Desolation Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Desolation Wilderness is a 63690 acres (257.7 km²) federally protected wilderness area located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, just southwest of Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...

 in El Dorado County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is a popular backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

 destination, with much barren rocky terrain at the edge of the tree line: it has extensive areas of bare granite. Lake Aloha
Lake Aloha
Lake Aloha is a large shallow backcountry lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe. The lake is located in Desolation Valley, within the federally protected Desolation Wilderness area. It can be reached by hiking west from Echo Lake or the Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead,...

 is a feature of the wilderness area, with shallow, clear waters sitting in a wide granite basin carved by glaciers in the last ice age. The Crystal Range is within the wilderness with Pyramid Peak
Pyramid Peak (California)
Pyramid Peak is a mountain in the California's Sierra Nevada within the Crystal Range and to the west of Lake Tahoe. It is the highest point in the Desolation Wilderness. With an elevation gain of almost , the Rocky Canyon route is the mountain's most popular approach although it is very arduous....

 as the highest point in the range and in the wilderness at 9987 feet (3,044 m) in elevation. Among the many waterfalls within the wilderness is Horsetail Falls
Horsetail Falls (California)
Horsetail Falls is a waterfall in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness of El Dorado County, California, United States. It falls in stages for nearly 500 ft . It can be reached by hiking north out of the Twin Bridges trailhead on U.S. Route...

.

History

The location was originally set aside as the Desolation Valley Primitive Area in 1931 with an area of 64000 acres (259 km²). In 1969, it became the Desolation Wilderness.

It is within the Eldorado National Forest
Eldorado National Forest
Eldorado National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada mountain range, in eastern Eldorado National Forest is a [[U.S. National Forest]] located in the central [[Sierra Nevada |Sierra Nevada]] [[mountain range]], in eastern Eldorado National Forest is a [[U.S...

 and is managed by the US Forest Service. The national forests began as forest "reserves" and were managed by the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...

 until the Forest Service came into existence in 1905.

Access

The following is a list of trailheads that provide access to the wilderness.

The Tahoe Rim Trail
Tahoe Rim Trail
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165-mile long-distance hiking trail which forms a loop around Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada and Carson ranges of California and Nevada in the United States. The trail ranges in elevation from 6,240 feet at the outlet of Lake Tahoe to 10,338 feet at Relay Peak in Nevada...

 and Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...

 pass through the wilderness.
  • Loon Lake
    Loon Lake (California)
    Loon Lake Reservoir is a reservoir in the El Dorado National Forest of El Dorado County, California, United States. The lake is formed by Loon Lake Dam, completed in 1963 by Sacramento Municipal Utility District to conserve spring snow melt runoff for use during the summer and autumn for...

     Trailhead
  • Buck Island Trailhead
  • Van Vleck Trailhead
  • Rockbound Trailhead
  • Twin Lakes Trailhead
    Twin Lakes Trailhead
    The Twin Lakes Trailhead or Wrights Lake Trailhead is located at the north end of Wrights Lake road off Highway 50 a few miles east of Kyburz, California just to the west of Lake Tahoe...

  • Lyons Trailhead
    Lyons Trailhead
    The Lyons Trailhead or Lyons Creek Trailhead is located on Wrights Lake Road off Highway 50 about half way to Wrights Lake.Some of the destinations most accessed by the trailhead are Lyons Lake and Sylvia Lake as well as the rest of the Desolation Wilderness...

  • Twin Bridges Trailhead
    Twin Bridges Trailhead
    The Twin Bridges Trailhead or Pyramid Creek Trailhead is located off Highway 50 a couple miles east of Strawberry, California, near Echo Pass....

  • Ralston Trailhead
  • Echo Trailhead
  • Echo Lakes Trailhead
  • Glen Alpine Trailhead
    Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead
    The Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead or Glen Alpine Trailhead is located off Highway 89 a few miles north of South Lake Tahoe, CA at Fallen Leaf Lake just to the west of Lake Tahoe...

  • Mount Tallac Trailhead
  • Bayview Trailhead
  • Eagle Falls Trailhead
    Eagle Falls Trailhead
    The Eagle Falls Trailhead or Eagle Lake Trailhead is located on HWY 89 a few miles north of South Lake Tahoe, CA at Emerald Bay State Park on the western shore of Lake Tahoe....

  • Meeks Bay Trailhead
  • Horsetail Falls Trailhead

Permits are required for both day use and overnight camping. In the summer, a quota system is used to limit the number of visitors on any given day in the wilderness. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used protected areas in the United States.

