It is traversed by U.S. Route 91 at an elevation of 4,785 feet (1,458 m) above sea level,[1] bounded by two mountain ranges; the Portneuf to the east and the Bannock to the west.

The pass was cut through resistant Paleozoic shale, limestone, and dolomite, and forms a narrow gap two miles (3 km) in length.

[3] Red Rock Pass has a surface deposit of calcareous silty alluvium with topsoil of dark grayish brown silt loam.

This sudden influx caused Bonneville to overflow at Red Rock about 14,500 years ago.

This overflow caused a sudden erosion of unconsolidated material on the northern shoreline near Red Rock Pass.