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Winnats Pass is in the High Peak area of the English county of Derbyshire. It lies to the west of the village of Castleton, in the National Trust's High Peak Estate.

The Pass has long been believed to have originated as a giant, long-collapsed limestone cave system (Link (Archive Link ) Peak District Information). There are numerous underground stream systems in this area and one of these created a large cave system beneath the edge of the cliff overlooking Castleton. Eventually the rock underground was worn away until the whole cave system collapsed, leaving the steep-sided valley which climbs out of the Hope Valley onto the limestone plateau area above A more recent explanation however, is that it was a ravine between the coral reefs that originally formed the limestone Link .

The permanent closure of the main A625 road at Mam Tor in 1979 due to subsidence has resulted in Winnats Pass being heavily used by road traffic into and out of Castleton. However, the narrowness of the road and its maximum >28% (1 in 3.5) gradient has caused it to be closed to buses, coaches and vehicles over 7.5 tonnes in weight.