Biology

The Desolation Wilderness provides a home for many species of plants, fish and wildlife.

Desolation Wilderness supports predominantly Red Fir
Red Fir
Abies magnifica, the Red Fir or Silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high altitude tree, typically occurring at altitude, though only rarely reaching tree line...

 and Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...

 forests with associated species such as Jeffrey Pine
Jeffrey Pine
The Jeffrey Pine, Pinus jeffreyi, named in honor of its botanist documenter John Jeffrey, is a North American pine related to Ponderosa Pine.-Distribution and habitat:...

, Mountain Hemlock
Mountain Hemlock
Tsuga mertensiana, known as Mountain Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Tulare County, California....

, Western Juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...

, and Western White Pine
Western White Pine
Western White Pine, Pinus monticola in the family Pinaceae, is a species of pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. The tree extends down to sea level in many...

. Most forested areas occur between 7,400-9,000 foot (2250–2750 m) elevations, becoming patchy to rare at higher elevations. These hardy trees take root in excessively rocky and often nutrient-poor soils. As much of the ground surface in Desolation is bedrock granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...

: soils are limited. Decomposed granite accumulations are often shallow deposits within glacially
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

 scoured basins. The most extensive forested areas are found on moist soils bordering lakes, streams, and meadows. The limited tree cover in Desolation is valuable for watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and esthetics.

The sparse woodlands of widely scattered western junipers and lodgepole pines are interrupted by patches of montaine chaparral species such as Pinemat Manzanita
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...

, Huckleberry Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

, and Mountain Pride Penstemon
Penstemon
Penstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...

 clinging to the expanses of barren rock. There are many wet meadows throughout the wilderness, each unique due to the differences in elevation, exposure, soil composition and soil depth, resulting in a wide diversity of annual and perennial plant life. A variety of wildflower species, sedges, and grasses inhabit these fragile wet areas. Aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...

 and Willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

 are common to these wetland areas.

Mule Deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...

 are the largest of the game species found within the wilderness. Black Bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

s are increasingly common, with individuals being displaced from the Tahoe Basin and lower elevation western slopes into the higher country. More common, yet seldom seen, are the smaller mammals like Coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

, Porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...

, Badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...

, and Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

. Species of special interest that are very rare in the area are the Fisher
Fisher (animal)
The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...

, Pine Marten
American Marten
The American marten is a North American member of the family Mustelidae, sometimes referred to as the pine marten. The name "pine marten" is derived from the common but distinct Eurasian species of Martes...

, Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...

, and Wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...

.

Desolation also provides an ideal habitat for numerous alpine rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....

s such as the Yellow-bellied Marmot
Yellow-bellied Marmot
The yellow-bellied marmot , also known as the rock chuck, is a ground squirrel in the marmot genus.-Description:...

, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
The golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis, is a type of ground squirrel found in mountainous areas of western North America. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is preyed upon by hawks, jays, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. A typical adult...

 and Douglas Squirrel
Douglas Squirrel
The Douglas Squirrel is a pine squirrel found in the Pacific coastal states and provinces of North America. It is sometimes known as the Chickaree or Pine Squirrel, but since Chickaree is also used for the American Red Squirrel and Pine Squirrel for the genus Tamiasciurus, these alternative names...

. Also found is a member of the rabbit and hare family, the Pika
Pika
The pika is a small mammal, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tail. The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae . One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species...

. There are also a variety of mountain birds like the Steller's Jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...

, Clark's Nutcracker
Clark's Nutcracker
Clark's Nutcracker , sometimes referred to as Clark's Crow or Woodpecker Crow, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae. It is slightly smaller than its Eurasian relative the Spotted Nutcracker . It is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers...

, Mountain Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
The Mountain Chickadee is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Often, it is still placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships...

, Sooty Grouse, Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
The Mountain Bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm . They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast,...

, American Dipper
American Dipper
The American Dipper , also known as a Water Ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown, and white feathers on the eyelids cause the eyes to flash white as the bird blinks. It is 16.5 cm long and weighs on average 46 g...

, occasional Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...

, and others.

Within Desolation's numerous lakes and streams are also a variety of game fish such as the rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....

 and brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...

. Excellent fishing can be had at Gilmore Lake
Gilmore Lake
Gilmore Lake in California is a backcountry lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness. It can be reached by hiking west out of the Glen Alpine Springs trailhead near the town of South Lake Tahoe. This lake offers great fishing for Lake trout.-...

