Lake Aloha Backpacking: How To Spend 3 Days In Desolation Wilderness
Looking for an easily accessible and beginner-friendly backpacking trail for the summer? Lake Aloha is a stunning destination for a backpacking trip, and 3 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in California’s Desolation Wilderness.
This is recommended as one of the best places to backpack to near Lake Tahoe, and we finally managed to book a trail permit in 2024 summer. Our 3-day backpacking itinerary is perfect for you if you enjoy taking it slow, or even if you want to have Lake Aloha as your base for nearby day hikes.
Here’s your guide on how to spend 3 days backpacking in Desolation Wilderness with Lake Aloha as the highlight. I’ve also included things you need to know before planning your trip there.
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Lake Aloha backpacking trail overview
This trail is part of the famous Pacific Crest Trail, beginning at Lower Echo Lake which sits at an elevation of 7,414 ft (2,260 m). Take an easy Day 1 with the hike from the trailhead to Tamarack Lake which looks out towards Ralston Peak.
On Day 2, we’ll pack up and continue the trail from Tamarack Lake to Lake Aloha. Once you’ve picked out a spot to camp at near Lake Aloha, you can hang out on a hammock, go for a swim, or even continue with more day hikes.
Finally when it’s time to leave Lake Aloha on Day 3, we’ll make a scenic detour down to Lake of the Woods and then back to the trailhead.
Duration: 3 days
Total distance: 12.7 miles (20.5 km)
Total elevation gain: 1,857 ft (566 m)
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Nearest parking spot: Rim trail and Echo lake parking trailhead
Trailhead name: Echo Lake Trailhead
Where we camped: Tamarack Lake, Lake Aloha
Trail map
This is the AllTrails map we referred to for our backpacking trip. You can also download it as a GPX file and upload it to your navigation device for future use. If you’re planning to take day hikes from Lake Aloha, do remember to download those before you set off too.
Get AllTrails+ to access offline trail maps
Things you need to know
Lots of people take this route during summer, including day hikers, backpackers, and even PCT thru-hikers. To help you plan your Lake Aloha backpacking trip with confidence, here are some things you need to know about the Desolation Wilderness area.
Getting trail permits and how it works
Firstly, you will need to reserve a Desolation Wilderness permit. The website can be a little daunting at the start, so let me break down how it works.
Step 1: Choose a destination zone (41 – Tamarack)
There are a total of 45 destination zones to choose from, and you will need to stay in your selected zone for the first night. Afterwards you’re free to change locations freely.
For our slower-pace itinerary we will spend our first night in zone 41 (Tamarack), so that’s what we’ll select in the dropdown. If you want to go straight to Lake Aloha for your first night, choose zone 33.
Step 2: Choose the number of group members
Step 3: Pick your dates (3 days)
Your permit is valid for as long as the number of days you select, and just need to exit the Desolation Wilderness by the last date booked.
Make sure to reserve your permits in advance (up to 6 months) since availability is limited from Memorial Day (late May) all the way to end September.
Step 4: Print permit from Recreation.gov within 7 days of entry date
Step 5: Bring your signed permit along
How much it costs
Reservation fee: $6 non-refundable per permit
Overnight fee: $10 per person for a 2-night trip (free if you have a Desolation Annual Pass)
We paid a total of $26 for this 3-day/2-night backpacking trip permit for two of us.
Best time to backpack to Lake Aloha
The best time to backpack Lake Aloha is in summer and early fall – mid July to early October. The mosquitoes would have become less of a problem from mid July onwards, and it stays warm through September.
My favorite part about our trip in July is all the colorful flowers we saw as we hiked into Desolation Wilderness. It usually doesn’t rain much in California during summer, but do expect the weather to be unpredictable in the mountains.
If you’re considering a trip during shoulder season, do note that there might still be snow on the trails in June. You could also stretch your backpacking season to late October if you’re prepared for cold weather camping.
Safety tips
Mosquitoes: The worst mosquito season here is during June and July when the snow melt creates stagnant pools of water. When we went in mid-July, this mosquito repellent helped us enjoy unbothered meal times Here are other ways to deal with the annoying mosquitoes:
- Treat your clothes with permethrin
- Use bug spray
- Wear a head net
- Avoid wearing dark colors because mosquitoes are attracted to it
Terrain: The trails are mostly rocky and gravelly, and we found sturdy boots to feel good on our feet. Hiking poles can also be helpful for descending to give you extra balance on unstable rocks.
Bear safety: You’ll be in black bear territory, so you are required to store your food in a bear canister. Make sure to bring one along.
Navigation: Make sure you have your offline trail maps downloaded (such as AllTrails), portable phone chargers, and maybe even a waterproof paper map for backup. A satellite communication device like Garmin inReach Mini 2 would also be good to have for emergency and weather updates.
Our 3-day Lake Aloha backpacking itinerary
Trip dates: mid July 2024
We took time off to celebrate my birthday in the Lake Tahoe area, and started our long weekend by driving from the San Francisco Bay Area. A 3-day itinerary works well for us so that we don’t have to rush to make it to the trailhead early.
Parking tends to be really limited here because Echo Lake trailhead is popular for both day hikers and backpackers. It was clearly a busy day when we went, because there were cars parked along both sides of Echo Lake Road – which is the next best parking alternative.
Day 1: Echo Lake To Tamarack Lake
Distance: 3.7 miles (5.9 km)
Elevation gain: 606 ft (185 m)
The weather forecast suggested that there would be scattered thunderstorms up till 3pm, so we thought we would be in the clear if we started after that. However, we learnt our first lesson about mountain weather that day – it is unpredictable.
