Exploring Desolation Wilderness Trails
Desolation Wilderness is one of the Sierra Nevada’s most iconic backpacking destinations, home to more than 100 alpine lakes, sweeping granite basins, and some of the most accessible wilderness experiences near Lake Tahoe. Whether you’re planning a short hike to Eagle Lake, a weekend backpacking trip to Lake Aloha, or a multi-day traverse through the Velma Lakes and Dicks Pass, choosing the right trailhead can shape your entire experience.
With dozens of entry points and a unique permit system that requires overnight visitors to select a destination zone for their first night, planning a trip here can feel a little overwhelming at first. Fortunately, once you understand how the system works, Desolation opens up into a wilderness filled with opportunities for every type of adventurer—from first-time backpackers to seasoned Sierra explorers.
The trail mileage guide below is designed to help you compare trailheads, estimate hiking distances, and identify destinations that match your experience level. Use it as a starting point to build the Desolation Wilderness adventure that’s right for you.
How to Use This Mileage Guide to Plan Your Desolation Wilderness Trip
Desolation Wilderness operates differently than most Sierra Nevada backpacking destinations. Instead of simply reserving a trailhead permit, overnight visitors must choose a destination zone for their first night in the wilderness. This system helps spread use throughout one of the most heavily visited wilderness areas in the country.
Here’s the good news: you only need to follow your zone selection on your first night. After that, you’re free to continue exploring the wilderness and camp elsewhere during the remainder of your trip.
For example, if you reserve a permit for the Phipps Zone from Meeks Bay, you’ll need to spend your first night within that zone. The following day, you could continue on toward Rubicon Lake, Lake Aloha, the Velmas, or complete a multi-day traverse across the wilderness.
Day hikers have it easier. A free self-issued day-use permit is required year-round, but day hikers do not need to worry about zones or quotas.
The mileage chart below is designed to help you answer two important questions:
- Which trailhead best matches your experience level?
- Which destination zones are realistic for your first night based on the distance and difficulty?
A Few Planning Insights
- First-time backpackers: Consider destinations such as Island Lake, Twin Lakes, Upper Echo Lake, Susie Lake, or Buck Island Lake. These offer classic Desolation scenery without requiring extremely long days.
- Looking for iconic Desolation landscapes? Lake Aloha, Dicks Lake, the Velma Lakes, and Gilmore Lake showcase the granite basins and alpine lakes that make the wilderness famous. Expect more competition for permits and more visitors.
- Seeking solitude? Consider entering from Rockbound, Meeks Bay, Lyons Creek, or Tells Creek. Destinations like Phipps Lake, Lake Schmidell, Doris Lake, or Sylvia Lake often provide a quieter experience than the heavily traveled Tahoe-side trailheads.
- Planning a through-hike? The zone you choose only affects your first night. Use the chart to identify a reasonable starting point, then build an itinerary that allows you to explore deeper into the wilderness over several days.
Think of your permit zone not as a restriction, but as the starting point for your Desolation adventure.
