Dropping down to Upper and Lower Echo Lakes South of Aloha Lake

The Trails

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Backpacking South to Upper Echo Lake

Hiking South past the Desolation Wilderness Boundary on The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

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Trail guide section index

North: Trail Junctions S of Aloha

South: Echo Lake 2

South Desolation Wilderness

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miles & elevations

miles and elevations index

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

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Echo Lakes

Final drop down to Upper and Lower Echo Lakes. Echo Lake Trailhead visible on far side of Lower Echo Lake.

Our downhill run from the North side of Lake Aloha is coming to an end at Upper Echo Lake.

When we reach a point just above lake level the trail will begin tracking along the gently rolling trail along the East side of the Lakes.

Crossing the Desolation Wilderness boundary signaled that "mixed use" has begun, here represented by the really expensive Summer homes ringing Lower Echo Lake.

Pretty fancy.

Video: The Length of Echo Lake, North to South, exiting the Desolation Wilderness

Video: Hiking from above the North side of Echo Lake to above Echo Lake on its South side.

North side of Echo Lake, Desolation Wilderness

The Video above spans the length of the Echo Lakes from the last (southbound) trail junction for Tamarack Lake to just past the Echo Chalet. The Pictures on this page just cover the North side of Echo Lake. The following pages follow the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail as it follows the Echo Lake's Eastern Shore South to the Echo Lake trailhead.

Tamarack Lake trail junction, North of Echo Lake, Elevation: 7800' feet.

Echo Lake Elevation: 7414' feet.

Mileage: 25.2 miles South from the Meeks Bay Trailhead. 3.69 miles South to the Echo Lake Trailhead. 5.69 miles to Echo Summit Trailhead.

note: mileage sign at Echo Lake trailhead states: Aloha Lake 5 miles. This is incorrect according to my measurements and experience. Check the map and hike the trail to verify my observation: ALWAYS Double-Check your (and my) mileages. Trail distances are constantly changing as the trails are being regularly rerouted.

mileages and elevations

Echo Lakes at our feet.

Backpacking down to Lower Echo Lake from the North

View from North of the Echo Lakes


Upper and Lower Echo Lake as we drop down towards lake level.	Echo Lake Boat Taxi sign

Echo Lake Boat Taxi sign close up	Echo Lake Boat Taxi Dock.

Echo Chalet Boat Taxi information.

Echo Lake Chalet Resupply information

Heading South around to the East side of Upper Echo Lake


Kicking it with Eric, John, and Will. You meet the BEST people on the trails, so stop and kick it with the boys when the opportunity arises.	Down to Upper Echo Lake.


Running to beat the lengthening shadows, Echo Lake.	The well-worn trail around the North side of Echo Lake.

South: Trail Junctions S of Aloha North: Echo Lake 2

Upper Echo Lake: End of The Desolation Wilderness

We have come to the end of the Desolation Wilderness Section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail the second full day out of Meeks Bay.

The end of the Desolation Wilderness is evident from boat taxi dock, and the luxury "cabins" we can see ringing Echo Lake. If you are on a Meeks Bay to Echo Lake backpacking trip, the end of your trip is near.

Camping Options

If you are continuing South through the Lower Echo Lake trailhead, you will find few premium campsite opportunities between the end of the Desolation Wilderness Area and Frog Pond. Frog Pond is roughly a mile and a quarter South of the Echo Summit Trailhead. Your best campsite option to the South sits about 6.73 miles past the Echo Summit Trailhead at Showers Lake.

In any case, through hikers should consider the time of day when hiking through the Echo Lake and Echo Summit area. This is because there are around 13 miles between excellent campsites at Lake Aloha to the North of Echo Lake, and Showers Lake to the South of Echo Summit Trailhead.

Hiking Plan

Check out my Hiking Plan for properly timing my visits to the Echo Lake Chalet to Re supply.

As you will see on the pages ahead, I continued my mad rush for mileage until utter darkness forced me to "emergency" camp in a sparse little throw-down area just after crossing to the South side of Highway 50 .

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