Shotgun Pass Trail

Shotgun Pass Trail is a 3.9-mile, one-way backcountry traverse from a junction on Franklin Pass Trail, over Shotgun Pass, past Silver Lake and down toward the forest boundary. It climbs from about 10,200 feet to a high point near 11,400 feet. Allow four to six hours for this segment alone; the approach to its start and the exit from its far end are separate, longer wilderness travel. This makes sense as part of a multi-day Mineral King itinerary, not as a roadside day hike.

The north side crosses open alpine ground and meadow before the climb gets clearer near tree line. A 2012 trip account describes the first mile as hard to follow, with fallen branches and only occasional arrowhead blazes; the traveler had to work out the line across a meadow. Don't count on a continuous, obvious path through this section.

The route reaches a pale granite ridge above tree line. The south side is the hard part: it drops very steeply over loose granite gravel before reaching Silver Lake, then continues toward Shotgun Creek and the forest boundary. From the lake, turn back toward the pass; the water in the foreground gives the high ridge a useful sense of scale. The full traverse continues beyond the lake.

There is no road at either end. The northern start is a backcountry junction on Franklin Pass Trail, reached from the Mineral King trail system; plan a separate route out from the forest-boundary end. The mileage above covers only Shotgun Pass Trail, not those approaches. Overnight stays in the Golden Trout Wilderness require a permit. Pets can't go on the park section of the trail. Ask the Western Divide Ranger District for current trail information before committing to this faint, steep route.