Devil's Gate Pass
| Devil's Gate Pass | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Elevation | 7,519 ft (2,292 m) |
| Traversed by |
 US 395
|
| Location | Mono County, California, United States |
| Range | Sweetwater Mountains |
| Coordinates | 38°20′54″N 119°21′43″W / 38.34833°N 119.36194°WCoordinates: 38°20′54″N 119°21′43″W / 38.34833°N 119.36194°W |
| Topo map | USGS Fales Hot Springs |
Devil's Gate Pass is a mountain pass in Mono County, California, traversed by U.S. Route 395. The pass is named for the Devils Gate, a granitic formation located west of the summit of the pass.
Bridgeport and the East Walker River lie to the east and south of Devil's Gate, and the West Walker River lies to the west and north. The Sierra Nevada rise up from the west and south of the pass, while to the northeast the Sweetwater Mountains spur off from the Sierra Nevada. The Little Walker Caldera lies southwest of the pass.
Devil's Gate Pass is a few miles east of Sonora Junction, which is the junction of U.S. 395 with State Route 108. This segment of U.S. 395 connects Antelope Walker valley to Big Meadows (Bridgeport). State Route 108 terminates at Sonora Junction with the west bound road connecting to Sonora Pass and Sonora over the Sierra Nevada. The given coordinates are the location of the highest point of U.S. Route 395 through the pass (what Caltrans calls the summit of the pass).
Visitors to the area should acquire a Toiyabe National Forest service map before exploring beyond U.S. Route 395. Although most of the surrounding land is publicly owned and accessible via Burcham Flat Road (the correct spelling of Burcham is uncertain and varies, verbal communication to editor from Mono County records archivist) and Little Walker Road, the land on either side of U.S. Route 395 through the pass is privately owned. The forest service map highlights public and private lands in color.
A wide variety of flora can found around the summit. Besides the dominant Artemisia tridentata (big sage) and Purshia tridentata (bitterbrush) noteworthy large plants include Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper), Pinus jeffreyi (Jeffrey pine), Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl leaf mountain mahogany), and Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen). Many of these are exceptionally large and old for the species, with junipers up to 1500 years old, juniper snags up to 2200 years old, Jeffreys over 400 years old having been verified. Too many other species are present in less conspicuous numbers to enumerate. Small wildflowers are abundant in the spring.
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