Desolation Wilderness Permits
Pristine alpine wilderness in the Lake Tahoe region with over 130 lakes.
Getting There
Permits are required year-round for overnight use, and they are issued by destination zone: there are 45 zones reached from 15 trailhead entry points, and you must spend your first night in the zone on your permit. During the quota season, from the Friday before Memorial Day through September 30, the Forest Service publishes that 70% of each day's quota is reservable online at Recreation.gov from six months to one day ahead, and the remaining 30% is walk-in, same-day only, at the Placerville Ranger Station in Camino or the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Supervisor's Office in South Lake Tahoe. The overnight fee is $5 per person for one night and $10 per person for 2 to 14 nights, capped at $100 per permit, with children 12 and under free, plus a $6 per-party reservation fee. Day use needs a permit as well, and that one is free and not limited by quota at any time of the year. In summer you issue it to yourself at most major trailheads, or pick one up at the Placerville Ranger Station. In winter, roughly October to March depending on the weather, you need no day use permit at all, because one is only required when the boxes are installed at the trailheads.
Signature Experiences
The most sought-after permits in Desolation
Middle Velma
Overnight permit for the Middle Velma zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Aloha
Overnight permit for the Aloha zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Dicks Pass
Desolation Wilderness overnight trips near Dicks Pass, Lake Tahoe area. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, and no zone carries this name.
All Permits
Select a permit to learn more and set up alerts
Middle Velma permit
Overnight permit for the Middle Velma zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Aloha permit
Overnight permit for the Aloha zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Dicks Pass permit
Desolation Wilderness overnight trips near Dicks Pass, Lake Tahoe area. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, and no zone carries this name.
Wrights Lake permit
Desolation Wilderness overnight trips near Wrights Lake, Lake Tahoe area. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, and no zone carries this name.
Lower Velmas permit
Holds Lower Velma Lake, Upper Velma Lake, Azure Lake and Granite Lake. Access is from the Bayview or Eagle Falls Trailheads at Emerald Bay, and both climb steeply out of the gate.
Desolation Eagle permit
A zone for Eagle Lake alone, reached from the Eagle Falls Trailhead. It is a Special Management area: camping near the lake is restricted to designated sites marked with a tent symbol on a post, one group per site. Day use here is heavy.
Desolation Hemlock permit
Grouse Lake and Hemlock Lake, a Special Management area with designated campsites and restoration sites, reached from the Twin Lakes Trailhead. Day use at Grouse Lake is heavy.
Desolation Tamarack permit
Holds Tamarack Lake, Ralston Lake and Cagwin Lake, reached from the Echo Lakes Trailhead. Day use at Tamarack Lake is heavy, so arriving early makes campsite choice easier.
Desolation Rockbound permit
Overnight permit for the Rockbound zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Rubicon permit
Overnight permit for the Rubicon zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Tahoe Rim Trail permit
Desolation Wilderness zone permit for Tahoe Rim Trail thru-hikers. Recreation.gov sells it as "Tahoe Rim Trail (Thru Hike Only)" — it is not a zone permit for a single night out.
Granite Chief permit
Granite Chief is not in Desolation Wilderness, and no permit is required to go there. Granite Chief is a separate designated wilderness, managed by the Tahoe National Forest, and the Forest Service says wilderness permits are not presently required there for day or overnight use.
Lake of the Woods permit
Overnight permit for the Lake of the Woods zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Susie permit
Overnight permit for the Susie zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Twin Lakes permit
Overnight permit for the Twin Lakes zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Dicks Lake permit
Overnight permit for the Dicks Lake zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Island Lake permit
Desolation Wilderness overnight trips near Island Lake, Lake Tahoe area. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, and no zone carries this name.
Dicks Peak permit
Sits in the center of the wilderness on the eastern slope of Rockbound Valley and takes in Dicks and Jacks Peaks. Steep rugged terrain with no trails.
