Deadman Summit is a mountain pass

Mountain pass

A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...

 in the Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California

Mono County, California

Mono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to the east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,202, up from 12,853 at the 2000 census...

. It crosses the northern rim of the Long Valley Caldera

Long Valley Caldera

Long Valley Caldera is a depression in eastern California that is adjacent to Mammoth Mountain. The valley is one of the largest calderas on earth, measuring about long and wide . The elevation of the floor of the caldera is in the east and in the west...

, connecting the northern end of the Owens River

Owens River

The Owens River is a river in southeastern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains into and through the Owens Valley, an arid basin between the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the western faces of the Inyo and White Mountains. The river terminates at Owens Lake, but...

 watershed with Mono Lake

Mono Lake

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean...

 via U.S. Highway 395.
The pass, and the nearby creek with the same name, were named for the decapitated body of a murder victim found in the vicinity around 1868.

Deadman Summit is commonly traversed by travelers from Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 seeking recreation in the June Lake

June Lake, California

June Lake is a census-designated place in Mono County, California. It is located against the southern rim of the Mono Basin, south of Lee Vining, at an elevation of 7654 feet ....

, June Mountain

June Mountain

June Mountain is a winter resort in northern California, located near June Lake, southeast of Yosemite National Park. June Mountain hosted the 2006 Ski Mountaineering Race Series and the ski and snowboard portions of the 2006 California Winter Games in March 2006.The ski resort is now owned by...

, and Mono Lake areas.