Goodale Pass Trail
Goodale Pass Trail (ref 28E20) is a high-alpine long-distance hiking route in the John Muir Wilderness. It’s mapped as a point-to-point hike route running through the Sierra National Forest, cresting at Goodale Pass just under 11,000 ft (10,997 ft is the commonly cited pass elevation).
The route starts on the western end of Lake Thomas Edison by Vermillion Valley Resort. From there it follows the Cold Creek watershed with a sustained climb up to the top of Goodale Pass, and then continues on into the high-country basin area.
The approach into the pass is described as long, winding, and challenging, with a steep last stretch to the summit. Expect large elevation gain—one published tally for the trail is about 3,336 m / 3,336 m? (reported as 3,336 m up) and a point-to-point distance around 9.4 miles for the mapped trail segment (not including typical multi-day linking options).
Over Goodale Pass, the trail enters lake basins with multiple nearby lake targets: Chief Lake, Lake of the Lone Indian, Warrior Lake, and Squaw Lake are listed within a couple miles of one another and reachable from the high-country route system near the pass.
A common way this trail is used is to bypass Silver Pass as part of longer high Sierra linkups. It’s also used as a standalone multi-day backpacking trek in the same wilderness zone, depending on where you connect in from the Lake Edison / JMT-PCT network.
Because this is within the John Muir Wilderness, wilderness permits are required for overnight camping, and permit reservations are available in advance through the online permitting system. Overnight quotas apply during parts of the year, and planning around access/seasonality matters in Sierra high country.