Desolation Wilderness Permit — Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods (Zone 40): what makes it different

Zone 40 holds Lake of the Woods and Frata Lake, and the lake is one of four in Desolation where the Forest Service has marked individual campsites on posts. The quota is 20 people a night, and the zone can be walked in from Echo Lakes, Ralston or the Pyramid Creek Trailhead.^1,5,2

Getting to the start

Recreation.gov says access is through the Echo Lakes or Ralston trailheads. The Forest Service trailhead table also lists Lake of the Woods from the Pyramid Creek Trailhead, 3.6 miles one way and rated difficult, in Zone 40. Sierra Rec Magazine calls Echo Lakes the preferred start for backpackers.^5,3,8

The Forest Service puts Pyramid Creek on the north side of Highway 50 near Twin Bridges, 41 miles east of Placerville. The lot has flush toilets, is day use only, sunrise to sunset, and closes for winter. Its page shows a $10 parking fee in one place and no payment needed in another, so check before you drive.⁴

The first leg

From Echo Lakes, Sierra Rec describes about 5 miles one way and 1,600 feet of gain, sharing the path to Lake Aloha past Upper Echo Lake, Tamarack Lake and Ralston Lakes. About four miles in, a turnoff leads over a small ridge into the basin. Two hikers who went in put the distance at about 5.5 miles each way.^8,6

From Pyramid Creek the Forest Service table gives Horsetail Falls at 1.5 miles, Avalanche Lake at 1.8, Ropi Lake at 2.0 and Lake of the Woods at 3.6. All but the last sit in Zone 44, Avalanche. The Pacific Crest Trail is listed at 4.3 miles, in Zone 33.³

Terrain and difficulty

Sierra Rec describes the trail from Echo Lakes as a mix of granite and tree-covered dirt, moderate rather than hard, and busy near the trailhead in summer, thinning with each mile. A 2020 report on the Echo Lakes route walked in with the water taxi closed, which added about 3 miles, and found the sun intense and the trail markings sparse.^8,7

That 2020 writer took the Lake of the Woods cutoff on the way out, about a mile off the route, and noted the shrubby shoreline against the bare granite at Lake Aloha a mile away. A fall trip found the lake like glass on the second morning.^7,6

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Lake of the Woods (Zone 40), overnight: 20 people a day. The Forest Service table splits the 20 into 14 advance and 6 walk-in. It prints no year, so the figure was checked against Recreation.gov, whose daily total for zone 40 across May to September 2026 most often read 14, the advance share.^1,5

Rules specific to this entry point

The Forest Service rules sheet says campsites are designated within 500 feet of the north and east sides of Lake of the Woods. Each is marked with a 4x4 post with a tent symbol, and they are first come, first served only. You must camp within 30 feet of the post. If every post is taken when you arrive, you must camp more than 500 feet from the shore.²

Recreation.gov repeats the post rule, describes the lake as a special management area with multiple restoration sites marked by green decals, and says the sites run along the north, east and south shores. The rules sheet names only the north and east, so the south shore is unresolved. Do not camp on a restoration site.^5,2

Sierra Rec says the lake has no assigned campsites and that you pick a spot on the shore. That contradicts both the Forest Service and Recreation.gov, so follow the agency rules.^8,2,5

Where it leads

Frata Lake is the other lake named in the zone. Recreation.gov names it and gives no directions, and none of the reports read for this page describes it.⁵

Beyond the lake the route joins the Lake Aloha corridor. Aloha is in Zone 33, a quota of 36 people a night, and Tamarack Lake is in Zone 41, a quota of 20. Pyramid Creek visitors can add Avalanche Lake and Ropi Lake in Zone 44.^1,3,8

What trip reports say

A fall trip on a Friday camped at the lake about 100 feet from the shore, then moved under a tarp during a storm with rain, lightning and hail. The group chose a Friday to dodge crowds, met one backpacker and her friends, and had rangers check their permits that evening.⁶

The Echo Lakes trip published in October 2020 skipped the cutoff on the way in, took it on the way back, and camped at Lake Aloha in between. The writer says the trailhead was busy and parking filled quickly.⁷

When to go from here

The two trips came in mid-August and fall. Echo Lakes crowds are heavy in summer and thin on a fall weekday, and the fall group still met a storm with hail. The 2020 trip also had afternoon thunderstorms.^8,6,7

Compare with nearby entry points

• Avalanche: Avalanche (Zone 44) is the zone you cross from Pyramid Creek, with Avalanche Lake 1.8 miles in. Its quota is also 20 people a night, Avalanche Lake is rated difficult, and none of its lakes is on the rules sheet's list of marked-campsite lakes.^1,3,5
• Tamarack: Tamarack (Zone 41) is the next zone along the Echo Lakes trail, with the same quota of 20 people a night. Lake of the Woods is the one with posts for marked campsites and a cutoff about a mile off the Aloha route.^1,7,2

Sources

1. Desolation Wilderness Overnight Quota, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Desolation Wilderness rules and regulations, Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Desolation Wilderness Trails & Trailheads, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Pyramid Creek Trailhead, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Desolation Wilderness Permit, division 305 (40 Lake of Woods), Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Backpacking trip to Lake of the Woods in Desolation Wilderness, Avid Backpackers. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Desolation Wilderness Trip Report: Echo Lakes Trailhead to Aloha Lake, The Backpack Guide. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Explore Lake of the Woods in Desolation Wilderness, Sierra Rec Magazine. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Desolation Wilderness Permits, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Lake of the Woods permit