Valid permit is required for day and overnight visits year-round. Enter Desolation Wilderness on the reserved permit start date. During the quota season, you must stay your first night within the destination zone on your permit. Permit is not valid until signed.

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How much is a Desolation Wilderness Permit?

Reservations are now made online by visiting Overnight wilderness permit fee is $5 per person for the first night and $10 per person for two or more nights up to 14 days (non-refundable). Children 12 and under are free. Golden passes do not apply to personal use permits.

Can I camp anywhere in Desolation Wilderness?

Interactive Map – Camping Areas In general, trail users must camp within 300 feet of the trail corridor and at least 200 feet away from water sources and 100 feet away from trails. Camping is prohibited at trailheads. … Camping in Desolation Wilderness is by permit only (see permits below).

How do you get a day permit for Desolation Wilderness?

Reservations for Desolation Wilderness overnight permits are available through the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) at Recreation.gov or by calling (877)-444-6777. Reservations are available from one day up to 6 months in advance of entry date.

Do I need a permit to backpack in El Dorado National Forest?

You must book permit in advance. Permit offices remain closed until further notice. Virtual services for trip planning are available. Eldorado National Forest – Call 530-647-5415 for more information 7 days/week, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Do I need a permit for Lake Tahoe?

Permits are required year-round for both day and overnight use in most of the wilderness areas. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit manages Meiss Country roadless area and shares management duties of Desolation Wilderness with the Eldorado National Forest, and the Mt.

Can you have a fire in Desolation Wilderness?

Campfires –Campfires are prohibited in Desolation Wilderness to reduce human-caused fires, impacts to vegetation from firewood collection, and to reduce the visual impacts of fire rings and surface scarring.

Is fishing allowed in Desolation Wilderness?

In the 63,960 acres of Desolation Wilderness alone there are nearly 100 lakes dotting the landscape. But not all alpine lakes are created equal when it comes to backcountry fishing, and in some cases, it’s just not allowed. Historically, a majority of the high-elevation lakes in the Sierra were fish-less.

Do I need a permit to backpack in Tahoe National Forest?

Tahoe National Forest (THN) is 871,400+ acres of breathtaking mountains, wildflower meadows & crystal clear reservoirs. It’s one of the most popular national forests in the country, and you don’t need a permit to explore its backcountry, aka Granite Chief Wilderness.

Why is it called Desolation Wilderness?

That preservation became reality in 1969 when the land in the Sierra Nevada range known as the Desolation Valley Primitive Area became Desolation Wilderness by act of Congress, meaning that this land — this wilderness — is our land. It belongs to each and every one of us to have, to enjoy and to safeguard.

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Can you hike the Rubicon Trail?

Rubicon Trail Hike Rubicon Trail is a 16.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near South Lake Tahoe, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, camping, and nature trips and is best used from April until September.

How long is Desolation Wilderness?

This wilderness straddles both sides of the Sierra Nevada, averages 12.5 miles in length and eight miles in width, and has elevations ranging from about 6,500 feet to over 10,000 feet.

Are there bears in Desolation Wilderness?

Black bears are active in Desolation Wilderness and human/bear interactions have been on the increase. Bears have extremely keen noses and are attracted to food smells as well as to the scents of personal products such as toothpaste and deodorant. Bear-resistant canisters are highly recommended for food storage.

How long does it take to hike the Tahoe Rim Trail?

A thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail typically takes 10 to 15 days, but if you want to take your time there are plenty of side trails and a few towns to stop in. Allow yourself more time when there’s snow and ice on the trail.

Can u camp at Lake Tahoe?

Lake Tahoe offers visitors many camping opportunities. Whether you enjoy the convenience of a full service campground or the secluded primitiveness of wilderness camping, the National Forest land of the Lake Tahoe Basin has something for everyone. Please note: there is no “Dispersed Camping” in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Can I camp anywhere in El Dorado National Forest?

Visitors can camp just about anywhere in the naonal forest, unless specifically prohibited*.

