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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 |
| 49 | 06-14-2014 | 16E08 | Tree Across Trail | The Rockbound trail from Twin Lakes TH is in good condition and clear of major obstructions and snow to Rockbound Pass. Note: Trails are closed in the Wrights Lake area because of a major tree blowdown event which occurred last winter- the Rockbound TH area suffered significant damage from fallen trees and repairs are nearly completed. Trees are cleared from the Twin Lakes TH up to the Rockbound trail Wilderness Boundary. Within the Wilderness boundary there are only 4 trees (12-18" diameter all lodgepole pines) across the trail that warrant cross cut saw work. Three of the trees are just within the boundary: 12" top bind 2" above ground; 12"+ top bind 6' above ground- bottom bind and hanging; and 18" top bind 3' above ground. The fourth tree is above willow flat before the cutoff trail t | N/A |
| 48 | 06-07-2014 | 17E33 | Unstable Snow | Tallac. Trail at the top of Cathedral Bowl still has a melting cornice of snow. Hikers are climbing the rock around it and making it to the summit. | N/A |
| 47 | 06-01-2014 | 17E39 | Other | Trail is clear of snow from Echo Chalet all the way to Haypress Meadow. From Haypress all the was to Mosquito Pass, there are large patches of snow, some as much as 6' deep in Haypress. The trail is wet and in many places, the trail is flooded. | N/A |
| 45 | 05-24-2014 | 17E40 | Other | From echo lake once you reach the ridge above Tamarak lake the trail is covered in snow all the way to lake of the woods and lake aloha. Estimated 2-3 ft deep | N/A |
| 44 | 05-15-2014 | 16E12 | Tree Across Trail | The closure of Wrights Lake due to downed trees from the November 2013 wind event adds almost 1 mile, each way, to hikes from the Wrights Lake trailhead (hiking from the parking lot outside the Wrights Lake gate). Several downed trees will be encountered shortly after entering the trail (near the lake), but it is then clear until after the trail starts to climb towards the Grouse Lake outlet creek; from that point there are numerous large trees across the trail, requiring significant climbing or bushwacking to get over or around. The trail becomes very indistinct as you approach the Grouse Lake outlet creek. | N/A |
| 39 | 04-29-2014 | 17E33 | Tree Across Trail | 3 TREES ACROSS THE TRAIL BETWEEN TH AND CATHEDRAL LAKE....LARGEST ABOUT 14" DIAMETER ABOUT 1/2 WAY BETWEEN FLOATING ISLAND LAKE AND CATHEDRAL LAKE...IT IS BURIED UNDER SNOW...SNOW COVERED TRAIL AFTER FIL TO CL WITH NUMEROUS AREAS OF POST HOLING ABOVE THE KNEES... NO LARGE DIAMETER TREES DOWN THIS YEAR... | N/A |
| 38 | 05-14-2014 | 16E12 | Tree Across Trail | There are numerous large trees down across the trail due to a wind event in November 2013. Due to the number of trees down, it is unknown when the trail will be fully cleared. | Photo |
| 37 | 05-09-2014 | 16E16/16E18 | Other | Twin Lakes and Rockbound Trailheads are closed until further notice. A wind event in November 2013 resulted in large blowdown of trees in the Wrights Lake Recreation Area. The area is closed until the Forest Service can address the large number of downed trees and assess/repair damage to the campground and day use areas. Hikers to Desolation Wilderness will need to park outside the gate and walk on the paved road to access the trails, adding about 1/2 mile to your hike. Use of picnic tables, boat launch, etc. in the Wrights Lake area is not allowed. Thanks for your patience while this situation is addressed. | N/A |
| 17 | 11-09-2013 | 17E33 | Tree Across Trail | Tree across trail about 1/3 of the way to Floating Island Lake. Tree across trail about 1/3 way to Cathedral Lake. Ice on the trail in places. Fall conditions. Weather changeable. | N/A |
| 16 | 10-30-2013 | 17E33 | Tree Across Trail | TREE ACROSS THE TRAIL ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY UP TO FLOATING ISLAND LAKE JUST BEFORE THE RIDGE ABOVE FALLEN LEAF LAKE...THIS TREE IS OUTSIDE THE DESOLATION WILDERNESS BOUNDARY. SNOW ON THE TRAIL WHICH VARIES IN DEPTH FROM 4-10 INCHES... | N/A |
| 15 | 07-10-2013 | 17E33 | Other | No major obstacles or water crossings. Snow patch at top of bowl passable on trail without climbing around it. No snow at or near summit. No water for people or dogs above Cathedral Lake. | N/A |
| 14 | 07-08-2013 | 17E40 | Tree Across Trail | This is actually on the trail that circles Lake of the Woods, close to the junction with the trail to lake Aloha. Large treefall, 18" to 20" diameter, 10" above the trail, lying diagonally across the trail. Stepover is not possible: bypass with a full pack is difficult, and perhaps somewhat perilous. Location is N 38 51.200 W 120 07.077. Photos uploaded to "Media" page. | N/A |
| 13 | 07-01-2013 | 17E01 | Tree Across Trail | Trail to Stony Ridge Lake in good shape - biggest obstacle is tree across trail at Shadow Lake, see: http://desowv.org/medias/pictures/photo?groupid=1&albumid=108#photoid=1587 Also, there were a few smaller trees (easy to get around) further up the trail towards Stony Ridge. | N/A |
| 12 | 06-23-2013 | 16E13 | Other | Trail is green and clear of snow to both lakes. Wildflowers starting to bloom. | N/A |
| 11 | 06-16-2013 | 17E39 | Tree Across Trail | Two trees downed on PCT approx 1/2 mile south of Lake Aloha | N/A |
| 10 | 06-14-2013 | 17E25 | Other | Sign at trailhead needs to be repaired- it has fallen off the support. Box holding day permit applications at the wilderness boundary is empty. | N/A |
| 9 | 06-12-2013 | 15E08 | Other | Van Vleck to Lake No. 3- access clear with minor snow patches and snow bridge hazards above 8000'. Nine trees across the trail were marked- 5 within wilderness boundary and 4 outside boundary. GPS coordinates and photos of trees across trail are available upon request. Trail is in need of maintenance- water bars, erosion, trees across trail, and lopping/small saw cutting of young lodegpole pines on trail. Water crossings are doable without getting feet wet. Trail diverted at gate around bridge construction in progress. | N/A |
| 8 | 06-09-2013 | 16E31 | Other | Trail covered completely by snow between Lois Lake and the saddle on the Crystal Range. South of the saddle, I was able to follow some sections of the trail but some sections were covered by snow or streams, at lower elevations. | N/A |
| 7 | 06-08-2013 | 17E40 | Tree Across Trail | from lotw to aloha, huge tree across trail that needs attention, tons of snow and mud but able to follow footprints to meet up with trail on other side....these conditions exist for only the first half the length of the trail. after that its clear to aloha | N/A |
| 6 | 06-08-2013 | 17E42 | Unstable Snow | ralston peak from lake of the woods, tons of snow(5-6 feet high) impassable. | 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.