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Fremont Pass is a mountain pass in Los Angeles County, California, USA, located at 34°20'43"N, 118°30'26"W. Historically called Newhall Pass and San Fernando Pass, it separates the Santa Susana Mountains from the San Gabriel Mountains. It links the San Fernando Valley to the Santa Clarita Valley and is a main entry to the Los Angeles area.
It is not to be confused with Fremont Pass (Colorado).
The Pass was discovered in 1769 by Gaspar de Portolá. It was later named for General John C. Frémont, who passed thorugh it in 1847 on his way to sign the Treaty of Cahuenga. The steep pass was made easier for stagecoach traffic with a 30-foot deep cut made by Phineas Banning in 1854 as part of a road he built to provide service to Fort Tejon.
In 1863 the cut was deepened to 90 feet by General Edward Fitzgerald Beale, landowner and surveyor. This slot-like roadway was called Beale's Cut, and it appeared in many silent western movies. Fremont Pass remains a main traffic route, and major freeways and an important railroad tunnel go through the area. Beale's cut remains, though partly collapsed.
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