China Flat permit
Covers the upper Rubicon River watershed in Rockbound Valley, Clyde Lake, Mosquito Pass and the north shore of Lake Aloha. Primary access is the Echo Lake Trailhead, with more from the Rockbound Trailhead. The Rubicon Trail fords the river repeatedly.
Rockbound Pass permit
Lake Doris, on the eastern side of Rockbound Pass. Access is from the Rockbound Trailhead at Wrights Lake, over the pass.
Mount Price permit
The southern end of the Crystal Range, taking in Mt. Price, Pyramid Peak and the western shore of Lake Aloha. Trailhead access includes Lyons Creek, Twin Lakes, Rockbound and Echo Lake. Steep rugged terrain with no trails.
Desolation Cathedral permit
Cathedral Lake, reached from the Glen Alpine Trailhead, and Floating Island Lake, reached from the Mt. Tallac Trailhead.
Desolation Grass permit
Surrounds Grass Lake and is reached from the Glen Alpine Trailhead. Bear activity is known around Gilmore Lake, so store food properly.
Desolation Avalanche permit
Holds Horsetail Falls, Avalanche Lake, Pitt Lake, Ropi Lake, Osma Lake, Toem Lake and Gefo Lake. An off trail area reached from the Pyramid, Ralston or Echo Lakes Trailheads by primitive routes.
Buck Island permit
Buck Island is one of the trailheads you enter Desolation Wilderness from, in the Lake Tahoe area. The permit is issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, not by the trailhead you start at, so nothing is sold under this name.
General Creek permit
Overnight permit for the General Creek zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Halfmoon permit
Overnight permit for the Halfmoon zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Highland permit
Overnight permit for the Highland zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Loon Lake permit
Loon Lake is one of the trailheads you enter Desolation Wilderness from, in the Lake Tahoe area. The permit is issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, not by the trailhead you start at, so nothing is sold under this name.
Desolation Meiss permit
Meiss is not in Desolation Wilderness, and no permit is required to go there. Meiss Country is a roadless area on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, not part of Desolation, and the Forest Service says hiking permits are not currently required there for day or overnight use.
Desolation Pyramid permit
Pyramid Creek (Twin Bridges) is one of the trailheads you enter Desolation Wilderness from, in the Lake Tahoe area. The permit is issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, not by the trailhead you start at, so nothing is sold under this name. Its trail reaches Horsetail Falls, Avalanche Lake and Ropi Lake, all in zone 44.
Desolation Gilmore permit
Overnight permit for the Gilmore zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Ralston permit
Overnight permit for the Ralston zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Richardson permit
Richardson is one of the trailheads you enter Desolation Wilderness from, in the Lake Tahoe area. The permit is issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, not by the trailhead you start at, so nothing is sold under this name.
Desolation Schmidell permit
Overnight permit for the Schmidell zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Stony permit
Overnight permit for the Stony zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Triangle permit
Overnight permit for the Triangle zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Lyons permit
Overnight permit for the Lyons zone in Desolation Wilderness, which covers both Lyons Creek and Lyons Lake. Recreation.gov sells the zone, not the individual lakes.
Desolation Maude permit
Overnight permit for the Maude zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation McConnell permit
Desolation Wilderness overnight trips near McConnell, Lake Tahoe area. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, and no zone carries this name.
Desolation Miller permit
No Desolation Wilderness zone carries the name Miller. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, so nothing is sold under this name.
Desolation Olie permit
No Desolation Wilderness zone carries the name Olie. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, so nothing is sold under this name.
Desolation Rucker permit
No Desolation Wilderness zone carries the name Rucker. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, so nothing is sold under this name.
St. Joseph permit
No Desolation Wilderness zone carries the name St. Joseph. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, so nothing is sold under this name.
Desolation Tallant permit
No Desolation Wilderness zone carries the name Tallant. Desolation permits are issued by the zone you camp in on your first night, so nothing is sold under this name.
