Fandango Pass
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| Fandango Pass | |
|---|---|
 East side of Fandango Pass above Surprise Valley | |
| Elevation | 6,135 ft (1,870 m) |
| Traversed by |  CR 9 |
| Location | Modoc County, California, U.S. |
| Range | Warner Mountains |
| Coordinates | 41°48′08″N 120°12′25″W / 41.8021136°N 120.206895°W |
  Location in California | |
| Official name | Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail (Fandango Pass) |
| Designated | July 15, 1956 |
| Reference no. | 546[1] |
The Fandango Pass (previously Lassen Pass; variants Lassen Cut-off, Lassen Horn)[2] is a gap in the Warner Mountains of Modoc County, California, United States. Located in the Modoc National Forest, its elevation is 6,135 feet (1,870 m) above sea level.[2] It is approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) southwest of Fort Bidwell.[3]
Fandango Pass was historically notable for its location as the convergence of two trails, the Applegate and the Lassen, that were traveled by emigrant pioneers between 1846 and 1850.[1] The pass can now be traversed on a 10 mi (16 km) section of graded gravel, 1.5 lanes wide. It is closed during winter storms.[4]
The mountain pass was located at a convergence of two trails, the Applegate and the Lassen, that were traveled by emigrant pioneers between 1846 and 1850.[1] The Applegate Trail, originally intended as a less dangerous route to the Oregon Territory, was established in 1846 by the Applegate brothers and Levi Scott,[5] and ran through today's U.S. states of Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon. The Lassen Horn Trail[6] was established by Peter Lassen two years later and ran south at Goose Lake towards California Gold Rush mines and settlements.[7] Though the pass was extensively traversed from 1848 until 1853, its importance declined after 1869 with the opening of the Cedar Pass wagon road.[6]
To reach the pass, the emigrants had to cross or bypass Upper Alkali Lake in order to reach the Warner Mountains which is located to the west of the lake.[8] The historic cutoff, part of the California Trail, required passing through Rabbithole Springs, crossing the Black Rock Desert and High Rock Canyon before finally arriving at Surprise Valley, a journey of approximately 100 miles (160 km) of desert travel. From here, the trail climbs steeply to reach the pass, gaining about 1,600 ft (490 m) in about 2 mi (3.2 km).[8] From the summit, the trail descended steeply into the southeast end of Fandango Valley[3] by Goose Lake on the Oregon-California border. The Fandango Pass trail section is visible on the eastern side of the summit.[9]
