At Echo Lakes there is a boat taxi operated in the summer by Echo Lakes Resort cuts three miles off your trip. Golden passes do not apply to personal use permits. Desolation Wilderness contains 100 square miles (63,960 acres) of gorgeous mountainous terrain on the southwest side of Lake Tahoe, above Emerald Bay. Area Status: Open. U.S. Forest Service Desolation wilderness is not so desolate. Add Your Recommended Routes. Forest Supervisor's Office Signed up for a meet-up hike to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower. Stay on trails and do not shortcut switchbacks or create parallel ruts by walking alongside the trail. Group Size - Maximum group size is 12 people for both day and overnight use. July and early August is an excellent time to see wildflowers blooming. Continent: North America Range2: Pacific Ranges Range3: Sierra Nevada Range4: Lake Tahoe-Sonora Pass Sierra Nevada Range5: Desolation-Crystal Range: Drainage Basins: Lake Tahoe Truckee-Pyramid Lake Great Basin Internal Drainage-N.A. Here, in the high country above Lake Tahoe, only the hardiest trees grow, twisting in the gales to make a scene out of their survival. Has anyone actually managed to contact them or write them/their local congress person or something? 35 College Drive The trail is an environmentally sensitive trail running on the border of Desolation Wilderness deviating from the established trail, driving onto Desolation Wilderness land or walking onto Desolation Wilderness without a permit has and will result in heavy forest service … COVID-19: Please avoid visiting the wilderness if you are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The on-line service at www.recreation.gov allows wilderness visitors to make their reservations any time of the day seven days per week. For a list of reservation, overnight wilderness and parking fees, click here. At waterfall camp, you'll have the opportunity to explore over 50 waterfalls. Best time to hike is early July to mid August when snows are lightest and wildflowers are blooming. THE LONELIEST FOOD IN AMERICA - Part 3: Austin, Middlegate + Fallon. Our scanners detect that you arrived on our site using Internet Explorer. 35 College Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. … Pets - Domestic pets are allowed in the Desolation Wilderness at this time. But don’t let this scare you away from enjoying 64,000 acres (100 square miles) of subalpine and alpine forest, granitic peaks, meadows of wildflowers, 75 glacially-formed lakes with names, and countless ones without names. A call center, 1-877-444-6777, is available to assist with reservations daily from 7 AM – 9 PM in the summer and 7 AM to 7 PM in the winter. Day use is open in the forest, although discouraged and even Yosemite is issuing wilderness permits. Please follow Leave No Trace camping guidelines and do not camp within 200 feet of water sources, including alpine lakes. 138 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA. Desolation Wilderness is open for foot traffic and equestrian use only—all means of mechanical transportation (including snowmobiles) will not be allowed. It is located west of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Desolation Wilderness is jointly administered by both the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Children 12 and under are free. This Wilderness area is split up into 45 different zones, with each having a specific permitting quota. Today, it’s one of the most beautiful, and most visited public recreation areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Western United States, offering spectacular day hiking, overnight camping, and multi-day backpacking trips in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. Desolation Wilderness is jointly administered by both the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Mgnt. When camping and backpacking, visitors are required to bury human waste, pack out all garbage, and practice all Leave No Trace methods. Spanning a stunning 63,960 acres of sub-alpine and alpine forest, granite peaks and glacially-formed valleys and lakes, this protected wilderness area was established in 1899 as part of the Eldorado National Forest. Required year-round for both day and overnight use. There are 45 zones throughout Desolation Wilderness—visitors must choose a first night destination via this map. The hike up was less than 4 miles with an elevation gain of less than 1,000 feet ( you start high). https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ltbmu/recarea/?recid=11786, Plague Warning: Taylor Creek Visitor Center, Tallac Site, Kiva Beach/Picnic Area, Recreational fires and charcoal banned in the Lake Tahoe/Truckee Region, Desolation Wilderness Recreation Opportunity Guide (ROG), Reservations are now made online by visiting. This forest order closes backcountry areas to camping, including Meiss Country, the Tahoe Rim Trail, and Luther Pass, Watson Lake and Blackwood Canyon campgrounds. Camp out among the grass and the gentians of glacier meadows, in craggy nooks.”. Taxi operated in the Desolation Wilderness are blooming bicycles, carts, and scare away... One-Way ):1 mile visitors to make sure you can secure a Permit camping year-round a... And certain activities are restricted within permits continue to be leashed and you must clean up them... 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