Glen Alpine Trailhead
- Most popular Desolation entry
- Permit required
- Gilmore & Susie Lakes
Day-use & overnight permit required
Full detailsMore on recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)ActivitiesBackpacking
Backpacking around Lake Tahoe
Desolation Wilderness puts granite basins and dozens of alpine lakes a few hours' walk from the road. The east shore's Spooner Backcountry is a gentler first trip.
Conditions today
- Right now
- 72°F, Sunny
- Today
- High 72°, low 48°
- Wind
- 8 mph
- Campfires
- Metal rings only
- TomorrowPartly Cloudy, 10% chance of rain68° 45°
- ThuMostly Clear, 5% chance of rain74° 50°
- FriPM Storms, 75% chance of rain61° 44°
Best months
- Jan: out of season
- Feb: out of season
- Mar: out of season
- Apr: out of season
- May: out of season
- Jun: possible
- Jul: best
- Aug: best
- Sep: best
- Oct: possible (this month)
- Nov: out of season
- Dec: out of season
The high country is usually snow-free from July to September. June and October trips are possible but expect snow patches or cold nights.
Know before you go
- Permits
- Overnight trips in Desolation Wilderness need a permit from Recreation.gov, and popular zones sell out for summer weekends. Spooner Backcountry needs no permit.
- Fires
- Campfires are not allowed in Desolation Wilderness. Bring a stove.
- Bears
- Store food and anything scented in a hard-sided bear canister, away from your tent.
- Trailheads
- Glen Alpine and the other main entry points fill early on summer weekends. Arrive early or start midweek.
Shore by shore
North Shore
The Granite Chief Wilderness north of Palisades Tahoe is less crowded than Desolation. The Five Lakes Trail is a 4-mile day hike or easy overnight.
East Shore
Spooner Backcountry has three primitive walk-in campgrounds with no permit required — the easiest introduction to Tahoe backcountry. The Marlette/Hobart circuit is a 2-night classic.
South Shore
Glen Alpine is the most popular Desolation entry point. Arrive early for trailhead parking on summer weekends. Gilmore, Susie, and Half Moon Lakes are all reachable in a day.
West Shore
Desolation Wilderness via the Bayview trailhead gives quick access to Granite Lake and the Velma Lakes basin. Day-use and overnight permits are required — apply at recreation.gov.
6 places for backpacking
Open the backpacking mapEcho Lake Trailhead
- PCT junction
- Water taxi option
- Lake Aloha
Overnight permit required
Full detailsMore on recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Bayview Trailhead
- Granite Lake
- Quick Desolation entry
- 4mi RT to lake
Day permit recommended
Full detailsSpooner Backcountry
- NO permit required
- 3 primitive camps
- Flume Trail access
No permit — first-come
Full detailsMore on parks.nv.gov (opens in a new tab)Five Lakes — Granite Chief
- Granite Chief Wilderness
- Less crowded than Desolation
- No permit
No permit required
Full detailsDick's Peak via Velma Lakes
- Expert
- 18mi
- 3,800ft gain
- Multi-day loop
- Desolation permit
Overnight permit required
Full detailsGear and rentals nearby
Open the amenities map- REI — South Lake TahoeOutfitter, South Lake Tahoe, CAFull outfitter, Rentals, Expert staff
- Tahoe Outdoor CenterOutfitter, Tahoe City, CAGear, advice & guided adventures
- Alpenglow SportsOutfitter, Truckee, CABackcountry & ski, Climbing gear, Truckee hub
- Dave's Ski & BoardOutfitter, South Lake Tahoe, CASki & snowboard rentals & tuning
- Basin Gear & SupplyCamping supplies, Kings Beach, CACamping specialist, Stoves, packs & bear canisters
- Tahoe City Hardware & SupplyCamping supplies, Tahoe City, CACamp supplies, Propane, Firewood
Guides and official sites
These open on other websites.
- Permits on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)recreation.gov
- Forest Service: Lake Tahoe Basin (opens in a new tab)fs.usda.gov
- Tahoe Rim Trail Association (opens in a new tab)tahoerimtrail.org