Echo Summit Trailhead

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Echo Summit Trailhead South into Meiss Country Roadless Area

A Lake Tahoe to Yosemite & Mount Whitney Trailhead: Points South

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Trail guide This Segment

North Towards Highway 50

South Locate Echo Summit

Topo Map Echo Summit to Carson Pass

Maps Index

Miles and Elevations

Miles and Elevations Index

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

All forests-wilderness

Tahoe to Whitney on YouTube

Hiking South through the Echo Summit Trailhead

Index for this page

Trail Notes: Local and Long Distance Hikes

Trip Distances North and South

Lake Tahoe Resources

Road Map

Getting to Echo Summit, Overall impressions

Map and Miles Information

Meiss Country Topo Hiking Map

Echo Summit to Carson Pass miles and elevations

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Hiking South on the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails into Echo Summit

Trail Notes

Entering Northern Meiss Country Roadless Area Southbound on the Tahoe to Yosemite, Pacific Crest, and Tahoe Rim Trails.

Backpacking Out of Meeks Bay on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

I arrived at Echo Summit early on the morning beginning my third full day coming South out of Meeks Bay on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route towards Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite, in late September of 2009.

It took 2 and 1/8 days to hike the 30.71 miles from Meeks Bay to Echo Summit along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route.

The Tahoe to Yosemite route joins the Pacific Crest and Tahoe Rim Trails just a bit North of Middle Velma Lake. The TYT-PCT junction is 20.21 miles North of our current position at Echo Summit.

Local Trailhead-Long Backpacking Trips

Echo Summit is a good starting point for shorter backpacking trips down the Sierra Nevada Crestline as well as for short trips into the Meiss Country Roadless Area.

Echo Summit can be your starting point for your Lake Tahoe to Yosemite backpacking trip on either the Tahoe to Yosemite or Pacific Crest Trail routes. Starting here cuts 30.71 miles off of the overall length of the trip as opposed to starting at Meeks Bay.

Great medium-length backpacking trips South on the Pacific Crest Trail can begin from Echo Summit. It's 12 miles across Meiss Country South to Carson Pass, 39 total miles bring us down to Ebbetts Pass, or a more muscular 69 miles of hiking brings us to Sonora Pass. Each of these PCT section hikes are shorter options than hiking 150 miles down the Western flank of the Sierra Nevada along the Tahoe to Yosemite Route to Yosemite.

Lake Alpine lays 35.92 miles South of Echo Summit along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, Saint Marys Pass is 70.56 miles South, and Tuolumne Meadows is about 150 miles from Echo Summit.

This trail guide covers both these routes down to Tuolumne, so check them both out to see which route or section or local trip options along the way suit your backpacking needs. Tighten up your pack straps, we're just getting going!

In the meantime Echo Summit's access to the Meiss Country Roadless Area has something interesting for every short, medium, and long-distance backpacker, so let's keep our eyes open as we hike through.

Local Hikes and Backpacking Trips

The most popular trailheads into the Meiss Roadless Area form a triangle around this triangular area.

The most popular is day hiker access 12 miles South at Carson Pass. Carson Pass offers easy access hiking North into the Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap. See the miles and elevations page for the distances hiking North into Meiss Meadow, Meiss Lake, and Showers Lake from Carson Pass. Start from the bottom of the page.

Meiss Meadow's delightful treatment of the Southern corner of the Tahoe Basin from early Spring into mid-Summer is worth hiking through and camping within. Well, not camping there until the mosquitoes diminish.

Echo Summit is the second most popular trailhead into Meiss Country, with the main goal South out Echo Summit being Showers Lake. Showers Lake is positioned 7 miles South of Echo Summit through a convoluted hard-intermediate difficulty trail tracing along this nifty section of the Tahoe Rim.

There is no Northbound trailhead out of Echo Summit to speak of, as the Desolation Wilderness begins two miles North of Echo Summit. Hikers beginning a Northbound trip into Desolation Wilderness will have to get a permit for the Desolation Wilderness. A two mile trail along Highway 50 and then through houses connects Echo Summit and the trailhead leading into Desolation Wilderness at the Lower Echo Lake Dam.

The third-most popular access point into the Meiss Country Roadless Area is the Big Meadow Trailhead nestled into a fold in the mountains along Highway 89 above the little town of Meyers. This is mostly a locals-use trailhead that enters Christmas Valley just below Round Lake and a couple of miles above our Meyers Trailhead. I locate the Big Meadow Trailhead and its junction from Meyers on both the road map on the Meyers page above and trail maps page below.

Check out the hiking Map of Meiss to see the relationship between these trailheads.

Let's hear about your experiences, comments and questions hiking long and short backpacking trips South out of Echo Summit.

