3 Day Backpacking • Lake Aloha, CA • Desolation Wilderness

Hello Desolation Wilderness!

With 64,000 acres of wilderness to roam, over 100 alpine lakes to explore, hike part of the Pacific Coast Trail and walk with giant granite mountains, its truly a place your going to keep coming back for more.

Desolation is broken up into 45 zones to camp in. Each zone has a quota per zone.

You are required to have a permit.. 70% of the permits are reserved online in advanced and 30% are saved for first come first serve.

You can get a permit online at Recreation.gov – Desolation Wilderness Permit or at the Placerville Ranger Station or the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

With it being 4th of July weekend, all the reservations online were reserved. We got to the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit at 7:30 a.m to get permits right when they opened at 8!

You must camp in your designated zone for the first night, after that you can camp wherever you please for up to 15 days! We camped Friday July 5th- Sunday July 7th.

We got permits to camp at Lake Aloha, zone 27.

Using All Trails, Lake Aloha is a 12.5 mile out and back moderate trail.

Click below to come on along on our hike to Lake Aloha!

 

Starting off at Echo Lake. (You can leave your car at the Lake Echo parking lot, get there early for a spot!)

You can also take a boat across Echo Lake if you want to cut off 3 miles but we decided to hike it. It is definitely nice to have this option, especially on your way back.

Echo Lake in the distance below! Starting at around 7500 elevation, and end at Lake Tahoe, around 8500 in elevation.

Snow in July! I repeat snow in July!

I knew there was going to be snow, i just didn’t know there was going to be THAT MUCH snow. Half of this trail is covered. We got off trail a time or two but were able to follow footprints and get to the lake. We also have OnXMaps, that we can use offline. This snow can really take it out of you so stay hydrated, you got this!!

These gorgeous teal frozen slush ponds catch your eye everywhere you turn. 

Setting up our camp spot!

(Peep our natural granite table top!)

“Look the Moon!”

The stars here were the brightest i have ever seen. I had only seen the milky way once in Jackson Hole, Wy, but this was brighter. Makes you think, why live a life not being about to see these stars every night.

Have you ever seen a Marmot?! Your likely to catch a glimpse of one in desolation. I saw one for the first time on this trip and lost it. Thought it was a mountain cat at first!  but no, just a Marmot. They are considered “large squirrels.”  What a wild, funny, interesting creature! He hung out around our campsite all morning.

Selfie with the Marmot?! You bet! 

I was blown away how large Lake Aloha is! 

I love finding beauty in unexpected places!

“Hi lil Daisy!”

We unfortunately did not catch any fish,  did not even see any fish. Everyone we talked to, also did not see any life in the lakes, this time of year.

Happy Camper = Mood

Over all, i would totally recommend this hike! The snow makes it a little bit more difficult but it also makes it more magical!! and do not be fooled, BRING SUNSCREEN! We all go some sort of sunburn.

DO IT FOR THE VIEWS! So much to explore and see here!

Stay Kind,