The Scharnitz Pass lies east of the Wetterstein Mountains and west of the Karwendel. It is located in the upper valley of the River Isar between Mittenwald (923 m; Bavaria) in the north and Scharnitz (964 m; Tyrol) in the south. The Isar valley floor narrows from about 900 metres to under 300 metres as a result of the eastern flank of the Arntalköpfle (1,529 m), a subpeak of the Arnspitze Group. East of the pass rises the Rotwandlspitze (2,192 m); to the southwest of which is the Brunnensteinspitze (2,179.8 m).