Desolation Wilderness Updates Summer 2016

Year around the Wilderness is known for rapidly changing and unpredictable conditions,

so always go prepared for storms, even in the summer months!

Wilderness Permits are available online or from ranger stations, and day use permits are available at some trailheads.  Due to weather and trail conditions, check with the forestry at that link before you go.

Call the Pacific Ranger Station at (530)644-2349

Desolation Wilderness aspen grove along Lyons Creek Trail in the fall of 2012.

Although it is a tradition, please refrain from carving initials into these colorful, soft bark trees.  It weakens their resistance to disease.

Visit Desolation's Volunteer website and join in on topics of discussion, check your trail mileages, trail conditions, use links, and give us your two cents worth! Here is an image of our site, using the menu bar at the top of the page, in this case, the Information tab.

http://www.desowv.org/

Here is the Desolation Volunteers Forums Page view.  You are invited to add notes, too.  My favorite item is the discussion topic "Defining Wilderness".  Some entries are inspiring!

Desolation Wilderness website view

 Thank you for coming and maybe the links can help you find another place to enjoy the outdoors.  

Until next time ~ HAPPY TRAILS!

Related Posts you might be interested in for nearby trails:

Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous

See the Full Table of Contents.

Added updated links and Table of Contents 06-2016

Updated June 9, 2014

Silver Lake, Hidden Lake, Granite Lake, & Amy Lake

We backpacked this moderate loop but spent our first night in the Silver Lake Campground.  It cost over $20/night.  The hosts were friendly, warm, and helpful.  There are vault toilets, firewood for sale, and each site had flat tent areas and well positioned fire rings.  There are short trails from the campground over to various lake areas.

One of Silver Lake's islands; have you been anyplace more idyllic?  I imagined meeting Tom Sawyer wading out to the boat.

Pastures a few miles from Silver Lake.  Horses grazed as lazily as the clouds that floated overhead.

 The jagged cliffs overlooking the Silver Lake basin.  As the sun rose and fell the cliffs took on dramatic shadows and depths. 

 

 Silver Lake in the evening.  The area is a mixture of mountain meadows, granite slabs to cross, and pine forests to meander through.  You'll find a variety of geological features.

 

 The brown in the skies was from a recent fire in San Joaquin.

 

 Another beautiful island that you can swim or paddle to near the campground.

 

 Granite Lake is large and a better place camp than other lakes we passed.  The water was less grassy and it is deeper so a swim is possible.

 

This is my least favorite.  It is surrounded by old cattle droppings and moss grows on the water.  More later.

 There are rental horseback riding stables, and a camping area that is set up for visitors with horses.

 

 Silver Lake came into view.

 

 The bugs were thick on the entire Amy Lake.  It is shallow and muddy, unsuitable for swimming.  There are fire rings around the lake, but it really looked unappealing to me since the water might be difficult to purify and filter, too.
 

 Amy Lake, okay, this one view of it is pretty.

 

 Wildflowers were at eye level and in full bloom!

 

 This trail is mostly well maintained and other than distance, if you do our loop, it is fairly easy.  On the flip side, there are numerous trails that break away from Hidden Lake Trail and head to Silver Lake for a swim, and maybe a shorter hike.  There are more fire ring sites to be found, too.
 

 We apparently took a turn that got us off-trail so we crossed the fallen tree (over a stream) to return to the correct trail.

 

 As you can see, there are plenty of hiking options, and Plasse Resort would also be a good starting point.  Note that if you enter Mokelumne Wilderness, you need to have obtained permits ahead of your hike.

 

 This was taken from Plasse parking.  There is a nearby boat ramp for Silver Lake. There are water faucets and picnic tables near the creek and "Shanty Town".  It is a trailer type park and next to it are campsites with small horse enclosures for the equestrian crowd.

 

Silver Lake at sunrise. 
We camped near Treasure Island without a campfire ring, off the trail.  Bears are common so we did hang our supplies in nearby trees.  The campgrounds have nice large metal "bear proof" storages in each site.  For reserving sites, I liked the ones along the creek which have a pleasant sound, and I avoided pond-side sites.  Mosquitoes like those sites!  There are sites for two vehicles parked side by side, for an extra fee.

 

To Plasse

 

East of CA88 is the campground we enjoyed.  We camped on the side closer to 88.  To get to the trailhead we drove along Kit Carson Road to the dirt parking.  (There is a fork in the road, go left.)

 

 

 

Driving Directions:
From Sacramento,
Take Highway 50E towards Lake Tahoe.
Take the Sly Park Exit.
Turn left on NF-5 Northern Emigrant Trail. Drive 24.6 miles.
Turn left on CA88.
Follow the signs to either Plasse Resort or to Silver Lake Campground for a great basecamp.  We chose the campground to the north of the lake, but there is another one across CA88 also.
This takes about 2 hours from Sacramento.

Silver Lake Campground
We drove through the cabin "neighborhood" along the west side of the lake to the road's end where there was ample free parking at the trailhead.  We started our hike by passing the green gate (locked) and following the old road for a short distance where we broke away from the road then walked through the old girls camp.

ASAP I will post our map and GPS tracks for you.

Happy Trails, and if you feel like finding more trails, check out Trails By Locations.