Trail Sign at the Echo Summit Trail Head

This Mileage Sign sits at the Echo Summit trailhead parking lot

Video and Pictures taken at Echo Summit, September 20, 2009. I put the distance to Carson Pass at 12 miles, as mentioned above and below.

Meiss Country Roadless Area

Echo Summit to the Carson Gap

Echo Summit Trailhead

Elevation 7377

Miles 0

Trail information

Echo Summit to Carson Pass Miles and Elevations

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit Miles and Elevations page

Trail Sign heading Northbound out of the Echo Summit Trail Head

Above: The Northbound Trail out of Echo Summit is well marked. This sign is located at the NW corner of the parking lot close to Highway 50. The Northbound hiker walks against traffic West down Hwy 50 to our crossing point just East of Little Norway.

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Long Distance Backpacker mileages

South on the Pacific Crest Trail

Echo Summit to:

Carson Pass: 12 miles.

Ebbetts Pass: 38.78 miles

Sonora Pass: 68.22 miles

Tuolumne Meadows: 142.02 miles

South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Echo Summit to:

Carson Gap: 10.61 miles.

Lake Alpine: 35.92 miles

Saint Marys Pass: 70.56 miles

Tuolumne Meadows: 150.29

The Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails split at Carson Gap.

Echo Summit

If you've started your backpacking trip at Meeks Bay Trailhead, you have just completed 32 miles to get here.

Either your trip is over, or you are just picking up speed on the Tahoe to Yosemite route on your way to Lake Alpine and your 1st resupply point at the Lake Alpine Lodge on Highway 4.

On the other hand, you may just be starting your Southbound trip on the Pacific Crest Trail to Carson Pass, Ebbetts Pass, Sonora Pass, Yosemite, or Mount Whitney from Echo Summit. Good Luck!

The third option is that you are moving North on the Pacific Crest Trail. In that case, you are either headed to the Echo Lake Chalet Post Office to pick up your resupply, or hitching down Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe for a rest and resupply break.

Bail Out, Rest, Resupply, and Repair

Echo Summit overlooks South Lake Tahoe. Echo Summit sits a thousand feet above, and few miles to the West of Lake Tahoe.

At South Lake Tahoe you can find excellent cheap accommodations, full grocery, backpacking, and bulk food supplies, freeze-dried food, and outdoors equipment retailers.

Need to replace that broken hip strap buckle? This is your big chance.

Lake Tahoe Backpacker Resources

Continuing North on the Pacific Crest Trail?

Resupply: Echo Lake Chalet

Miles: Echo Summit to PCT Junction (Northbound hikers read list from bottom-up.)

Fresh Food is available at the Echo Lake Chalet.

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South Lake Tahoe

Rest & Resupply

I figure that South Lake Tahoe is the Mammoth Lakes of the North.

At Mammoth Lakes it is customary for me to spend a couple of nights at the Hotel 6. South Lake Tahoe has the High Country Lodge. Both have given me backpacker discounts. Really. The key is not to show up on a busy weekend. That's always expensive.

I go to Roberto's, and Angles BBQ for huge great dinners and lots of water and beer in Mammoth Lakes. South Lake Tahoe has Izzy's Burger Spa and countless places with 12 to 15 dollar Prime Rib.

Mammoth Lake's Breakfast Club is a classic, and the Good Life Cafe is a modern version of The Breakfast Club, with hippy omelets. South Lake Tahoe has Ernie's.

I don't carry a pack for two full days when I hit Mammoth Lakes. Many Pacific Crest Trail hikers can use a little break before exiting the High Sierras North of Lake Tahoe, as the length of the Sierras is always a tough go. Now that you are departing the high elevation range, your daily mileages will really begin to pick up.

The hard hiking conditions in the Sierra Nevada between Mount Whitney and Lake Tahoe keep the Pacific Crest Trail hiker's mileages low. Most PCT hikers drop down to, or below 20 miles per day.

You may need a little rest before continuing North. South Lake Tahoe is a cool place to kick it for a couple of rest days.

I figure that Northbound backpackers on the Pacific Crest Trail may be ready for the Northern version of this type of custom rest, restore, and feeding break at South Lake Tahoe.

That's why I made the South Lake Tahoe Backpacker's Resources Page!

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Where We Are: Echo Summit on the Road Map

Echo Summit Video with Randy

Directions

The Echo Summit Trail Head is located on Highway 50 less than 100 yards West of Echo Summit. The Trailhead is located on the South, or Right side of Highway 50 if you are traveling Eastbound.

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West bound travelers cresting Echo Summit should immediately look for Echo Road, on their left. Just past Echo Road on Highway 50 you will see a large blue "Sledding and Snow Play" sign which marks the road to Adventure Mountain, where the Echo Summit trailhead is located.

If you see "Little Norway" on the Right while traveling West, you have gone about a mile too far.

