Backpacking Upper Echo Lake

Upper and Lower Echo Lakes

View Southeast across Echo Lakes, Desolation Wilderness.

Dropping down to a longer view across the Echo Lakes.

Tamarack Lake trail junction

Tamarack Lake trail junction. We're .46 of a mile North of our exit Southbound straight through this junction to the Eastern Wilderness boundary on our way down to the West shore of Upper Echo Lake.

Since passing South of Lake Aloha our Southbound route on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail has pointed East-Southeast by the compass.

The trail South by the Compass from this trail junction, or a Southbound backpacker's Right turn from this junction leads a tenth of a mile first to Tamarack Lake, then Ralston and Cagwin Lakes a third of a mile beyond.

25.2 miles South from the Meeks Bay Trailhead.
3.69 miles South to the Echo Lake Trailhead.

Dicks Pass to Echo Lakes
15 minute backpacking MAP

Desolation Wilderness Boundary

Exiting the East end of Desolation Wilderness.

Here we also find the trail junction leading Northwest to Triangle and Lost Lakes. Beyond Triangle Lake the trail climbs over to Lilly Lake and the trailhead off the Southwest shore of Fallen Leaf Lake.

Exiting the Desolation Wilderness

Our downhill run from the North shore 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 shores 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.

Trail mileages and elevations

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 Upper Echo Lake
Elevation
7800 feet.

Echo Lakes 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.

Upper and Lower Echo Lake
with
Christmas Valley
in the
background

The two major rock formations sitting beyond the low ridge wrapping around the marina on the far shore of Lower Echo Lake are sitting above Southbound Highway 89 in Christmas Valley, which is also the valley where the South Upper Truckee runs out of the Meiss Country Roadless Area. Christmas Valley was once known as Long Valley.

Our trail, once we reach the far South shore of Lower Echo Lake crosses along and over that low ridge to cross Highway 50 (on the other, furthest Right or South side of that ridge) just below the West flank of Echo Summit.

We'll hike South through the Echo Summit Trailhead to follow along the top of that ridgeline as it represents the Sierra Crestline as the top of the Western wall of Christmas Valley, which also makes up the Southwestern perimeter of the Tahoe Basin as well.

Once we hike along that ridge to the top of Christmas Valley we cross Meiss Meadow to climb out of the Tahoe Basin through the gap in the South end of the Tahoe Rim I call the Carson Gap (TYT Guide) where the South Upper Truckee begins (map) its run down into Lake Tahoe.

The top of that valley we see way down there beyond Lower Echo Lake is the most Southwestern corner of the Tahoe Basin. We are looking into the bottom-third of Christmas Valley from here.

Everything in Christmas Valley to the Left of the middle of the valley in the image above contains houses and is auto accessible, everything to the Right is accessible by trail only.

Backpacking down to Lower Echo Lake from the North

Lower Echo Lake Boat Taxi

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 Boat Taxi	Echo Lake Boat Taxi Dock. top of page

Echo Chalet
Boat Taxi information

Echo Lake Chalet
Resupply information

Heading South around to the North 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. View Southwest.

Scenes hiking past Upper Echo Lake

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

North: Trail Junctions S of Aloha South: Echo Lake to Echo Summit

Upper Echo Lake
East 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 the buildings and boat taxi dock, and the luxury "cabins" we see ringing the Echo Lakes. If you are on a Meeks Bay to Echo Lake backpacking trip, the end of your trip is near.

Camping Options

Continuing South through the Lower Echo Lake trailhead, offers 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. Our best campsite option to the South sits about 6.73 miles past the Echo Summit Trailhead at Showers Lake in the Meiss Country Roadless Area.

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.

There are plenty of good campsites just off the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail between the South shore of Lake Aloha and the Desolation Wilderness boundary. We plan our hike through this section so we can easily get from campsite to campsite across the stretch of civilization from Echo Lakes to Echo Summit.

Hiking Plan

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

As you will see on the pages ahead, the last time through here 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 .

Topo Trail Map
Between Aloha & Echo Lakes

Topo Trail Map
Haypress Meadow to Highway 50

Trail Miles and Elevations

North
Echo Lake

Dicks Pass to Echo Lakes
15 minute backpacking Trail MAP

North: Trail Junctions S of Aloha South: Echo Lake to Echo Summit

Nearing
the
Lower Echo Lake Trailhead

Hiking South for 2.69 miles from the trail down to the Boat Dock on the trail around the North side of the Echo Lakes on the far North side of Echo Lake brings us to the Echo Lake Trailhead.

Or we can call the Echo Lake Chalet from the Boat Dock for a ride on their Boat Taxi to the Echo Lake Marina between Memorial Day to Labor Day. I'd rather walk.

From solid rock to soft forest floor trail beds, we cross a variety of excellent trail surfaces between the Tamarack Lake trail junction to the Echo Lake trail head.

