-states)landforms-of-alpine-county,-californiahistoric-trails-and-roads-in-californiacalifornia-historical-landmarks