Desolation Waca permit
Overnight permit for the Waca zone in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe area.
Desolation Genevieve permit
Holds Lake Genevieve, Crag Lake and Hidden Lake, reached from the Meeks Bay Trailhead. The spur trail running west from Lake Genevieve to the General Creek Trail can be hard to find and follow.
Grouse Lakes permit
An east side zone of peaks and rugged terrain with no maintained trails. Grouse Lakes sit off a primitive trail heading south from the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail near the south shore of Rubicon Lake. The Grouse Lake near Wrights Lake is a different zone.
Brown Mountain permit
A large off trail zone at the northwest corner of the wilderness, made up of many unnamed ponds. Access is from the Loon Lake or Van Vleck Trailheads.
Desolation Tells permit
Holds Forni Lake, Tells, Silver and McConnell Peaks, and sections of the Red Peak and Highland Trails. Access is through the Van Vleck Trailhead.
Desolation Lelands permit
The primitive McConnell Lake Trail runs through this interior zone to Leland Lakes, McConnell Lake, Horseshoe Lake and 4 Q's Lakes. Access is through the Rockbound Trailhead at Wrights Lake.
Camper Flat permit
Sits in the center of Rockbound Valley with the Rubicon River running alongside the Rubicon Trail. Camper Flat is a multi-destination hub, and reaching it on a first night takes planning.
Desolation Phipps permit
Holds Phipps Lake, Phipps Peak and Phipps Pass. The Pacific Crest Trail and the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail both run through this zone, though the user trail to Phipps Lake itself can be hard to locate.
Lakes 3 and 5 permit
A western slope zone holding Lake #3 and Lake #5. Reach it from the Van Vleck Trailhead by the Red Peak Trail, or from the terminus of the Barrett Lake 4WD Trail at Barrett Lake.
Desolation Lawrence permit
Holds Lawrence Lake, Top Lake and Lake #9. Reach it by the Red Peak Trail from the Van Vleck Trailhead, or from the terminus of the Barrett Lake 4WD Trail.
Red Peak permit
Built around the primitive Red Peak Stock Trail, which is infrequently maintained and challenging in sections. Access is from the Rockbound Trailhead by the Rockbound Trail and Willow Flat Primitive Trail.
Desolation Lois permit
Surrounds Lake Lois and is reached from the Rockbound Trailhead. Allow enough time to cross Rockbound Pass and carry on to the zone for a first night's stay.
Desolation Kalmia permit
An off trail zone holding Kalmia Lake, Snow Lake and Tallac Lake, made up of ridgelines and rugged terrain.
Desolation Tyler permit
Holds Tyler Lake, Gertrude Lake and Umpa Lake, reached from the Twin Lakes or Rockbound Trailheads out of Wrights Lake.
Desolation Smith permit
Surrounds Smith Lake, reached from the Twin Lakes Trailhead. The Grouse Lake Trail from Hemlock Lake to Smith Lake is primitive and unmaintained.
Desolation American permit
Holds American Lake, Channel Lakes, Desolation Lake and Chain Lake, reached through the Echo Lakes Trailhead. This is an off trail zone.
Other California Areas
Explore more wilderness permits in the region
Point Reyes permits
4 permits
Lost Coast permits
1 permit
Trinity Alps permits
4 permits
San Gorgonio permits
6 permits
Desolation Permit FAQ
What permits are required for Desolation Wilderness?
Desolation Wilderness requires permits for various activities including Buck Island, General Creek, Halfmoon, Highland, Loon Lake, and 56 more. Each permit has different requirements and booking processes.
How do I get a permit for Desolation Wilderness?
Permits for Desolation Wilderness are available through Walk-Up, Reservation systems. Use PermitSnag to track availability and get notified when cancellations occur.
When should I apply for Desolation Wilderness permits?
Timing varies by permit type. Lottery permits typically open months in advance, while reservation permits release on a rolling basis. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to never miss an opening.