Walker Pass is a National Historic Landmark, and is under the stewardship of the Bureau of Land Management.

[3][4] Walker Pass was used in 1861 by cattlemen from the San Joaquin Valley and the Tejon region of the Tehachapi mountains to drive cattle to the silver boomtown of Aurora near Mono Lake.

[5] The Walker Pass Lodge was built nearby in the 1930s and was a well-known rest stop before burning down around 1990.

However, most east–west traffic in the region utilizes the four-lane State Route 58 through Tehachapi Pass, located about one hour's drive to the south.

A campsite situated about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) southwest of the road pass is a popular stop for hikers and astronomers alike.