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Banner: Desolation Wilderness backpacking the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails around Southwest Lake Tahoe.
Dicks Lake   Lake Aloha
Dicks, and Fontanillis Lakes from Dicks Pass

Backpacking
Meeks Bay Trailhead

to
Echo Summit Trailhead

Desolation Wilderness Topo Backpacking Map

The Big Picture
Hiking Map
of the The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail through Desolation Wilderness

Two USGS 30 minute Topo Backpacking Maps

Aloha Lake under Pyramid Peak from Dicks Pass
                     
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
MAPS and MILES
TRAIL GUIDE Tahoe to Whitney
Indexes
SOUTHBOUND: NORTH SIERRA
PCT-TYT Topo Maps
More
Miles and Elevations
Weather, Map Data
MAP INDEX

Meeks
Bay
to
Echo
Summit

MAP INDEX SOUTH

Echo
Summit
to
Carson
Pass

Miles
and
Elevations

Meeks
Bay
to
Echo
Summit
ALL MAPS INDEX Section

Meeks
Bay
to
Echo
Summit
Page

Meeks Bay

Guide

INDEX

All
Miles

Tahoe
to
Whitney
All
Maps

Tahoe
to
Whitney

Echo
Summit
to
Carson
Gap

Meiss
Country

Carson Pass Region
Map

CPMA

Carson
Gap
to
Lake
Alpine

TYT
Carson
Gap
to
Ebbetts
Pass

PCT
Carson Gap
to
Lake
Alpine

TYT
Carson Pass
to
Ebbetts Pass

PCT

Echo Lake, Desolation Weather Stations

Weather
Page

Tahoe Forecast

Tahoe Radar

map info

Road Map

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
Maps and Mileages
TRAIL GUIDE Indexes MAPS Miles and Elevations Weather, Map Data

30.71 miles from Meeks Bay Trailead to Echo Summit Trailead.

Click
BLACK DOTS
for
Detailed Maps
Click
RED DOTS
for
Trail Guide Information

ALL
DESOLATION WILDERNESS
North Desolation Wilderness Meeks Bay to Phipps Pass Phipps Pass to Lower Echo Lake
Lake Tahoecustom USGS Topo Backpacking Map featuring the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails through Desolation Wilderness.
ALL
DESOLATION WILDERNESS
North Desolation Wilderness Meeks Bay to Phipps Pass Phipps Pass to Lower Echo Lake

Road and Trailhead
access to
South Lake Tahoe
  Three Excellent Representative Trailheads
Highways 50 and 89

Meeks Bay, Echo Summit and South Upper Truckee Trailheads
  South Lake Tahoe Resources
Highways 50 & 89
 
 

More
Roadmaps

South Lake Tahoe
Resources

 

Lake Tahoe
Trailheads

 
         

Meiss Country Roadless Area
South of
Desolation Wilderness

Echo Lake to Echo Summit 7.5 map
                          Echo Summit to Carson Pass 7.5 map                            Echo Summit to Carson Pass 30 min map

This Location
The Tahoe to Yosemite, Tahoe Rim, and Pacific Crest Trails
through
Desolation Wilderness

Main Features: Meeks Bay is the trail head for the Classic Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, and an excellent entry point into the Desolation Wilderness for short and medium distance backpackers as well.

This map depicts the Tahoe to Yosemite trail from its Meeks Bay Trail head on Highway 89 to the Echo Summit on Highway 50. 11.5 miles South out of Meeks Bay the Tahoe Yosemite Trail route meets up with the Pacific Crest and Tahoe Rim Trails at a junction just Southwest of Phipps Pass and .85 of a mile North of Middle Velma Lake. From there our three combined trails hike South through the length of the Desolation Wilderness.

The marked route of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail on the above topo hiking maps is linked to ten underlaying detailed topo hiking maps. These maps are in turn linked to underlaying trail guide pages along with more maps and miles information. You will find a linked list of major points along this section of our trail below.

