Convict Canyon is one of the most beautiful and least known parts of the Sierra.It is Convict Canyon’s unique geology that creates the colorful, surreal scenery that differs from the rest of the Sierra that is dominated by light colored granite. In this area the sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that once overlaid the entire range have not been eroded away to reveal the underlying granite that uplifted the range. During formation of the Sierras, magma rose from great depths rose and obliterated much of the sedimentary rock that it encountered. Just below the surface, the magma cooled and formed the granite typical of the range. However heat and pressure deformed the immediately overlying sedimentary rocks into unimaginable shapes. Also of geologic interest are evidence of glacial activity including, terminal, lateral, and recessional moraines, glacial striations and polish, erratic boulders, and of course the numerous lakes. (The above description has been taken from http://www.summitpost.org/canyon/174776/convict-canyon.html).

Numerous campsites at all of the fish filled lakes in Convict Canyon show that at one time this area was heavily used. There are no trails connecting Convict Canyon with the rest of the Sierras. However, there are three cross-country routes (Gemini Pass, Pretty Pass, and Ram Pass) over the crest and a fourth (Bloody Pass) over the shoulder of Bloody Mountain.