. Less common, but also present are brown
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....

 and golden trout
Golden Trout
The golden trout is a sub-species of the rainbow trout, and it closley resembles the juvenile Rainbow trout. The fish is also known as the California golden trout and is native to Golden Trout Creek, Volcano Creek and the South Fork Kern River. Another variant, O. m...

.

Peaks

  • Angora Peak
    Angora Peak
    Angora Peak is a summit in the Sierra Nevada south of Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California. The area is administered by the Eldorado National Forest and is in the Desolation Wilderness....

  • Blue Mountain
    Blue Mountain (California)
    Blue Mountain is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada west of Lake Tahoe on the border of the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Crystal Range
  • Dicks Peak
  • Echo Peak
    Echo Peak
    Echo Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada range to the west of Lake Tahoe on the border of the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Lost Corner Mountain
    Lost Corner Mountain
    Lost Corner Mountain is a mountain summit in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe on the border of the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California. The city closest to it is Meyers, California which is 4.4 miles away....

  • Maggies Peak
    Maggies Peak
    Maggie's Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe. It is located in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California. This mountain overlooks Lake Tahoe and affords very good views of the lake....

  • McConnell Peak
    McConnell Peak
    McConnell Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at the north end of the Crystal Mountains , to the west of Lake Tahoe. It is located in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Middle Mountain
    Middle Mountain
    Middle Mountain is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Mount Agasiz
  • Mount Price
    Mount Price (California)
    Mount Price is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada at the southern end of the Crystal Mountains, and southwest of Lake Tahoe. The summit is located in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Mount Tallac
    Mount Tallac
    Mount Tallac is a mountain peak southwest of Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California. The peak lies within the Desolation Wilderness on the Eldorado National Forest. It is quite visible from State Route 89...

  • Mount Ralston
    Mount Ralston
    Ralston Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe within the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California. Ralston Peak is a very popular mountain to summit for the views of the wilderness area as it lies very near U.S. Route 50. The easiest trailhead...

  • Phipps Peak
    Phipps Peak
    Phipps Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe within the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Pyramid Peak
    Pyramid Peak (California)
    Pyramid Peak is a mountain in the California's Sierra Nevada within the Crystal Range and to the west of Lake Tahoe. It is the highest point in the Desolation Wilderness. With an elevation gain of almost , the Rocky Canyon route is the mountain's most popular approach although it is very arduous....

  • Red Peak
  • Rubicon Peak
    Rubicon Peak
    Rubicon Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....

  • Silver Peak
  • Talking Mountain
    Talking Mountain
    Talking Mountain in El Dorado County, California is peak in the Sierra Nevada located on the high ridge that extends eastward form the summit of Ralston Peak in the Eldorado National Forest. It is east of Lake Tahoe, south of Echo Lake and marks the border of the Desolation Wilderness. South of the...

  • Tells Peak
    Tells Peak
    Tells Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada at the very north end of the Crystal Range , to the west of Lake Tahoe. It is located in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California....


Lakes

  • Boomerang Lake
  • Clyde Lake
  • Dicks Lake
  • Eagle Lake
    Eagle Lake (Desolation Wilderness)
    Eagle Lake is a backcountry lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness. It can be reached by hiking west out of the Eagle Lake trailhead on HWY 89 at Emerald Bay State Park.-External links:*...

  • Fontanillis Lake
  • Forni Lake
  • Gertrude Lake
  • Gilmore Lake
  • Grouse Lake
  • Half Moon Lake
  • Island Lake
  • Lake Aloha
    Lake Aloha
    Lake Aloha is a large shallow backcountry lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe. The lake is located in Desolation Valley, within the federally protected Desolation Wilderness area. It can be reached by hiking west from Echo Lake or the Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead,...

  • Lake Suzie
  • Lake of the Woods
    Lake of the Woods (California)
    The Lake of the Woods is a backcountry glacial lake in the Desolation Wilderness of the El Dorado National Forest, southwest of Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California. It lies just southeast of Lake Aloha....

  • Lost Lake
    Lost Lake (California)
    Lost Lake is a lake in the Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, south of Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California, United States....

  • Maud Lake
  • Pyramid Lake
  • Snow Lake
  • Twin Lakes
  • Tyler Lake
  • Velma Lakes
    • Lower Velma Lake
    • Middle Velma Lake
    • Upper Velma Lake

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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