Parking
Park at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead at Horseshoe Meadows, at the end of Horseshoe Meadow Road. The Old Army Pass segment starts much farther up, where the maintained Cottonwood Lakes Trail ends in the upper basin.
Overview
About Old Army Pass Trail
Why go
- The pass opens a striking view back over the Cottonwood Lakes basin.
Heads up
- The abandoned, boulder-scrambled trail is rough and high above 11,000 feet.
- The named segment starts well beyond the parking area.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation11,207–11,985 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Sequoia alerts
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are in effect due to high fire danger and catastrophic-wildfire risk; the restrictions reduce the possibility of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors…Official details
- ClosureGrant Grove trails and areas closed for prescribed burnSome trails and areas around Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree are closed for safety during a prescribed burn and until they are cleared of hazards.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
Your drive to Old Army Pass Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sequoia National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Sequoia audio tour- 71 audio storiesacross Sequoia’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 68 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…The kids and my husband and I all agree that the narration really added to our experience driving through the parks. We learned so much about the history and the flora & fauna.”
Trail guide
Hiking Old Army Pass Trail
What this route coversOld Army Pass Trail is a 1.
Old Army Pass Trail is a 1.2-mile point-to-point climb one way, from the end of the maintained Cottonwood Lakes Trail in the upper basin to Old Army Pass. The mapped line measures about 1.18 miles; another published route description gives 1.7, and no official track settles the difference. Treat the mileage as approximate. This is the pass segment only, not the approach from Horseshoe Meadows or a Mount Langley summit hike. If the pass is your turnaround, retrace the line for about 2.4 miles round trip, plus the approach.
A rough, high climbThe abandoned tread climbs through steep switchbacks, then picks over or around large boulders…
The abandoned tread climbs through steep switchbacks, then picks over or around large boulders to the crest. Allow about two hours for the climb from the upper basin; this estimate doesn’t include getting there or walking back. The route starts above 11,000 feet and reaches almost 12,000, so the short distance feels harder than it looks. Snow can make Old Army Pass treacherous, especially early in the season.
The view from the passFrom the crest, look back over Cottonwood Lakes 4 and 5 and their surrounding meadows.
From the crest, look back over Cottonwood Lakes 4 and 5 and their surrounding meadows. That basin view is the payoff. The trail ends at the pass; the westbound Army Pass route and the Mount Langley summit itinerary are separate continuations, not part of the distance above.
Getting to the trailPark at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead at Horseshoe Meadows, at the end of Horseshoe Meadow…
Park at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead at Horseshoe Meadows, at the end of Horseshoe Meadow Road. Follow the maintained Cottonwood Lakes Trail into the upper basin; reaching Old Army Pass takes a substantial approach, which is outside the 1.2 miles above. The road typically closes around November through May for snow. Inyo National Forest lists a 60-person daily quota for Cottonwood Lakes access from May 1 through November 1. Day hikes don’t need a wilderness permit; overnight trips do year-round, so check the quota before setting out.
Pets and the park edgeThe approach starts on Inyo National Forest land and the pass is at Sequoia’s edge.
The approach starts on Inyo National Forest land and the pass is at Sequoia’s edge. Inyo’s rules allow pets on trips that stay in the forest, but pets are prohibited on National Park trails and on wilderness trips entering Sequoia. Leave pets behind if you plan to cross the pass into the park.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Sequoia
691 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
17 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
18 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
20 sightingsSpotted OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sequoia. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