Click along the route on the map above near Lake Genevieve for the little Meeks Bay to Phipps Pass section of topo map. Click Meeks Bay for the North Desolation Topo Hiking Map. Likewise, clicking near Phipps Pass brings a detailed map covering the trail down to Middle Velma, Fontanillis and Dicks Lakes, as well as Dicks Pass. Another click South of Dicks Pass brings us a backpacking map covering Susie and Heather Lakes past Lake Aloha to the end of the Wilderness above the Echo Lakes. Around Lake Aloha and down to Echo Summit we have detailed sections of maps to give us a degree of familiarity with the terrain. This will help us plan our trips as well as impart a degree of familarity with the terrain.

Explore the resources linked to the maps above. The underlaying detailed maps have red dots which are linked to trail guide pages covering that specific location on the trail. The trail guide pages have images, videos, miles, and elevations with written descriptions of the trails and terrain.

Each page invites your input to add to the depth and range of the guide and forum.

Note that we have many access trails to the main Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Routes that span the Desolation Wilderness from trailheads off of Highway 89 between Meeks Bay and Fallen Leaf Lake. The Meeks Bay to Echo Lake route depicted above crosses the whole length of the Desolation Wilderness, yet you can use the series of trailheads along the West shore of Lake Tahoe to craft many fine loops or in and out backpacking trips into the heart of Desolation Wilderness.

No matter where you begin your backpacking trip you will need to hike the main PCT-TYT to cover significant miles along the High Sierra Crest.

That's where this long distance trail guide can help.

MAP NOTE
Those squares breaking the USGS maps up into grids are the Universal Transverse Mercator / Military Grid Reference System, otherwise commonly known as UTM.

What's important for our general reference purpose is that each side of a square is 1000 meters, or a Kilometer.

From my point of view that is 1093 yards or .62 of a mile.

Diagonal: 1414.22 meters, if my trig is correct.

That converts into 4,639.8 feet or .88 of a mile.

Map Information All Map Symbols
Common Map Symbols
Online and Trail Maps Online Length Conversion

 

Specific
Miles, Elevations, and Mapping
Information

Mileages and Elevations

Section Maps: Meeks Bay to Echo Summit

Section Miles and Elevations: Meeks Bay to Echo Summit

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit: 30.71 miles

Meeks Bay up to Phipps Pass

Topo Map: Meeks Bay to Lake Genevieve

+2561 feet, 8.88 miles

Location                         Elevation           Mileage

Start: Meeks Bay                6239                     0

                                          +1161

Lake Genevieve                 7400                  4.39

                                              +40                     .38

Crag Lake                         7440                  4.77

                                          +120                     .58

Hidden Lake Jnct                7560                  5.35

                                             +240                    .68

N. side, Stony Ridge Lake   7800                  6.03

                                               --                        .59

S. side, Stony Ridge           7800                   6.62

                                            +560                   1.13

Rubicon Lake                    8360                   7.75

                                             +40                     .14

Grouse Lake Jnct               8400                   7.89

                                             +400                     .94

Grouse Jnct 2                    8800                   8.73

                                                 0                      .15

Phipps Pass                          8800                   8.88

Total elevation gain, Meeks to Phipps: 2561'

 

Backpacking Phipps Pass down to Middle Velma Lake

Desolation Wilderness

Topo Map: Phipps Pass to Lake Aloha

- 880 feet, 3.44 miles

Phipps Pass                          8800                 8.88

                                              -720                   2.62

PCT Junction                     8080                   11.5

                                            -160                     .82

Middle Velma Lake                7920              12.32

 

Backpacking Middle Velma up to Dicks Pass

Desolation Wilderness

Topo Map: Phipps Pass to Susie Lake

+1430 feet, 4.51 miles

Middle Velma Lake              7920                 12.32

                                               +40                        .10

Velma Lakes Trail Jnct         7960                12.42

                                                   --                       .27

Maggie Peak/Emrld Bay Jnct 7960               12.69

                                               + 400                   1.17

Fontanillis Lake N. side          8360               13.86

                                                      --                    .67

Fontanillis Al camp #2             8360              14.53

                                                  +120                   .65

Maggie Peak/Emrld Bay Jnct #2 8480         15.18

                                                       +910            1.65

Dicks Pass                              9390               16.83

 

