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Overall Summary |
Submitted Reports |
Disclaimer
| WILDERNESS PERMITS 70% of the daily quota for overnight permits are RESERVABLE online from 6 months to 1 day in advance of your date of entry at www.recreation.gov. 30% of the daily quota for overnight permits will be available via WALK-IN/same day issuance (IN PERSON) at these locations: 7 days a week, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Placerville Ranger Station 4260 Eight Mile Road Camino, CA 95709 (Exit 54 on Highway 50) Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. LTBMU Supervisor's Office 35 College Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 |
| BEAR CANISTERS are REQUIRED in Desolation Wilderness. See Bear Canisters Information PDF. Bears are active in Desolation Wilderness, both in the backcountry and at trailheads. Do not leave food or scented items in your car. Lock your vehicle even if you are leaving it briefly. NOTE THAT FOOD STORAGE LOCKERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT ANY OF THE TRAILHEADS GOING INTO DESOLATION WILDERNESS. PLEASE remember to store your food and toiletries properly. Store your bear canister100-200 feet downwind from your tent. Never keep food or scented items of any kind in or near your tent. |
| BEAR CANISTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE OR RENTAL AT SEVERAL FOREST SERVICE LOCATIONS. A nominal fee starting at $5 covers rental expenses. West side of Desolation Wilderness: * Placerville Ranger Station in Camino off US Hwy 50 East side of Desolation Wilderness: * Taylor Creek Visitor Center off CA Hwy 89 near South Lake Tahoe For Mokelumne Wilderness: * Carson Pass Information Station located on Hwy 88 * Amador Ranger District office in Pioneer off CA Hwy 88 (no fee) |
| BACKCOUNTRY SAFETY: Plan ahead and prepare. Create a safety net by informing someone of your itinerary, where you plan to park your car, and when you are planning to return. If you change your plans at the last minute, make sure that you inform your safety person. Thank you for being our partner in the preservation of Desolation Wilderness! |
Overall Summary: TOP
(To save space, all trail names are listed without the word "Trail" — e.g., Rockbound Trail is listed as Rockbound.)
Wilderness Trails| Trail Name | Number | Updated | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayview | 17E04 | 07-06-2026 | Dry, dusty. Lots of blackflies. |
| Blakely | 16E07 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Eagle Falls | 17E03 | 07-16-2026 | Dry, clear to Eagle Lake. |
| Glen Alpine | 17E06 | 07-05-2026 | Dry with few obstacles, many mosquitoes. |
| Grass Lake | 17E06 | 07-16-2026 | Trail is dry and clear of obstructions; water crossings are easily traversed. |
| Grouse Lake | 16E01 | 07-07-2026 | Still some standing water and a bit of flowing water on the trail in places on the way to Grouse Lake. Wildflowers profuse! Marshy, overgrown trail hard to follow just above Grouse Lake toward Hemlock Lake. Trail to Smith Lake is hard to follow but dry. |
| Half Moon Lake | 17E31 | 07-16-2026 | Dry. |
| Lake Doris to Rubicon | 16E08 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Lake Lucille | 17E09 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Lake of the Woods to Lake Aloha | 17E40 | 07-15-2026 | Overall good, some brush encroaching. Reports of bear activity in the Lake of the Woods area, but they are leaving people alone. |
| Lake of the Woods to Ropi Lake | 17E11 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Lyons Creek Trail | 16E13 | 07-06-2026 | Mostly dry. Small biting flies abundant. |
| Lyons Lake | 16E13 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Mt Tallac | 17E33 | 07-16-2026 | Trail clear to Cathedral Lake. |
| Pacific Crest | N/A | 07-12-2026 | Trail is dry and in good shape. |
| PCT to Aloha | 17E39 | 07-16-2026 | Echo to Aloha trail clear and obvious. Signage in good condition. |
| Ralston | 17E41 | 07-10-2026 | Hot and exposed. |
| Ralston Peak | 17E42 | 07-10-2026 | Hot and exposed, overgrown with brush. |
| Red Peak | 15E08 | 07-11-2026 | Dry. North Fork Bassi Creek still trickles. Black biting flies abundant; many wildflowers. |
| Rockbound | 16E08 | 07-16-2026 | Dry from trailhead to Maude Lake. |
| Rubicon | 16E30 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Schmidell | 16E28 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Tahoe-Yosemite | 17E01 | 07-16-2026 | Dry conditions, trail in good shape. |
| Triangle Lake | N/A | 07-08-2026 | Trail is faint, sometimes hard to follow. |
| Twin Lakes | 16E12 | 07-15-2026 | Dry and clean. |
| Tyler | 16E09 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Velma Lakes | 17E34 | 07-16-2026 | Dry conditions, trail in good shape |
| Trail Name | Number | Updated | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| McConnell Lake | 16E06 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Red Peak Stock | 16E31 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Willow Flat Trail | N/A | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Trail Name | Number | Updated | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angora | 17E37 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Bassi Creek | 15E19/15E20 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Bloodsucker | 16E14 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Highland Lake | 15E21 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
| Loon Lake | 16E30 | 07-11-2026 | Overall trail from Loon Lake TH to Rockbound is in great shape, with one double tree across trail between Buck Island Lake and Rockbound. It is passable in the woods to the side with a pack on. Avoid camping at Buck Island because of the noise from the Rubicon Trail 4x4 traffic on the other side of lake. You can still hear the noise of trucks and helicopters at Rockbound, but it is distant. |
| Old Corral (Twin Lakes TH to Rockbound) | 16E16/16E18 | 07-16-2026 | Dry and clear. |
| Pyramid Creek | 17E25 | 07-08-2026 | The trail to the bottom of the falls is in good shape. The route up and over the falls is hazardous. |
| Shadow Lake | 15E22 | 07-16-2026 | Information not available. |
Click HERE to view the Zone Map at FULL SIZE
SUBMITTED REPORTS: TOP
Submit a Trail Conditions Report
| # | Date at LOC | Trail | Type of Issue | Full Description | Photo |
| 5 | 06-08-2013 | 17E39 | Other | echo lakes to lake of the woods trail, trail clear of snow until last 50 feet to lotw post....a little muddy at that point....lotw trail from pct to the lake, initial flat part muddy and a little snow but able to maneuver around, once start going up hill the conditions are fine....conditions at the lake, east shore snowy and muddy, west shore free of snow. | N/A |
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. While we have read and screened the information provided here, neither we nor those submitting the information make any claims or guarantees as to its accuracy, and assume no responsibility for the safety of those using it as part of their trip planning process. Backcountry travel involves risks and potential dangers, all of which can be found in the area covered by this trails conditions page. It is the responsibility of the users of these reports to be aware of the risks involved in any backcountry activity and to assess for themselves whether they are up to the challenge of facing these risks. By providing this information we make no suggestion or representation, expressed or implied, that these trails will be in the same condition as described when you visit them or that they will be safe for your passage.