USFS · California

Desolation Wilderness

Desolation Wilderness covers 63,475 acres of rugged alpine terrain west of Lake Tahoe, featuring granite peaks, glacial valleys, subalpine forests, and about 130 lakes. Elevations range from 6,500 to nearly 10,000 feet, with snow often blocking high passes until mid-July. Designated a Wilderness area in 1969, it includes 17 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and offers access through 13 trailheads, including popular ones at Wrights, Echo, Eagle Falls, and Fallen Leaf. The northwest section is quieter and more remote, requiring navigation skills.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness64,041 acresUSFSCADesignated 196941 campgrounds within 10 mi46 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Desolation Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
3 fires
active
Fy27 Hemlock Rx (prescribed burn) · 35 mi from the center
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateCalifornia
Size64,041 acres
Designated1969, by Congress
Center point38.92° N, 120.17° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Desolation Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.81 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.75 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.87 inches of precipitationApril: 1.27 inches of precipitationMay: 1.32 inches of precipitationJune: 0.55 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.39 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.36 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.28 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.43 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.94 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.49 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.6°F averageFebruary: 31.3°F averageMarch: 35.8°F averageApril: 40.4°F averageMay: 47.6°F averageJune: 55.1°F averageJuly: 61.5°F averageAugust: 60.4°F averageSeptember: 54.4°F averageOctober: 45.7°F averageNovember: 37.1°F averageDecember: 30.4°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at South Lake Tahoe AP, 10 miles from the center point at 6,314 feet, station USW00093230 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The station sits about 1,800 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 41 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 1.3 mi
Wrights Lake
Reservable77 sites
FS · 1.6 mi
Red Fir
Reservable1 site
FS · 1.7 mi
Lovers Leap
Reservable21 sites
FS · 1.8 mi
Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · 1.8 mi
Northshore Campground
Reservable25 sites
FS · 2.3 mi
Fallen Leaf Campground
Reservable208 sites
FS · 2.3 mi
Meeks Bay Resort
Reservable99 sites
FS · 2.3 mi
Loon Lake
Reservable82 sites
Show 4 more

29 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

46 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 204 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Pacific Crest Trail ↗54.8
Pacific Crest Trail ↗26.6
Rubicon ↗21.1
Tahoe Yosemite Trail ↗9.3
Rockbound ↗8.5
McConnell Lake Loop ↗7
Red Peak ↗6.7
Floating Island Trail ↗6.2
Lyons ↗5.1
Highland ↗4.5

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Fy27 Hemlock Rx

    35 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Big Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx

    45 mi from the center point · 170 acres

  • Prescribed
    Madrone Springs Underburn Rx

    48 mi from the center point

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 11 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Desolation Wilderness and California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin
    Jeffrey P. Schaffer, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Desolation Wilderness?

64,041 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Desolation Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Desolation Wilderness in?

California.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Desolation Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1969.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Desolation Wilderness?

Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Desolation Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 38.921° N, 120.172° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Desolation Wilderness right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy27 Hemlock Rx at 35 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there historic places near Desolation Wilderness?

The National Register has 11 listings within 15 miles, including Westphal, Laura Russ, House and Friday's Station.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.