Eagle Lake & Lake Aloha
Desolation Wilderness (Emerald Bay) · near South Lake Tahoe · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 2 miles
- Elevation gain
- 500 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- July–October · Eagle Lake is a short classic; Lake Aloha is a longer 12-mi day
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- Free self-issue day-use permit at the trailhead (Desolation Wilderness). Eagle Lake is a short 2-mile round trip; continuing to Lake Aloha is ~12 miles. Overnight needs a reserved quota permit.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 2 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Eagle Lake: short & stunning · Eagle Falls at the trailhead · Gateway to Desolation Wilderness · Lake Aloha for a big day · Emerald Bay views
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- The trailhead is on Hwy 89 right at Emerald Bay — combine with the Emerald Bay paddle (kayak guide), Vikingsholm, and the beaches (swimming guide). Parking is extremely limited and fills at dawn in summer; arrive very early. The whole Desolation Wilderness beyond is a backpacker's paradise of granite and lakes.
The guide
The Eagle Falls trailhead above Emerald Bay is the most popular gateway into the Desolation Wilderness, and for good reason — w…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Eagle Lake & Lake Aloha — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.952, -120.116