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Lake Aloha

Echo Lake, California

4.0/5
based on 2 reviews

Details

Distance

12.34 miles

Elevation Gain

1552 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Kyle Frost

A low effort, high reward backpacking trip to Lake Aloha in Desolation Wilderness. This is a great trip for beginner backpackers! Distance: about 12 miles round trip. Elevation gain: 1000ft.

You'll start the hike at the Echo Lakes trailhead, just off of Highway 50 in Lake Tahoe. The trail meanders past Lower and Upper Echo Lakes, slowly gaining altitude as you pass a smattering of summer cabins. The climb is enough to make you feel it, but before you know it, it's over.

Once cresting the "pass" you'll traverse mostly flat and slightly downhill terrain into the lake basin. The trail continues on the east side of the lake up towards Mosquito pass, but you'll want to jump off on one of the side trails heading west into the lake area.

There is plenty of camping around here; I recommend wandering around the myriad inlets and ponds until you find a spot sufficiently isolated and with a fantastic view. Fair warning, the basin can get VERY windy and VERY cold at night.

Enjoy an amazing sunrise and sunset over the Crystal Range!

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Features

Camping
Backpacking
Hiking
Forest
Lake
River

Reviews

We arrived at Echo Lakes trailhead a bit late in the day, so ended up stopping and camping at Lake Tamarack the first night, about 4 miles in. We went up to Lake Aloha for the second night-- absolutely stunning! However it was not easy to find solitude around here (main reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5). A very popular trailhead and lake, for obvious reasons. The early morning at Lake Aloha was the best part- day hikers and dogs were gone and the only people we saw/heard were far across the lake. It was my friend's first backpacking trip and I think it was a great first trip for her- elevation gain was not bad at all, and the scenery was just spectacular. We went in early August- the day was warm and sunny, but the evenings and mornings were cold and windy!! Can be done as a day hike, but worth staying and experiencing the calm if you can!

The Lake Aloha area is what I consider the heart of Desolation Wilderness. It's an easy to access destination that has the feel of desolation because of all the granite and lack of trees. It's also one of the few places in the Tahoe area that comes close to the big mountain feel of the central and southern Sierras. Lake Aloha can get very crowded in the summer but if you have a map and some basic off-trail navigation skills you can easily explore other lakes in Desolation Valley and find a lot more privacy.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Explore the Alpine Lakes of Desolation Wilderness

Cross-Country Ski or Snowshoe to Ralston Peak

Hike the Echo Lake Trail

Hike to Jabu Lake in Desolation Wilderness

Ski Ralston Peak

Backpack to the "Waterfall Camp" in Desolation Wilderness