Even though it wasn’t raining when we started our hike, it became a thunder and lightning situation 1 hour later. We knew that we would be gaining elevation after Upper Echo Lake so it’s not smart to expose ourselves to lightning risk higher up.
Since our hike wasn’t supposed to take too long on Day 1, we decided to go slow and turn back at the end of Upper Echo Lake if the weather didn’t improve.
We hung out at the Echo Lake Water Taxi pickup area since there was a little shelter. Unfortunately it was already past 5pm so we didn’t have the option to bail via the $22-per person water taxi. So, we just had snacks and counted the seconds between lightning and thunder to guess if the thunderstorm was moving away.
Thankfully the rain lightened up and the sky seemed to get a bit brighter, so we took our chances to quickly continue on to our campsite. It somehow felt reassuring to see other people on the trail too, and we exchanged hopeful remarks about the weather.
I guess God answered our prayers because it didn’t rain again for the rest of the evening. We finally arrived at Tamarack Lake not too long later and set up our tents with ease.
The sunset felt especially rewarding that day.
Day 2: Tamarack Lake To Lake Aloha
Distance: 2.9 miles (4.7 km)
Elevation gain: 577 ft (176 m)
We got up early to catch the sunrise, and were pleasantly surprised by the view of Echo Lakes from where we were camping at. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed a slow morning with breakfast and coffee.
We got some water to filter from Tamarack Lake, packed up, and set off towards Lake Aloha. Our intention was to get there early so that we could pick out a good campsite, and then enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
The trail going from Tamarack Lake to Lake Aloha takes a bit of effort as you’re gaining more elevation on this section. You might also see flowers in the alpine meadows as you get closer to Lake Aloha.
Spending the day at Lake Aloha
It was an amazing feeling to see Lake Aloha for the first time – it’s huge and the surrounding peaks are stunning. We couldn’t wait to set up camp and get comfortable. There are plenty of trees too, which would be great for setting up a hammock if you find a good spot.
You can check for flatter ground by seeing which part of the map has topographic lines that are further apart. That’s how we decided to check the area towards the south part of Lake Aloha which has plenty of established spots to camp at.
It rained a little after lunch, so we took a nap in our tent. After the sun came out, we decided to for a quick swim and try “island-hopping”. Other people had the same idea, though we were a little surprised to see some of them jumping off from rocks into the lake without clothes on.
We also took a walk around other parts of Lake Aloha before returning to our campsite for sunset and dinner.
Day 3: Returning from Lake Aloha (passing by Lake of the Woods)
Distance: 6.1 miles (9.9 km)
Elevation gain: 672 ft (205 m)
One of my favorite moments at Lake Aloha was during sunrise. The lake was still and the peaks took on an orange hue as the sun cast its first rays on the mountains.
Before heading back to civilisation, we have one more lake to check out – Lake of the Woods. We enjoyed a final breakfast by the lake, packed up, and joined the trail heading southwards and away from Lake Aloha.
The workout of the morning was to descend to the shores of Lake of the Woods and then go back up again. If you’ve had enough of lakes, you can also choose to skip it and cut back across to the PCT that you came from originally.
We enjoyed the detour to Lake of the Woods as we got to hike through a scenic forest trail with the lake view in the background. The trail eventually meets the Ralston Peak Trail at the top of the ridge, which marks the start of the downhill journey.
Finally, Upper and Lower Echo Lakes come into view and it looks amazing on a sunny day. Towards the end, we got really tired from all that downhill hiking with our backpacks. The rocky terrain also made that a little more challenging, which is why I highly recommend hiking poles for extra support.
At last, we made it back to the trailhead and we treated ourselves to overpriced ice cream from the Echo Chalet store.
Tips for backpacking to Lake Aloha
Here are some things that are not that obvious, but are great tips and reminders for backpacking to Lake Aloha.
Leave no trace
Lake Aloha is no secret – and it gets lots of visitors every summer. To make sure it stays beautiful for many years to come, here are some Leave No Trace principles to follow.
- Camp at least 100 ft away from the lake or trail
- Waste should be buried in a cat hole 6-8 inches deep, 200 ft away from water sources (toilet paper should be packed out)
- Don’t contaminate water sources with soap – even if it’s biodegradable
- Never feed wild animals, and keep a distance from them
In addition, take note that campfires are not permitted in Desolation Wilderness.
Preparing for wet weather
Make sure you’re prepared for wet weather conditions in the mountains, even if it’s not forecasted to rain. Here are some essentials to bring along:
- Rain jacket
- Backpack rain cover – soaked backpacks can get really heavy
- Separate set of dry sleeping clothes and socks
Echo Lake water taxi
The water taxi across Echo Lakes can save you 2.5 miles of hiking each way. It operates seasonally, usually in the summer from 9am to 5pm.
How to reserve:Â Call ahead to confirm schedules and availability as it’s first-come, first-served. Fees are typically around $22 per person (one way). They also require minimum 4 passengers (or $88) to start a taxi trip, so I’d avoid relying on these rides late in the day.
Conclusion
Although there are several other ways to backpack to Lake Aloha, I find that this 3-day trail is perfect for beginners. It also overlaps with the Pacific Crest Trail which is a pretty cool thing. The trail is also short enough that you can turn easily back anytime during the trip if something goes wrong.
If this sounds like the perfect summer backpacking trip, make sure to get your permits reserved as soon as you can. For more ideas, check out this article on the best California backpacking trips you need to try.