First View of Echo Lakes South of Aloha Lake

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Backpacking through 10 Trail Junctions South of Lake Aloha and North of Echo Lake Trailhead

Hiking South through the Desolation Wilderness on The Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails

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Trail guide section index

North: South Lake Aloha

South: Echo Lake

South Desolation Wilderness

Phipps Pass to Echo Summit

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A Mess of Trail Junctions just South of Lake Aloha to Upper Echo Lake

Many Fine Local Destinations

Though there is a whole gaggle of trail junctions within a very short distance along this part of the trail, it's really not too confusing for the through hiker.

This series of rapid trail junctions represents a mess of local short-distance backpacking opportunities. For a long distance backpacker, it's like running the gauntlet.

The problem of all of these trail junctions along the section between Aloha Lake and the Desolation Wilderness boundary stems from developing too many cutoffs before and after each main trail junction.

Hikers approaching a trail junction tend to cut off the main trail to intersect with their next trail directly, rather than hiking to the junction and making their turn, which has created the series of "before and after" trails bracketing each main trail junction.

The main North-South route through here, shared by the Tahoe to Yosemite, Tahoe Rim, and the Pacific Crest Trails, maintains the same Northwest to Southeast line making it pretty easy to figure out and stay on the main trail through this gauntlet of trail junctions.

These junctions are another sign of the the Desolation Wilderness' popularity and overuse.

The Numbers

South side of Aloha Lake, Desolation Wilderness

Desolation Wilderness

Trail junctions South of Lake Aloha

You will first encounter the Lake of the Woods trail junction, then 9 more junctions in quick succession.

The reason for so many trail heads is that each destination has a North and South junction along our trail, doubling the trail junctions.

Lake of the Woods trail junction

Elevation: 8160' feet.

Mileage: 22.58 miles South from the Meeks Bay Trailhead. 6.13 miles South to the Echo Lake Trailhead. 8.13 miles to Echo Summit Trailhead.

note: The 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, and work up your own figures. Trail distances are constantly changing as the trails are being regularly rerouted by man and nature.

mileages and elevations

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Trail Junction #1 Lake of the Woods cutting Right (SW)

Lake of the Woods

Trail Junction #2 Lake Lucille and Lake Margory, cutting Left (E), and trail Right (SW) which links up with the trail between the South end of Lake Aloha and Lake of the Woods.

Lake Lucille and Lake Margory

Trail Junction #3 Lake of the Woods, cutting Right, (W), trail to Lake of the Woods to the Left, (E).

Lake of the Woods

Trail Junction #4 Lake Lucille and Margory cutting Left (E)

Lake of the Woods, cutting Right (W)


Lake Lucille	Lake of the Woods

Trail Junction #5 Trail to Mount Ralston, Lake of the Woods, cutting Right (W)

Sorry-no picture

Trail Junction #6 Trail to Mount Ralston, Lake of the Woods, cutting Right (W)

Sorry-no picture

Trail Junction #7 Triangle and Lost Lakes, cutting Left (E)

Triangle and Lost Lakes

Trail Junction #8 Tamarack, Cagwin and Ralston Lakes, cutting Right (W)

Tamarack, Cagwin and Ralston Lakes

Desolation Wilderness Boundary

Trail Junction #9 Triangle and Lost Lakes, cutting Left (E)


Triangle and Lost Lakes	Desolation Wilderness Boundary

Trail Junction #10 Boat Dock, Water Taxi, cutting Right, down to the lakeshore.

Sign for Boat Taxi, North Side of Echo Lake

Boat Dock, Water Taxi

North: South Lake Aloha South: Echo Lake

The Trail Junctions between Lake Aloha and Echo Lake

From a Northbound Perspective

Northbound out of Echo Lake Trailhead

If you want to figure out how plan a Northbound Desolation Wilderness trip out of Echo Lake Trailhead, this series of trail junctions gives the Northbound backpacker access to the width of Southern Desolation Wilderness. There are many choices for short trips for beginner or short-distance backpackers within easy hiking of the trailhead. This is one reason why the Desolation Wilderness is so very crowded during mid-Summer.

And the fact that you can drive right up to the Echo Lake Trailhead, drop your gear, and then park your car in the upper parking lot. If there's a space! Easy access to such deep beauty brings in a lot of people for short trips out of Echo Lake.

The

For example, the first main trails branching to the East, or the Northbound backer's Right while heading South out of Echo Lake, all head around Keith's Dome to Triangle and Lost Lakes, and then on over to Fallen Leaf Lake. A nice little overnight loop for the beginner, or you can head over to Fallen Leaf Lake. It's about 6.5 to 7 miles from the Echo Lake trailhead to the shore of Fallen Leaf Lake.

Many trails branch to the Northbound backpacker's Left, or West. A whole series of trail junctions lead West to Tamarack Lake and Lake of the Woods, and one junction leads over Mount Ralston to Highway 50.

I talked to a backpacking couple who scrambled up the Pyramid Creek from Twin Bridges on Highway 50 into the Desolation Valley in the shadow of Pyramid Peak in the Summer of 2009. They were tough kids, and they rated it a very tough scramble.

Backpackers seeking more of a challenge on the trails can continue Northbound straight through this maze of trail junctions towards Lake Aloha, and continue North for 22.5 miles following the Tahoe to Yosemite route through the heart of the Desolation Wilderness to the Meeks Bay trailhead.

There are also a number of trails out to various West Lake Tahoe trailhead closer to Echo Lake than Meeks Bay, where this Tahoe to Whitney trail guide begins the classic Tahoe to Yosemite route.

Although I'm trying to give you an idea of the range of routes and trips you can craft backpacking out of the Echo Lake trailhead, my advice to you is to completely avoid the Echo Lake trailhead during the high Summer backpacking season, especially during weekends. It is just too overused.

If you must enter the Desolation Wilderness during mid-Summer, I suggest you plan a trip from one of the trailhead along the Western Shore of Lake Tahoe. They too are busy, but at a lower degree of insanity than Echo Lake trailhead during the Summer. Great loops can be crafted into the Northern section of Desolation through the Meeks Bay trailhead, as well as from the Emerald Bay, the Cascade Lake, and Fallen Leaf Lake trail heads.

The Long-Distance backpacker heading South will virtually ignore these trail junctions as distractions from the goal of making the daily mileage.

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Hiking Topo Map: Echo Lake North Hiking Topo Map: Echo Lake South

Miles and Elevations