| Trailheads on El Dorado National Forest (West) Side | |||
| Trailhead | Miles One Way | Difficulty | |
| Twin Lakes to: | Grouse Lake | 2.1 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Trail Review here | Hemlock Lake | 2.6 | Difficult |
| Smith Lake | 3.0 | Difficult | |
| Twin Lake | 3.0 | Moderate | |
| Island Lake | 3.5 | Moderate | |
| Rockbound to: | Gertrude Lake | 4.2 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Maude Lake | 4.7 | Moderate | |
| Rockbound Pass | 6.4 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Doris Lake | 6.6 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Lake Lois | 7.6 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Lake Schmidell | 8.4 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Lyons Creek to: | Sylvia Lake | 4.6 | Easy/Moderate |
| Lyons Lake | 5.0 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Twin Bridges to: | Avalanche Lake | 1.8 | Difficult |
| Ropi Lake | 2.0 | Difficult | |
| Lake of the Woods | 3.6 | Difficult | |
| Lake Aloha | 4.3 | Difficult | |
| Ralston to: | Ralston Peak | 4.1 | Difficult |
| Lake of the Woods | 5.3 | Difficult | |
| Lake Aloha | 6.1 | Difficult | |
| Tells Creek to: | Forni Lake | 4.9 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Lake #3 | 6.3 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Lake #5 | 6.8 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Loon Lake to: | Pleasant CG | 4.1 | Easy/Moderate |
| Spider Lake | 4.5 | Moderate | |
| Buck Island Lake | 6.1 | Moderate | |
| Rockbound Lake | 6.7 | Moderate | |
| Rubicon Reservoir | 8.3 | Moderate | |
| Camper Flat | 13.7 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Trailheads on Lake Tahoe BMU (East) Side | |||
| Trailhead | Miles One Way | Difficutly | |
| Echo Lake to: | Upper Echo Lake | 2.5 | Easy |
| Tamarack Lake | 3.8 | Easy/Moderate | |
| Haypress Meadow | 4.2 | Moderate | |
| Lake of the Woods | 5.3 | Moderate | |
| Lake Lucille | 5.2 | Moderate | |
| Lake Aloha | 7.5 | Moderate | |
| Clyde Lake | 9.3 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Glen Alpine to: | Grass Lake | 2.3 | Easy/Moderate |
| Susie Lake | 3.8 | Moderate | |
| Heather Lake | 4.9 | Moderate | |
| Half Moon Lake | 5.5 | Moderate | |
| Gilmore Lake | 3.9 | Moderate | |
| Lake Aloha | 5.8 | Difficult | |
| Dicks Pass | 5.4 | Difficult | |
| Dicks Lake | 7.3 | Difficult | |
| Mt. Tallac Peak | 5.7 | Difficult | |
| Mt Tallac to: | Floating Island Lake | 1.7 | Easy/Moderate |
| Cathedral Lake | 2.5 | Easy/Moderate | |
| Tallac Summit | 4.6 | Difficult | |
| Gilmore Lake | 6.4 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Bayview to: | Granite Lake | 1.3 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Dicks Lake | 5.3 | Difficult | |
| Upper Velma Lake | 5.5 | Difficult | |
| Middle Velma Lake | 6.5 | Difficult | |
| Eagle Falls to: | Eagle Lake | 1.0 | Moderate |
| Middle Velma Lake | 4.4 | Difficult | |
| Dicks Lake | 4.3 | Difficult | |
| Dicks Pass | 5.3 | Difficult | |
| Fontanillis Lake | 4.9 | Difficult | |
| Meeks Bay to: | Lake Genevieve | 4.6 | Moderate |
| Trail Review Here | Crag Lake | 4.9 | Moderate |
| Hidden Lake | 5.7 | Moderate | |
| Stony Ridge Lake | 6.3 | Moderate | |
| Rubicon Lake | 8.1 | Moderate/Difficult | |
| Phipps Lake | 9.4 | Moderate/Difficult |
Sierra Rec Picks:
| Experience | Sierra Rec Recommendation |
|---|
| First Backpacking Trip | Susie Lake via Glen Alpine |
| Best Family Overnight | Island Lake via Twin Lakes |
| Classic Desolation Experience | Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine or Echo Lakes |
| Best Solitude | Phipps Lake via Meeks Bay |
| Strong Hikers | Dicks Lake via Bayview |
| Weekend Traverse | Meeks Bay to Echo Lakes |
Wilderness Permits & Zone Quotas
Because of its beauty and accessibility, Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily visited wilderness areas in the United States. In order to protect its unique beauty and wilderness character, human access is limited and certain
activities are restricted in Desolation.
- Permits are required year-round. A signed copy of your permit must be in your possession.
- Fees for overnight camping are required year-round.
- Day Use Permits: Day users may obtain a free permit from one of the offices, or may issue themselves a permit at most major trailheads during the summer.
- Day use is not subject to fees nor limited by the quota at any time of the year.
- Group size is limited to 12 people per party who will be hiking or camping together. Note: group size is also dependent on the number of people allowed in the zone.