Backpacking Dicks Pass down to Susie Lake

Desolation Wilderness

-1590, 2.93 miles

Topo Map: Phipps Pass to Lake Aloha

Dicks Pass                           9390                16.83

                                             -1090                  1.33

Gilmore Lake Jnct               8300                   18.16

                                             -180                        .59

Hlf Moon/Gln Alpine Jnct      8120                 18.75

                                                -240                      .30

Glen Alpine Jnct 2                  7880                19.05

                                                 -80                      .31

E. side Susie Lake               7800                 19.36

                                             --                            .40

W. side Susie Lake                7800                19.76

 

Susie Lake to the North side of Lake Aloha

Topo Map: Phipps Pass to Lake Aloha

+320 feet, 1.4 miles

W. side Susie Lake              7800                  19.76

                                              +120                      .56

W. side Heather Lake        7920                 20.32

                                             +200                     .84

N. Lake Aloha/Rubicon Jnct 8120              21.16

 

North side of Lake Aloha to Echo Summit

End of the Desolation Wilderness

Topo Map: Aloha Lake
Map: Upper Echo Lake        Map: Lower Echo Lake

- 706 feet, 9.55 miles

N. Lake Aloha/Rubicon Jnct 8120                21.16

                                                 +40                   1.42

Lake of the Woods Jnct       8160                 22.58

                                                 -80                      .59

Lake Lucille/ Margery Jnct, (L)

and Lake of the Woods (R)      8080              23.17

                                                  +240                  .41

Lake Lucille/ Margery Jnct, #2 (L),

and Lake of the Woods #4 (R)   8320           23.58

                                                       -80                 .76

Traingle/Lilly Lakes Jnct             8240          24.34

                                                       -360              .68

Tamarack Lake Jnct                   7880            25.02

                                                       -80                 .46

Triangle/Lilly 2nd Jnct                7800         25.48

                                                       -280              .61

Boat Taxi Dock                          7520           26.09

                                                   -106              2.62

Echo Lake Trail Head                 7414           28.71

                                                        -37             2.00

Echo Summit Trail Head              7377          30.71

 

Miles and Elevations for the Next Trail Segment SOUTH
Echo Summit to Carson Pass miles and Elevations

Topo Map Information

Map Names: Placerville and Truckee Calif., 1976 and 1977, 30x60 minute USGS Topographic Maps

 

Compass Offset: Magnetic North is 18 degrees, 34 minutes East of True North

 

scale: 1:100 000

Contours: 50 meters

 

Backpacking permitting authority

TahoeWhitney: Contact Information

Feds: Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

 

 

National Forest: LTBMU

Wilderness Area

TahoeWhitney: Meiss Country Roadless Area

Feds: Desolation Wilderness

 

Physical location

Meeks Bay Trailhead and Highway 89 ON A CUSTOM GOOGLE MAP

 

 

Download Free USGS Topo Maps

USGS Map Locator

INSTRUCTIONS

1>Locate the position you need a map for on the google map.

2>CLICK the MARK POINTS mode.

3>Select the size of MAP FOOTPRINTS you wish to see.

4>CLICK the Map Footprint you want to down load. This will leave a red marker on that map footprint.

5>CLICK the red marker, and the maps available for you to download will appear.

6>Select and download the map you need.

NOTE: These are "GEO Maps" that load in Adobe Reader with many cool functions. If you want to manipulate and print custom sections, you must first load the map into MS Paint before it can be manipulated in PhotoShop.

 

Back to the Meeks Bay trail head

Back to the Tahoe to Alpine Trail Guide Index

 

Map Credit

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Inferior

The USGS

USGS MAP LOCATOR

Move the Map to the Sierras. Select size of Maps you wish to locate. Click "Mark Point" on map to see the USGS map grid of the selected map scale.

The USGS Rocks!

USGS Topographic

Map Information

Common Map Symbols

 

North Topo Map: None                              South Topo Map: Echo Summit to Carson Gap

Elevations   More Information

Lake Tahoe
6226 feet

Meeks Bay Trail head
6239 feet

elevation change
13 feet

Trail Guide, Section: Meeks Bay to The Carson Gap

Trail Guide, location: Meeks Bay Trailhead

Google Map: All Lake Tahoe trailheads

Trailhead
Comments-Questions
Contact
Alex Wierbinski

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Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

Your guide to backpacking the Sierra Crest, including the Tahoe to Yosemite, Pacific Crest, and John Muir Trails

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