View of Tahoe appears climbing from the North to South sides of Fontanillis Lake.

Lake Tahoe appears as you climb from the North to South sides of Fontanillis Lake to Dicks Pass

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Backpacking the Southern Bayview Trail Junction in the Desolation Wilderness

Hike the Bayview Trail junction out to Eagle Falls or Bayview Camp on Highway 89

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North: Fontanillis Lake 2

South: To Dicks Pass 1

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Fontanillis Lake South to Bayview Trail Junction

Lay of the Land

As we climb 120 feet while hiking the .65 of a mile from the South end of Fontanillis Lake up to the Bayview Trail junction we will pass by the North end of Dicks Lake. You won't see it, as it is hidden behind a thick swath of forest to our right, but it's back there.

MAP

Miles and Elevations

You can tell when you're close to the North side of Dicks Lake as there are many little well-used paths heading off to your right as the trail loops East, to your left, and begins the easy climb up to the Bayview Trail junction.

Many "little" informal paths down to Dicks Lake dot the Right side of the Southbound backpacker's trail up to the Bayview Trail junction, and trails down to Dicks Lake branch off for a short distance South past the Bayview Trail junction.

These little paths down to Dicks Lake continue to break off the main trail South past the Bayview Trail junction until the steepness of the terrain prevents access to Dicks Lake.

Comments-Questions-Experiences?

The Southern Bayview Trail junction: Bayview, Dicks Lake, or Dicks Pass,

a confusing Junction...

Both of the trail posts here seems to have a Pacific Crest Trail emblem placed in confusing locations. This is typical of the PCT emblems in the Desolation Wilderness, by my reckoning.

But it's really simple: The trail East is towards Bayview, the trail South heads up to Dicks Pass, and the trail North heads to Dicks Lake and on down to Fontanillis Lake.

Unlike many segments of the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails the compass here lines up with the direction of the various trails.


This is the view looking East down the Bayview Trail in the background. The arrow is Pointing North towards North Side of Dicks Lake on the Pacific Crest Trail. Southbound hikers on the PCT-TYT-TRT veer right here towards Dicks Pass.

This is the Southern trail junction for the Bayview Trail, which leads around Maggies Peak to terminate at Emerald Bay and Cascade Lake.

The Northern Bayview Trail junction intersects with the Tahoe Yosemite-Pacific Crest trail between Middle Velma and Fontanillis Lake.


Our view here of the PCT heading South towards Dicks Pass, behind the sign post, is a Right turn for Southbound backpackers.	Hiking in from the East on the Bayview Trail means left for the PCT South, right for the PCT North.

Northbound backpackers on the Pacific Crest Trail will veer left at this junction to continue North on the PCT.

Comments-Questions-Experiences?

The Northern Bayview Trail Junction

Desolation Wilderness

Meeks Bay to the Second Bayview Trail Junction

Trail Junction Elevation

8480 feet, 560 feet above Middle Velma Lake, 910 feet below Dicks Pass.

Mileage North and South

15.18 miles South from Meeks Bay trail head.

2.86 miles South from Middle Velma Lake.

1.65 miles South to Dicks Pass.

13.53 miles South to Echo Lake trail head.

15.53 to Echo Summit

Mileage East

3.81 miles hike East to bail out to Bayview Camp on Highway 89, and 3.85 miles to Eagle Falls at Highway 89.

I've got the distance from both the Northern and this Bayview Trail junction from the Pacific Crest trail to their respective trail heads at Bayview Camp and Eagle Falls at roughly the same mileage.

Both the North and South Bayview Trail junctions on the Pacific Crest/Tahoe to Yosemite trail merge about 1.7 miles East of their respective Northern and Southern junctions with the Tahoe to Yosemite / Pacific Crest Trails.

mileage and elevations

Have you hiked onto the TYT-PCT for a visit or a backpacking loop via Eagle Falls or Bayview Camp via this Bayview PCT trail junction?

Post your thoughts & experiences about this trail location on the forum through the link below.

comments

North: Fontanillis Lake 2 South: Fontanillis to Dicks Pass 1

Discussion: Bayview Trail Junction heading South on the PCT

Okay, you confused at this junction? Good. I have been. Somebody gave away Pacific Crest Trail emblems, and it seems as if they put them on every trail post at this trail junction.

I understand the theory; that each side of the post that points up and down the PCT gets a marker. The problem is that the opposite sides of the post often don't line up with the actually location of the trail, and rarely line up with the compass. The trail that lines up with South on the compass is not necessiarly the trail heading South.

But, just keep head'n frk'n South! The compass works pretty well at this junction. South on the compass is also South on the trail. Don't head East. Southbound hikers stay to their right to keep heading South.

We are going South and up, up to Dicks Pass, not East over the low rise towards Lake Tahoe, nor West down one of those "little" paths down to Dicks Lake.

Hiking Topo Map: Lake Genevieve to Phipps Pass Hiking Topo Map: Phipps Pass to Susie Lake

Miles and Elevations

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Next page South: Fontanillis to Dicks Pass 1

Backpacking North

Trail Guide

Fontanillis Lake 2

Backpacking South

Trail Guide

Fontanillis to Dicks Pass 1