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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 |
| 226 | 05-20-2024 | 17E01 | Tree Across Trail | TYT is open from the Meeks Bay Trailhead to the creek crossing below Lake Genevieve. There is a lot of water on the trail, snow patches mainly in the last quarter mile before the creek crossing, and several logs across the trail including one large log at about 3 miles that requires a significant detour. Meeks Creek is about a foot deep and running fast over the rocks at the crossing below Genevieve. | N/A |
| 224 | 07-30-2023 | 16E13 | Other | Snow free clear to Lyons Lake. Trail to Sylvia is mostly free of snow but wet, with snow covering the 70 feet of curve up toward the final creek crossing. All Lyons campsites are snow-free. Most Sylvia campsites are wet, a few covered in snow. | N/A |
| 223 | 07-28-2023 | 16E28 | Other | Trail from Rubicon river to Lake Schmidell has two snow avalanche fields that buried the trail and has 100’s of trees down. Approximately 0.5 miles. We used GPS to find trail with some route finding. Bazillion mosquitoes at Lake Schmidell. | Photo |
| 222 | 07-07-2023 | 16E13 | Other | Snow free until Lyons Creek crossing. From there, all snow to Sylvia; patchy snow to Lyons Lake. Most campsites at both of these areas are still completely snow covered or flooded. | N/A |
| 221 | 07-08-2023 | 16E16/16E18 | Unstable Snow | 3 steep snow fields going north from Maude Lake; 95% snow reported on the Lake Doris side. | N/A |
| 220 | 07-07-2023 | 16E08 | Other | Infrequent patchy snow approaching Maude Lake that turned into a lot of snow as you approached the pass. We turned around at about 8700 feet because we didn't like crossing snow fields on the steep mountain (pictured). We were told by other hikers that the other side of the pass was 95% snow and that most of the lakes were frozen over. On the path to Maude Lake there is one river you have to wade across, but it's only about 2 feet deep and the current isn't too strong. | Photo |
| 219 | 07-01-2023 | 16E30 | Other | View of the Rubicon River crossing between the reservoir and Camper Flat yesterday 7/01. Some remaining snow on nearby peaks as well. It was extremely fast moving and no one was crossing. Please plan accordingly so that you don't overcrowd the Rockbound and Rubicon zones | Photo |
| 218 | 07-03-2023 | 17E03 | Other | The Velmas crossing was thigh deep, but very doable on 7/03. Hiker's recommendation is to cross at the actual trail crossing as there's a pool below it; I was told some hikers were crossing lower down above some rapids. Patchy going out of the Eagle trailhead starting a bit north of the Bayview trail junction, and very wet & patchy thru Middle Velma. North facing campsites at Middle Velma are still flooded or snow covered, some opportunities for camping in more south facing areas | Photo |
| 217 | 07-02-2023 | 17E39 | Other | Trail is clear from Echo Chalet to the end of first lake. Small snow filed to cross at end, Trail past the Dock quickly turns into multiple water ways running down the granite and trails. Tamarack Lake , Ralston Lake still 70% snow covered, Camping areas at both lakes are limited by Snow fields on the surrounding lake. Crossing over from Tamarack to Ralston Lake requires wither water crossing or log crossing as water exiting the lake is flowing deep and quick. | Photo |
| 215 | 07-02-2023 | 17E39 | Unstable Snow | Snow fields across the trail start at Haypress Pass and continue to Lake Aloha, according to backpackers coming through from Susie Lake today. Confirmed that 1/2 mile past Tamarack lake Snow fields start. | N/A |
| 214 | 07-02-2023 | 17E39 | Tree Across Trail | Trees Across trail 36" diameter 38.8466 , -120.09062 Anothe rone 100 yards up trail smaller and easy to crawl over. First tree is creating problems and human use routes already being established. | Photo |
| 211 | 06-29-2023 | 16E30 | Tree Across Trail | Trail dry; no snow; little creek crossings easy… | N/A |
| 210 | 06-27-2023 | 17E37 | Other | Trail is free of snow and mostly dry up to the wilderness boundary. | N/A |
| 208 | 06-23-2023 | 17E01 | Tree Across Trail | Several large puddles and mud on first mile of trail. Just before the crossing of Meeks Creek at 3.6 miles from the trailhead, there is a large log across the trail. | Photo |
| 189 | 06-14-2023 | 17E39 | Unstable Snow | A visitor, Kit P.H. writes: Lower Echo trail is 90% clear. Upper Echo to Tamarack - the trail is basically a stream of runoff with some snow patches to cross. From Tamarack to Aloha, it's all snow and no trail. GPS is super handy past Tamarack. Microspikes did nothing for the slushy snow... Snowshoes not needed | N/A |
| 188 | 06-09-2023 | 17E01 | Other | A visitor, Mark C. reports: "Left the TH towards Crag Lake. Trail was free of snow until approx. mile 3. 1/4 mile short of the creek crossing. Once you get to creek crossing, there was 2-6 feet of snow drifts with some clear patches.. The bridge is out and the creek is more of a river. A 50’ piece of rope tied to the bridge foundation that could of been used to stabilize the crossing would of made it a lot safer. | N/A |
| 187 | 06-10-2023 | 17E06 | Unstable Snow | A visitor, Katie B. reports "we went in via Glen Alpine. (The trail was) Fine until just we went through the second set of switchbacks, then we put on microspikes and relied on GPS. Creek crossing just before the Susie/Gilmore split was a snow bridge. Lots and lots of water on the trails. | N/A |
| 186 | 06-09-2023 | 17E41 | Other | A visitor, Gregory N., reports this: "I hit the trail around 9, the first 2 miles thru the burned section were great, trail has held up well, only 2 trees I had to jump; a few hundred yards below the snow a lot of water is coming off the mountain and trail is easy to lose but by then you can just get on the snow and head up; last mile or a bit less was snow, was on there by 10:15a and was pleasantly pleased with how it had held up, i had crampons which were maybe a bit much but I was pleased to have some traction, spent an hour on the summit watching the low clouds come in across the crystal range and then plunge stepped down without crampons to the trail and out." | N/A |
| 185 | 06-01-2023 | 17E06 | Other | The road into the Glen Alpine trailhead is now open; however, there are numerous, new, large potholes and washouts. Use extreme caution. It will be easy to knock your alignment out and/or blow out a tire. A vehicle with heavy duty suspension and extra clearance is your best choice. The Glen Alpine hiking trail is full of water about 50 yards past the trailhead gate. The water is flowing into Lily Lake. The Lower Glen Alpine waterfall is gushing. | N/A |
| 184 | 05-28-2023 | 17E25 | Other | Two backpackers with a valid overnight permit for the Avalanche area report that the trail and boulder-scramble to the top of Horsetail Falls is clear of snow. Lots of water on trails, especially in the area just into Desolation Wilderness. Snow beyond the crest of Horsetail Falls to Ropi Lake. | 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.