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When East bound travelers see "Little Norway" on their left, look to make a right turn within a long mile.

Turn down the road where you see the blue "Sledding" sign on your right.

The trailhead is a short ways down the road to Adventure Mountain.

North: Highway 50 to Echo Summit South: Echo Summit 2

Google map

Echo Summit, Meeks Bay, and S Upper Truckee trail heads.

all videos

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Echo Summit Backpacking Options: The Meiss Roadless Area

Physical Location of the Trailhead

The Echo Summit trail head sits on Highway 50 just to the West of Echo Summit, and a bit West of Echo Road. The trailhead parking lot is on the South side of Highway 50, down the road marked by the blue "Sledding Snow Play" sign shown on the next page.

There is no public transportation to Echo Summit from East or West, but there's plenty of parking at the trail head for drivers.

Backpackers who take public transportation into South Lake Tahoe should have little problem hitch hiking up to Echo Summit trail head. The whole Tahoe region is full of wilderness and outdoor lovers who pick up backpackers.

Once you get into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, hitch hiking is fairly easy. Hitching in California's urban areas is crazy.

The Meiss Roadless Area

South of Echo Summit you enter the Meiss Roadless Area. This area is roughly bordered on the East by Highway 89, on the West by Highway 50, on the North by Christmas Valley (Meyers), and on the South by Highway 88. The Meiss Roadless Area is also part of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, as are all National Forests, Wilderness, and special zones such as the Meiss Roadless Area, that sit within the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Every Wilderness and National Park within the Tahoe Basin was subsumed by the LTBMU. This was to comprehensively monitor and manage the public lands affecting Lake Tahoe. Check out the history of the LTBMU.

Maps

Meiss Country Roadless Area map pdf

USGS Topo Map Meiss Roadless Area

Echo Summit: Long Distance Backpacker Options

Echo Summit is one of your potential trailheads for long distance backpacking South towards Yosemite and on to the John Muir Trail to Mount Whitney. The Echo Summit trailhead also offers many medium distance hiking trips to the mountain passes which cross the Sierras to the South. There are also many short distance backpacking trips South into the Meiss Roadless Area that you can explore.

Echo Summit: Medium distance Backpacking Trips

From Echo Summit you can craft many fine medium distance backpacking trips South. If you are headed North, you would be better served using the Echo Lake Trailhead, which is the main Southern access point North into the Desolation Wilderness along the Northbound Pacific Crest, Tahoe Rim, and Tahoe to Yosemite routes. Echo Lake is two miles to the North of Echo Summit.

Basic Southbound long distance trips from Echo Summit include Echo Summit to Ebbetts Pass at 38.78 miles, Echo Summit to Sonora Pass at 68.22 miles, and Echo Summit to Tuolumne Meadows, measuring in at 142.02 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail route.

Echo Summit: Short distance Backpacking Trips

Your main short distance backpacking options involve departing Echo Summit Southbound and crossing the Meiss Roadless Area to exit through the one of the Roadless Area's other trailheads. Or you can backtrack to the Echo Summit trailhead.

Your main destination options are the trailhead at the Carson Pass on Highway 88 (12 miles), the trailhead at Meyers (14.6 miles), or exiting the Roadless Area at the Big Meadow Trailhead on Highway 89, which is .13 of a mile less than the distance down to the Meyers Trailhead. Each of these trips is between 10 and 12 miles in one direction, are of moderate difficulty, and follow well-used, well-marked, and well-maintained trails.

Overall

The Meiss Roadless area is an excellent hiking and backpacking location that offers intermediate backpackers an excellent introduction into High Sierra Backpacking. This is a great place to get your gear and legs together at the beginning of the backpacking season.

The elevation is high, but not too high. The distances between trailheads are not too long, nor too short. The terrain is challenging, but all the difficult sections are just a few miles long, and all lead us to Meiss Meadow, a huge almost-flat meadow that sits below the Southern corner of the mountains making up the Tahoe Basin. Meiss Meadow is namesake and the center of the Meiss Country Roadless Area.

Meiss Meadow is the hub of the Meiss Roadless Area with trails radiating out to the main trail heads.

There are other fine trails in the Meiss Roadless Area, such as the trail over Little Round Top, and the route to Strawberry.

Though Meiss Country is just a couple of miles South of the Desolation Wilderness, it is much quieter and less traveled than Desolation. The beauty in Meiss is subtler and of a more quiet character than the Desolation Wilderness. You will notice the difference.

7.5 Backpacking Topo Map: Echo Summit to Carson Pass

30 min Topo hiking Map: Echo Summit to Carson Gap

Miles and Elevations

Next page: Echo Summit 2

Backpacking Trail Guide

North

Echo Summit to Highway 50

Backpacking Trail Guide

South

Echo Summit 2