Location : To reach the Barker Pass trailhead, take Hwy 89 4 miles south from Tahoe City or 4 miles north from Tahoma, then turn (right if coming from the north and left if coming from the south) onto Blackwood Canyon Road at Kaspian Campground. Overnight camping is still allowed in the Desolation Wilderness and within 500 feet of the Pacific Crest Trail on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Finding the wilderness. The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the length of the wilderness, and its proximity to roads makes it one of the more easily accessible wildernesses in the Sierra. At 9,974 feet, Dick’s Peak is the third highest summit in Desolation. Desolation Wilderness is jointly administered by both the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Mgnt. Posted by 2 months ago. Desolation Wilderness Open? 7. COVID-19: Please avoid visiting the wilderness if you are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. There are fees for overnight camping year-round and a quota system is in place from May through October. They used to be free, but now cost $5 a person for one night and $10.00 per person for two or more nights up to 14 days (non-refundable). Bikers are PROHIBITED from riding or being walked on the PCT and from riding or being walked in Desolation Wilderness. West side trailheads are all on the Eldorado National Forest and the east side trailheads are all on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Expect the trail in Desolation Wilderness to be mostly covered in snow. For both backpackers and day hikers. Desolation Wilderness is one of the largest wilderness areas near Lake Tahoe at almost 64,000 acres. The only location on the Tahoe Rim Trail requiring a permit for day use is Desolation Wilderness. Please respect the permit system to protect wilderness resources and mitigate wildfire risk. COVID-19: Please avoid visiting the wilderness if you are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Close. This is a busy time, so plan ahead to make sure you can secure a permit. Voice: (530) 543-2600 Popular wilderness ages well under the eye of devoted stewards . It is a compact area of roughly 8-by-12 miles or just less than 100 square miles. I'm planning to do a day hike up there this weekend. Open share drawer; Pacific NW band ... Wash., trio Desolation Wilderness. Due to it’s relatively easy access and proximity to large populations in the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Reno, Desolation Wilderness Area receives more use per acre than any other wilderness area in the U.S. Relation: Desolation Wilderness (6196636) Converting LTBMU protected area boundaries to USFS lands specifically rather than forest proclamation bounadries. Follow Wrights Lake Road until you reach Wrights Lake. To reach Granite Lake in Desolation Wilderness, start at the Bayview trailhead near Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Gates to trailheads open around Memorial Day and close early October. Getting There Island Lake is located just inside the Desolation Wilderness boundary in El Dorado County. Do not hitch, tether, or hobble a horse or other saddle or pack animal within 200 feet of a water source or within 100 feet of a campsite. The campground offers dozens of campsites for tent and RV camping. Signed up for a meet-up hike to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower. The 63,000 acre Desolation Wilderness situated just West of Lake Tahoe is a hiker’s paradise. If you plan on hiking to the fall you also need to apply for a day permit when you purchase your parking ticket, it’s free but you need this to enter the desolation wilderness. The area is well-known for its hiking, wildflowers and birding. Starting from Wrights Lake, the route proceeds over Rockbound Pass, loops around several lakes, and returns to … RECOMMENDED ROUTE Difficult. 8 a.m. to  4:30 p.m. You can book a permit online at Recreation.gov or score one of the first-come-first-serve permits at the Tahoe South Visitor Center, … Hike some of the most primitive trails in Desolation Wilderness on this 2-3 day backpacking trip. Contact the … By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Reaching some of the famous Desolation Wilderness granite areas, the views open up to the east to show Silver Peak towering high above this area. As with almost all of the zones in Desolation Wilderness, there is more than one trailhead to choose from as your entry/exit point, as was the case for us. The parking lot is closed in the winter, but there is usually street parking nearby. After the recent rainstorm there was water everywhere, including a series of waterfalls which were just off the east side of the trail. Full trail description with map: to Lake Aloha, Lake of the Woods, and Ropi Lake, all under the jagged granite of Pyramid Peak, Mount Agassiz, and Mount Price. A list of other trailheads that provide access to the wilderness follows. After passing the boundary sign, the scenery opened up quite a bit. Hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Echo Lakes into Desolation Wilderness. We’re you able to get to the lake? All trail users entering Desolation Wilderness or using a campstove will need to obtain permits. Echo Lakes Rd was only good up to a mile from the TH. The Wilderness is made up of fascinating glacially-carved granite, close to one hundred small crystal clear lakes, dozens of … 7. At the Eagle Falls trailhead, obtain your wilderness permit. Overnight permits can be booked online via Recreation.gov and 100% of the quota will be available for advanced reservations. From Berkeley, take Interstate 80 up … Call the EDNF and see. All developed areas are still “closed”, but it’s still very much LEGAL to hike the trails and camp dispersed, despite what the lady living in her cabin on Echo Lakes Rd would tell you. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the norcalhiking community, A subreddit for Northern Californian folks interested in hiking and backpacking to meet up, discuss/plan trips, recommend trails, post gear reviews, trip reviews, etc. Many parts of Desolation make cross-country travel easy, pleasurable, and scare wildlife away your camp. Coronavirus restrictions the contiguous 48 States so plan ahead to make sure you secure. Distance backpacking trip over 3 days in July of 2018 many trails, so be careful, try gas. 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