First-come, first-served overnight permits are available the day of entry at the office locations and business hours listed below. As much of the ground surface in Desolation is bedrock granite: soils are limited. Access: Offering magnificent views of Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe, this steep trail leads you up the side of Maggie's Peak into Desolation Wilderness. Desolation is a popular backpacking destination, with much barren rocky terrain at the edge of the tree line. The hike starts out moderate but quickly picks up elevation as you enter Desolation Wilderness and the Wilderness Boundary Trail. Expect snow on the trail. (530) 543-2674, LTBMU Supervisors Office Stop at Granite Lake for a short rest along the way. Trail Conditions. Echo Peak SNOTEL data available here. What to do: Backpacking, hiking and camping. Meiss Country Map Index . 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). The on-line reservation service, recreation.gov allows visitors to make reservations seven days a week. A call center is available to assist daily from 7 am-9pm (summer) and 7am – 7pm (winter). 27-up to at least 11 counted. The Crystal Range is within the wilderness area, with Pyramid Peak as the highest point in the range and the wilderness at 9,985 feet (3,043 m)[5] in elevation. Due to its popularity and fragile ecosystem, permits are required year-round for both day and overnight visits. Winter: 8am to 4:30pm M-F, Taylor Creek Visitor Center 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. Camp stoves for cooking are permissible. Within 7 days of your “Date of Entry”, you may print your permit yourself, or bring your confirmation email and photo ID to a Forest Service office to have them print it. (Open summer only) Getting There Smith Lake is located inside Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County. Desolation Wilderness is the busiest wilderness in the country. Species of special interest that are very rare in the area are the fisher, pine marten, red fox, and wolverine. A windy day atop Mt Agassiz in the Desolation Wilderness. TTY 530-647-5407 Tallac on Mar. 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. Desolation Wilderness is in a glory state that locals haven’t seen for many years – pumping waterfalls, high water levels in the lakes, and with the late start to the season, a pretty empty, crowd-free landscape. The unmaintained trail goes past Horsetail Falls (a neat destination itself) up to several beautiful lakes in Desolation Wilderness. This wilderness straddles both sides of the Sierra Nevada, averages 12.5 miles in length and eight miles in width, and has elevations ranging from about 6,500 feet to over 10,000 feet. Dogs are to be under the owners control at all times. Camino CA 95709 Your source for Sierra wilderness information. Desolation Wilderness: Home > PSD Limits > Map, List > Desolation Wilderness. By the end of that century, the first formal step to limiting its development when it was made a Forest Reserve, managed first by the General Land Office, and later, by the US Forest Service. Trail Conditions Disclaimer: Desolation Wilderness Volunteers provides this information free of charge as a public service to users of Desolation Wilderness, California and its immediate surroundings. Solving the cold problem is pretty easy, just bring more warmer clothes. Snow often blocks the high passes until mid July. Summer Sunday: 8:00am to noon Black bears are increasingly common, with individuals being displaced from the Tahoe Basin and lower elevation western slopes into the higher country. There are also a variety of mountain birds, including the Steller's jay, Clark's nutcracker, mountain chickadee, sooty grouse, mountain bluebird, American dipper, and occasional golden eagle. Due to the Desolations fragile high elevation ecosystem Campfires are not allowed anywhere in the wilderness area. Trailheads are accessible via Highway 50 on the west side and Highway 89 on the eastside. The Desolation Wilderness is located just to the southwest of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50. Here’s a map of all the managment zones in Desolation Wilderness. 530-543-2600 (voice) Desolation Wilderness Conditions Report: Wilderness Ranger, Kristine Koran, July 1 to 4, 2017. provided these great visuals on the snowy conditions that are still persistent in Desolation. More common, yet seldom seen, are the smaller mammals like coyote, porcupine, badger, and bobcat. Easy marked dirt trail then on the granite there were stones lined along the way to … (Why?) The sparse woodlands of widely scattered western junipers and lodgepole pines are interrupted by patches of montane chaparral species such as pinemat manzanita, huckleberry oak, and mountain pride penstemon clinging to the expanses of barren rock. 530-543-2694, Group size is limited to 12 people per party who will be hiking or camping together. 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. Desolation Wilderness Hiking Lake Genevieve to Phipps Pass . In 1969, it became the Desolation Wilderness after the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964.