- Overnight quota is based upon the number of people entering the wilderness each day, and their first night’s destination zone.
- Campfires are prohibited.
- You must enter on the date specified on your permit and you must spend your first night in the zone which you have chosen. The rest of your stay is not subject to zone requirements.
- Quota Period is from the Friday before Memorial Day through September 30.
- Reservations: 70% of the quota in each zone may be reserved up to 6 months in advance through Recreation.gov.
- Overnight users without reservations: The other 30% of the available quota is set aside for first-come, first-served visitors. These permits must be obtained in person at offices which issue Desolation Wilderness permits on the day of entry and may not be reserved ahead of time. During the off-quota season there is no limit to the number of overnight users and day of permits may be obtained at recreation.gov and printed at home or in person at offices which issue Desolation Wilderness permits.
Sierra Rec Tip
If permits for Lake Aloha or other popular zones are unavailable, look at neighboring zones such as Phipps Lake, Susie Lake, Gilmore Lake, or Rockbound Pass. You’ll often find similar scenery with fewer crowds, and after your first night you can continue exploring anywhere within Desolation Wilderness.
Fee and Passes
Fee revenues pay for wilderness ranger patrol, trail maintenance, signing, site restoration, and wilderness education projects.
- Overnight Wilderness Permit Fee: $5/person for one night, $10/person for 2 to 14 nights. The cost of a single permit will not exceed $100. Children 12 and under are free. Permit fees are paid at time of reservation. Permit fees may be refunded if changes or cancellation is done more than 7 days in advance of date of entry. All fees are non-refundable within 7 days or less of date of entry.
- Pre-Paid Fee Card: $20 for an annual pre-paid fee card. The card covers only the overnight permit fee for cardholder and is valid for one year from date of purchase. You still must obtain a permit, subject to quota limits, and pay the reservation fee. Because a wilderness permit is a special use authorization,
- Interagency Passes do not apply.
- Reservation Fee: $6 per party/permit (non-refundable) for all transaction types (online, by phone, or walk-in/field reservations for a permit. Desolation Wilderness is managed via a zone quota system. All overnight permits are issued out of one database to manage the quota limits through the Recreation.gov site. Whether you walk-in, go online, or call in advance, you are reserving space in the quota.
- Service Charge: $5.00 for a change to the date or for adding people. Additional permit fees may apply. No fee for cancellations. Changes to reserved permits can be made online, through the call center, or in person.
- Trailhead Day Use Fee: Currently applies to Eagle Falls and Pyramid Creek parking areas only. A daily Trailhead
- Day Use pass is $5 per vehicle per day. (This fee is waived for overnight permit holders. Be sure to obtain or print your parking pass and properly display in your vehicle. The Pass does not guarantee parking will be available.)
- A $20.00 Annual Day Use Pass is available, valid at the facilities listed below where a parking fee is required. This Pass is valid for one year from date of purchase. Facilities include: Eagle Falls, Pyramid Creek, Carson Pass, Meiss, and Woods Lake Trailheads. Also covers day use fees at the Dru Barner Campground. (Parking at the Carson Pass and Meiss Parking areas is limited to June 1 to October 1st due to their operation as a State Sno-Park during the winter months.)
- Interagency Annual, Senior, and Access passes allow the holder to park at the above listed facilities for free. Interagency Passes do not apply to the Wilderness permit or purchase of the Fee Card or Parking Pass.
For information on the Desolation, other wilderness areas or minimum impact camping, contact:
Placerville Ranger Station: Eldorado National Forest
8 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50. 4260 Eight Mile Road, Camino Ca 95709. Heading east on Highway 50 take
exit 54, turn right onto Eight Mile Road then an immediate right turn into driveway for Ranger Station. Phone: for hours:
(530) 647-5415.
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Located two miles east of the Highway 50/89 junction in South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50. From highway turn right
on Al Tahoe Blvd and then turn right at first signal. 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. Phone for hours:
(530) 543-2600.