Is dispersed camping allowed in El Dorado National Forest?

Guide to California: El Dorado Forest River and creekside campgrounds are plentiful. Free camping, or dispersed camping, is abundant on the lower elevation back roads in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Is dispersed camping allowed in Eldorado National Forest?

Dispersed camping is not allowed at Echo Lake, Caples Lake, Gerle Creek Reservoir, Ice House Reservoir, Kirkwood Lake, Silver Lake, Stumpy Meadows Reservoir, Woods Lake and Wrights Lake due to the popularity and heavy visitor traffic.

Are dogs allowed in El Dorado National Forest?

The Eldorado National Forest in the central Sierra Nevada covers portions of Alpine, Amador, El Dorado and Placer counties. Special places include the popular (and dog-friendly) Desolation and Mokelumne wilderness areas.

Can you camp at Lake Aloha?

There are campsites along the shores of Lake Aloha. Make sure to call ahead to the Placerville Ranger Station in Camino, CA to reserve a wilderness permit ($6 reservation fee plus $5/person for the 1st night, $10 more than 1 night). Parking can be very tough at Echo Lake, especially on weekends during the summer.

Do you need a bear canister for Desolation Wilderness?

We also strongly recommend carrying a bear canister in Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe. If you’re hiking the entire John Muir Trail, that’s the entire way. ALL of your food and scented items must be in the canister once you make camp.

Can you take dogs on the Tahoe Rim Trail?

Use Regulations Like most trails in the Tahoe Basin, the Tahoe Rim Trail is dog-friendly. The regulations affecting you and your dog vary depending on the agency that manages that stretch of the trail. Dogs on the trail should be kept leashed around other trail users, at trailheads, and on steep or slippery terrain.

How do I get to the Tahoe Rim Trail?

The only trailheads outside Tahoe City that can be directly accessed via public transit are in the Kingsbury Grade/Heavenly Boulder Resort area (in the southeastern section of the trail).

Can you camp anywhere in Tahoe National Forest?

Camping includes 20 tent sites (boat-in only), public restrooms and hiking trailheads. You can camp anywhere along the beach in the large bay. Bring your own water, and be sure to get a map online or at the National Forest Visitor Center.

Is camping allowed in Tahoe National Forest?

Camping opportunities in a variety of settings are abundant on the Forest. You can choose to camp in one of the 76 designated campgrounds on the Tahoe National Forest with assorted facilities or select more primitive camping with no constructed facilities.

Are campfires allowed in Tahoe National Forest?

No open fires, campfires or charcoal fires are allowed on Tahoe National Forest lands outside of designated areas, even with a valid California Campfire Permit, except within the oven at Wheeler Sheep Camp.

Do fish live in Lake Tahoe?

Lake Tahoe is home to a variety of fish including Lake (Mackinaw), Brown and Rainbow Trout, as well as a self-sustaining population of Kokanee Salmon (see Taylor Creek below). In fact, most of the fish in Lake Tahoe are the descendants of plants from over 100 years ago!

Why is it called Lake Aloha?

Fishermen hikers, noting the new leg left behind just a few months submerged rocks in the lake. And it just reminded people of islands out in the Pacific, which by association, made people think of Hawaii and just call it like Aloha.

What's Lake Tahoe elevation?

Located in the Sierra Nevadas, South Lake Tahoe is at an altitude of about 6,237 feet. Popular areas around Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, including Heavenly Mountain Resort, reach altitudes of 10,000 feet or more.

Is there gold in Desolation Wilderness?

Desolation has a history of European American use dating back to the 1800’s. Gold miners explored the granite mountains of the wilderness, but found only a few low-grade ore deposits. From the 1850’s to the 1930’s cattle were grazed in the Haypress Meadows area and in many other locations in the wilderness.

How many lakes are in Desolation Wilderness?

The granite and glaciers of the Sierra Nevada have strongly affected this region leading to the formation of well over 100 lakes of all sizes. There are seven main drainage areas to the Desolation.