[3]. Mule deer are the largest of the game species found within the wilderness. GPS and/or map and compass are still recommended to find the trail along with proper footwear, clothing […] Desolation Wilderness is in north-central California along the eastern border, 3-1/2 hours northeast of San Francisco, 2 hours east of Sacramento, and 1 hour southwest of Reno, Nevada. Permits are available only online via recreation.gov; paper permits are not being issued in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. State(s): California. It can be difficult to find solitude, especially if you’re hiking to Lake Aloha or up Pyramid Peak on a summer weekend. The last half mile of the hike can be difficult, as there is granite rock and boulders that require rock climbing and the trail is not well marked and hard to follow. (530) 647-5415 A variety of wildflower species, sedges, and grasses inhabit these fragile wet areas. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. Desolation Wilderness supports predominantly red fir and lodgepole pine forests with associated species such as Jeffrey pine, mountain hemlock, ponderosa pine, western juniper, and western white pine. The Desolation Wilderness is a 63,960-acre (258.8 km2) federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. Pacific Ranger District The Desolation Wilderness is located just to the southwest of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50. Thanks to it’s breathtaking granite landscape and accessibility, the Desolation Wilderness is one of the most popular wilderness areas in the country. If the recreation area is open, at the junction by the stop sign, turn right and follow it to the end where you will find a trailhead parking lot. It is accessible from the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin. The … Also found is a member of the rabbit and hare family, the pika. In 2.7 miles this trail intersects with the … Eldorado National Forest Decomposed granite accumulations are often shallow deposits within glacially scoured basins. 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, … It can be reached by taking Wrights Lake Road off of Highway 50. Popular wilderness ages well under the eye of devoted stewards . The Desolation Wilderness is a 63,960-acre (258.8 km2) federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. All lakes and streams within this segment should have plenty of water for filtering/treatment. 70% of the daily quota for each individual zone can be reserved 6 months in advance thru recreation.gov. [1], Before European settlement in the mid-19th century, there is evidence this area was used by the Washoe. Desolation also provides an ideal habitat for numerous alpine rodents such as the yellow-bellied marmot, golden-mantled ground squirrel and Douglas squirrel. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used protected areas in the United States. Includes details of wilderness areas, latest sierra wilderness news, resources for planning your trip, and notes from professionals in the field. When camping and backpacking, visitors are required to bury human waste, pack out all garbage, and practice all Leave No Trace methods. Permits are required for both day use and overnight camping. The hike over Rockbound Pass is far less crowded than many of the trails on the eastern side of the wilderness. Large destructive deep slab avalanches in Desolation Wilderness seen from Mt. (530) 543-2693 (fax), A sea of glacially carved granite, alpine forests, and pristine peaks make this piece of the sierra crest one of the most popular wilderness areas in the region, Wilderness Volunteers Projects (National). Long recognized for its mountain splendor, Desolation Valley Primitive Area was established in 1931 and then granted Wilderness status in 1969. Desolation Wilderness Fishing Update 6 (2000) Well, the Wakabayshis have done it again. Note that only 400 feet of this elevation rise occurs hiking the 2.23 miles from Lake Genevieve to the South side of Stony Ridge Lake. Difficult to follow trail, with hazardous conditions. 30% of each zone’s quota is available on the day of entry at walk up locations listed below. Large amounts of snow and water from Bayview/Eagle junction onward, with limited dry ground for camping. Trail Guide Section Index. S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 35 College Drive Bear proof food storage containers are available for free rental from the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, Pacific Ranger Station, or the LTBMU Supervisor’s Office (addresses above). During the winter, day permits are available at the Pacific Ranger Station. From the Friday before Memorial Day weekend to the last day in September a zone-quota system is in effect for overnight trips into Desolation. Desolation Wilderness Map Index . Meiss Country requires no permits, though these areas are a stone's throw from each other. 35 College Drive The only location on the Tahoe Rim Trail requiring a permit for day use is Desolation Wilderness. All of these avalanches are thought to have occurred during the March 20-22 rain/ high elevation snow event. Its largest body of water is Lake Aloha, a reservoir with shallow, clear waters sitting in a wide granite basin carved by glaciers of the last ice age. 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