I'm just happy to get off of constant pounding of downhill hiking on hard rock surfaces!

South Desolation Wilderness
30 minute backpacking Trail MAP

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit
Backpacking Trail Miles and Elevations

Meeks Bay to Echo Lake Forum

Trail mileages and elevations


Trail, Echo Lake	fine rock formations, Echo Lake

fine rock formations, details, Echo Lake top of page

Approaching
the
Lower Echo Lake Trail Head

We're just one mile North of the Echo Lake trailhead.

Rock Faces descend off of Flagpole Peak sit to our immediate NE, above us, with the crystal blue waters of Lower Echo Lake to our SW. It is a beautiful location, despite the vacation houses.

Our fine level trail winding through rock and forest splits the distance between steep rock and deep blue water. It's really pretty along this section of trail.

Our generally downhill run from the North side of Lake Aloha ends at Echo Lake. South from there we have a two mile climb to the Echo Lake trail head on Highway 50.

Elevation
7520 feet on the trail along Lower Upper Lake.

Mileage
27.71 miles South from the Meeks Bay Trailhead.
1 mile South to the Echo Lake Trailhead.
3 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.

Echo Chalet Boat Taxi information.

Hiking along Lower Echo Lake nearing the trail head



			The trail South along Lower Echo Lake.
			top of page
	Sign posts on the East side of Echo Lake keep you on the trail to the trailhead, rather than down to cabins.		top of page

Houses accompany the rock and lake hiking South to the Echo Lake trailhead


Lots of fine rock lines the trail along Echo Lake. The reddening of the setting Sun highlighted the rock colors

Frodo lives here, Echo Lake	Nice wooded trail section along Echo Lake

Not my patio, but my view was the same while passing by. comments? top of page

Mid-Point: Echo Lake

I was racing against sunset as I flew South by the luxury houses lining the East shore of Echo Summit. This section of trail has been unfairly disparaged. The trail snakes along between a beautiful rock and forest ridge and and the crystalline blue waters of Echo Lake.

But I am running low on energy. Since I'm not resupplying between Meeks Bay and Tuolumne Meadows, the pack is very,very heavy, which is very tiring.. The short length of Desolation Wilderness requires I pass it quickly, which is always challenging at the start of a trip.

Despite my dedication to observation and enjoyment of every inch of trail I cover, I was determined to push until darkness terminated my day.

In any case, I would not take the boat taxi through this section of trail, even if it was still running.

Hiking Topo Trail Map
Echo Lake North

Hiking Topo Trail Map
Echo Lake South

Trail Miles and Elevations

South
Echo Lake

Echo Lake Chalet Backpacker Resupply

Echo Lake Trail Head and Echo Lake Chalet

Resupply options
at
Echo Chalet, Lower Echo Lake

Though we departed the Desolation Wilderness boundary North of Upper Echo Lake, the Desolation Wilderness experience is not officially over until we hike through the Lower Echo Lake trailhead and Echo Chalet.

That's where we enter its "social interface."

Part of the Desolation Wilderness experience is observing trail culture at the Lower Echo Lake. The Lower Echo Lake Trailhead is the main trailhead for the Desolation Wilderness.

Echo Lake Chalet Resupply Service
The Echo Lake Chalet is an important resupply point for Northbound backpackers on the Pacific Crest Trail, though it is not as important for Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite hikers. The reason is that the Echo Lake Chalet is only 27.71 miles South from Meeks Bay trail head, and another 38.81 miles South to the Lake Alpine Lodge from Echo Chalet.

Latest
South Lake Tahoe Resupply
Logistics Updates and Resources

Echo Lake Chalet stopped offering resupply package service: 2015.

Lake of the Sky Outfitters Sole Resupply Services, through 2015-16.

The 66.52 miles between Meeks Bay and the Lake Alpine Lodge on Highway 4 make using the Echo Lake Chalet as a resupply point optional for Southbound backpackers on either the Pacific Crest Trial or Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

It's nice if we want to keep our pack light.

Dicks Pass to Echo Lakes
15 minute backpacking Trail MAP

South Desolation Wilderness
30 minute backpacking Trail MAP

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit
Backpacking Trail Miles and Elevations

Meeks Bay to Echo Lake Forum

Approaching the Lower Echo Lake trailhead and Marina


Trail nearing the South end of Lower Echo Lake.	Lower Echo Lake Marina.

Yellow Legged Frog rescue plan. Frog Information.	Be good! top of page

Basic Information

Echo Lake Trailhead

Lower Echo Lake Trailhead
comments and notes

Resupply information
Echo Lake Chalet

Elevation
Lake Level: 7414 feet.

Mileage
28.71 miles South from the Meeks Bay Trailhead.
0 miles to the Echo Lake Trailhead.
2.00 miles South 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. The the trail signs, on the other hand, don't change very often.

mileages and elevations