Tahoe to Whitney: The El Dorado National Forest, Mokleumne Wilderness

View from between Summit City Fords, Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Peak 1290 beyond Wanda Lake, Evolution Basin

Between Summit City Fords, Tahoe Yosemite Trail

El Dorado National Forest

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Carson to Ebbetts: PCT

Carson to Alpine: Tahoe Yosemite

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contacts

The Carson Pass Management Area

After backpacking South out of the Lake Tahoe Basin Administrative Unit at the top of the Carson Gap, the trail junction that divides the Pacific Crest Trail backpackers from the Tahoe to Yosemite backpackers sits just below you within the Carson Pass Managment Area.

Within the Carson Pass Management Area are the two trail junctions where the Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite backpacker turns either Southwest into the El Dorado NF Administered Western Mokleumne Wilderness, or stays on the Pacific Crest Trail and passes into the Toiyabe NF administered Eastern Mokleumne Wilderness.

If you begin your trip at Carson Pass and want to follow the Tahoe Yosemite route over The Sisters and Round Top towards Lake Alpine on Highway 4, you are entering into the Amador Ranger District of the El Dorado National Forest.

If you are starting a Southbound backpacking from Carson Pass trip along the Pacific Crest Trail, you are entering into the Carson Ranger District of the Toiyabe National Forest. You will pass Southeast of the Sisters and Round Top heading towards Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4.

Pacific Crest Trailers just graze the CPMA's Eastern edge as they hike by the Carson Pass Cabin on their way to Ebbetts Pass. The Pacific Crest Trail route traces the strange gap along the Sierra Crest that divides the Mokleumne Wilderness' Eastern dry side from the more heavily forested Western sections. The Pacific Crest Trail route overlooks the even drier mountains to the east of the Sierras.

On the other trail, the Tahoe to Yosemite trail backpacker cuts Southwest through the heart of the CPMA, to get around Round Top and The Sisters to access the deep granite canyons of Summit City Creek and the Mokelumne River which lay on the Southern side of Round Top and The Sisters.

The Summit City Creek and Mokelumne River canyons are typical of the massive granite valleys that drain the Western Sierras. When you reach Summit City Creek on the South side of Round Top and the Sisters, you will find that the Lake Tahoe to Yosemite trail to Camp Irene has not been maintained for many years, and you are in for a bit of rough going.

A couple of miles before Camp Irene the route is again marked. At Camp Irene the Tahoe to Yosemite route fords the Mokelumne, and after a bit of scouting about (hint: look right!) you will find the barely-maintained trail that cuts South over Mount Reba to your first resupply point at Lake Alpine.

The Carson Pass Management Area administers a very small, but very popular area, that only covers Winnamucca Lake, Round Top Lake, and 4th of July Lake. This special management area only affects Tahoe to Yosemite backpackers, who's route crosses the heart of this area as you pass by Round Top Lake. Although tightly regulated because of the heavy use by locals, even assigning campsites, your permit from other Ranger Districts specifying Round Top or Fourth of July Lake as your planned campsite should be honored.

Permits for short backpacking trips that start and stay within this small zone centered around Carson Pass can only be had at the Carson Pass Cabin. (contacts)

Carson Pass Management Area: Map.

Carson Pass Cabin

Your permit from outside the Carson Pass Managment Area will be honored here if you are a thru backpacker, but to begin a long distance backpacking trip from here, within the El Dorado National Forest, you can either obtain a permit at the Carson Pass Cabin, or, as I recommend, order one over the phone from the Amador Ranger District station in Pioneer. In any case, call the Amador Ranger District for details. The Carson Pass Cabin is now open year round.

Sign on the way to Winnamucca Lake from Woods Lake

Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass: The PCT route

The Pacific Crest Trail route roughly follows the Eastern side of the Sierra Crest between the Carson Pass Management Area to Ebbetts Pass. The Pacific Crest Trail route also roughly marks the boundary between the Toyiabe NF Carson Ranger District, on the east side of the Sierra Crest, from the El Dorado NF, Amador Ranger District, which administers the western side of the Sierra Crest. The Moklelumne wilderness is roughly bounded between Highway 88 on the North, and by Highway 4 on the South. (maps)

The Mokleumne Wilderness straddles this section of the Sierra Crest between the Carson and Ebbetts Passes, with its Western side administered by El Dorado NF, and its Eastern side by the Toiyabe NF. Because of the strange shape of the Mokelumne Wilderness, the Pacific Crest Trail loops in and out of the Moklumne Wilderness, and between the El Dorado and Toyiabe NFs, as it follows the Sierra Crest between the Carson and Ebbetts Passes.


Just South of the Carson Cabin you enter the Mokelumne Wilderness. map

Local Backpacking

Short Backpacking trips beginning into the Mokleumne Wilderness from the East will need to contact the Carson Ranger District in the Toyiabe NF for permits. Trips into the Mokleumne from the North and West must contact the Amador Ranger District in the El Dorado NF for permits.

For backpacking trips into the Molkumne Wilderness from the South on Highway 4, note that everything West of Ebbetts Pass is within the Stanislaus NF, Calvaras Ranger District, whle everything to the East of Ebbetts Pass is part of the Toiyabe NF, Carson Ranger District.

PCT Route: Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass National Forest and Wilderness Links

El Dorado NF, Home Page

El Dorado NF, Amador Ranger District

El Dorado NF, Carson Pass Managment Area

Mokleumne Wilderness, Permit information.

Mokleumne Wilderness, Information.

Mokleumne Wilderness, Map

Toyiabe NF, Home page

Toyiabe NF, Carson Ranger District

Toyiabe NF, Bridgeport Ranger District

Toyiabe NF paper Maps (for sale)

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list of National Forests-Wilderness between Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney

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Carson Pass to Lake Alpine: The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route

From Carson Pass to Camp Irene the backpacker is hiking South through the El Dorado National Forest, Mokelumne Wilderness, Amador Ranger District. Note: when you turn onto the Summit City Creek trail maintenance ends until Camp Irene.

At Camp Irene the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail departs the El Dorado NF, Amador Ranger District, and enters into the Stanislaus NF forest, Calaveras Ranger District, but stays within the Mokelumne Wildenrness until the Wilderness boundary at the top of Mount Reba, but remains within the Stanislaus NF, Calaveras Ranger District, to, and through, Lake Alpine.