Backpacking to Lake Aloha in the Desolation Wilderness is about 12 miles via the Glen Alpine Trailhead, or slightly longer via the popular Echo Lake route. This trail gains roughly 2,000 ft of elevation and is rated as a challenging trail with lots of foot traffic. This out and back trail is extremely popular, and you will likely pass lots of day hikers, weekend warriors, and thru-hikers on your trek. You can also easily turn this trail into a 13 mile loop with about 2,800 feet of gain from the Glen Alpine Trailhead to explore the length of Lake Aloha and opt for a quieter side of the trail.
Permits
Permits to stay overnight while backpacking to Lake Aloha in the Desolation Wilderness are required all year long.
In Desolation, permits are by zones, and Lake Aloha specifically is extremely competitive. Limited quantities are available from Friday of Memorial Day weekend to the end of September. Make sure you are planning in advance to hike this trail, or be flexible with your trip to get last minute cancellations.
Permits can be reserved up to six months in advance of your day of entry and can be for up to 12 people.
Check for your desired backpacking dates above on Outdoor Status or sign up to receive a push alert to your phone if your desired dates become available. We actually were able to hike this trail in 2023 because we got cancelled permits through Outdoor Status!
Trail Information
↟ This is a heavily trafficked trail that sees a heck of a lot of people during peak season. The hike from Glen Alpine is a beautiful trail, and Ive heard many people say its more favorable than the Echo Lake route, which is extremely rocky. Of course, hike your own hike.
↟Campfires are prohibited, but cooking stoves are ok.
↟ Bears frequent this area, make sure to store your food and smelly’s properly within your campsite.
↟Dogs are allowed! Please make sure they are leashed and you are properly disposing of dog waste in the backcountry (200 ft from trails and water sources).
↟Lake Aloha is a popular stop for backpackers in this area, as well as thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail and Tahoe Rim Trail. There are a lot of sites slightly off the trail at Lake Aloha, but most choose to camp right next to the Lake. Explore around a bit to find a great view!
↟ Parking can be difficult at the trailhead so make sure you arrive early. This is a popular trail with lots of foot traffic and outdoor folks looking for multi-day adventures. Doing this trail during the week is favorable.
↟ Choose a campsite at least 100 feet away from lakes, streams, or trails and where the ground can handle the impact of a tent. It is very important to do this in order to protect fragile ecosystems.
↟ Recreate Responsibly, and Leave No Trace. Stay on trail, don’t cut switchbacks, pack out your TP and trash, and be a good nature-loving individual.
Trail Report
Trip Dates: September 23rd-24th, 2023
Total Mileage: 12 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Trailhead: 33 Lake Aloha
We cashed out on our luck this September weekend when I received an early morning alert for permit cancellations for backpacking to Lake Aloha. In a last minute spur-of-the-moment decision, we set our sights on a weekend mission.
Desolation Wilderness has been on my list for quite some time, but had never been much of a priority to spend time seeking out permits or cancellations to go explore it. Ive always thought of this Wilderness to have a reputation of being an incredible places for high Sierra alpine lakes, majestic peaks, and a featured location for hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. I also think of it having an unfortunate reputation for drawing large crowds in the summer, and beign significantly unlucky for wildfire smoke that gets trapped in the Lake Tahoe basin.
For some odd reason on September 22nd, we decided to not head towards our trailhead like we usually do on Friday evenings. Instead we opted for an alpine-car-start at 4am, believing our good rest at home would fuel us for the next day (though I think it rarely works out that way). We threw our gear in the car, filled the thermos with coffee, and begrudgingly drove towards the Sierra to backpack to Lake Aloha.
We arrived to the Glen Alpine Trailhead a bit later than desired, just before lunch on a bustling Saturday afternoon. The windy gravel road to the Trailhead was full of visitors, most of them just visiting the small waterfalls in the area and a few venturing for a day hike or overnight excursion in Desolation.
Unsurprisingly, there were a few missteps with out early morning wake up call. Most importantly, we forgot our hiking poles. As I was reading reviews of the trail for backpacking to Lake Aloha, a few mentioned that the trail was pretty rocky, and hiking poles weren’t suggested as much as a necessity. Fantastic.
The trail was rocky and fairly exposed. Luckily, our weather window that Saturday was not too hot, which can be usual for this area during the late summer. The initial trail follows a rocky creek bed past a few mountain cabins before narrowing around Glen Alpine Springs Resort, a historic stop along the trail featuring one of Tahoe’s earliest establishments, discovered in 1863.
Once past some of the main forks of the trail near Gilmore Lake, the trail becomes especially enjoyable. Alpine Lakes in this section of the trail are much quieter, and make great stops for those looking for a shorter trail, or families.
Around Heather Lake, the trail becomes entirely scree up to Lake Aloha, but makes for a quick trip with great views. Thru hikers are very common in this section of the trail as they make their way North towards Donner Pass, or South to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. Many will stay in the Lake Aloha area overnight just off the trail.
As we reached the lake, we quickly made our way about half way down to find a campsite for the night. We ran up the rocky faces slightly to find a few flat spots with great vantage points of Aloha, as well as the distant peaks of Tuolumne in the distance. As we set up our tent, we crawled in for a short nap…
…and didn’t wake up for 3 hours. The downsides of an early morning wake up call for a send towards Tahoe.
By the time we woke up, it was nearly time for dinner and we noticed a significant shift in the weather. Our once clear skies with gentle brushstrokes of clouds quickly became streaked in a heavy, yet wispy smoke. Wildfires had started, unbeknownst to us, near Sacramento and blown into the Desolation area. The wind had kicked up significantly, and was roaring through the granite. The peaks we could once see in the distance slowly disappeared as the sky began to grow darker. We could visibly see the smoke hitting the top of the ridge behind Aloha, and spilling into the basin below, across towards Lake Tahoe.
I questioned staying overnight or bailing for potential cleaner skies towards Tahoe. We decided to stay through the night in hopes of a clearer morning, and enjoyed our hot soup as we watched the smoky sunset along the lake.
The evening was windy, but slowly calmed as the hours went on. My alarm went off a few minutes before sunrise, and I poked my head out of the tent to get a peek of the conditions. My throat was scratchy from a night of poor air quality, but to my surprise the smoke had cleared almost as if it had never blown in.
After a short walk around the area for sunrise, we had a small breakfast of oatmeal, instant chai and coffee, and packed our bags for a morning start back to the car. Other tents had just began to rise a we passed, and the thru-hikers that rolled in late last night we’re already long gone. The trail back to Glen Alpine was quick, and the weather was breezy, calm, and warm. By the time we made it back to the trailhead, the lot was full of another day of hikers looking for their next adventure, and we slowly made our way back towards Tahoe for a late morning coffee, and a well-deserved burger.
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Happy Hikin’!
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