Desolation Wilderness Permit — Meiss

Meiss Country (outside Desolation): what makes it different

Meiss Country is a roadless area on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, south of the basin and not part of Desolation Wilderness. The Forest Service says hiking permits are not currently required there for day or overnight use, so there is no quota and no permit to win. The common starting point is the Big Meadow Trailhead on Highway 89.^1,2

Getting to the start

The Forest Service describes Meiss Country as a primitive, roadless area about 10 miles south of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89, with trailheads at Luther Pass on the north boundary and Carson Pass on Highway 88 to the south.¹

Big Meadow Trailhead is reached over the gated road just before Luther Pass summit. No fee is charged, there is a restroom while the lot is open, and there is no drinking water. Horses and pack animals are allowed, and camping at the trailhead itself is not. It is also an entrance to the Tahoe Rim Trail.²

One hiker says the trail crosses Highway 89 about 0.1 miles in, another warns of a second crossing near the campground bend, and the trailhead sits near 7,313 feet. Parking is free, and one guide notes it can run out on summer weekends, when overflow goes along the road inside the self-serve campground.^9,10

The first leg

Visit Lake Tahoe lists Big Meadows to Round Lake at 2.7 miles one way, moderate, with a descent of nearly 250 feet to the lake. Two hiking guides read it longer: about 7 and 7.2 miles out and back. A Tahoe to Whitney guide gives 3.26 miles from the trailhead. The sources disagree by up to a mile, so carry a map.^6,9,10,8

One guide has the climb to Big Meadow at 0.6 miles, 0.3 miles across the meadow, a mile of uphill, then a descent to a fork with Round Lake 1.6 miles beyond. Another tells you to take the right fork at 0.75 miles, because the left goes to Scotts Lake, and to bear left at about mile 2.5, because the right drops down the Christmas Valley Trail toward Dardanelles Lake.^9,10

Terrain and difficulty

Round Lake is at 8,080 feet, in a mix of granite and volcanic ground under dense forest. Two guides put the climb at about 1,250 to 1,309 feet, front-loaded, with a high point near 8,075 feet.^8,9,10

Footing alternates between hard-packed and sandy soil. Signs are sparse, Big Meadow can be wet in spring and early summer, and the trail is shared with mountain bikers and horses.^10,9

Rules specific to this entry point

No wood, charcoal or other solid-fuel campfires anywhere in Meiss Country. Portable propane stoves with an on/off valve need a valid campfire permit, and the Forest Service pages point to readyforwildfire.org for it.^1,2

Motorized and mechanized vehicles are prohibited, including bicycles, carts and strollers. Local trail guides still describe mountain bikers on the Christmas Valley and Big Meadow routes, so check the current order before you rely on either statement.^1,10,9

The Big Meadow page says thru-hike permits for the Tahoe Rim Trail go through the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. That is separate from the Forest Service's statement that hiking permits are not required for Meiss Country.^2,1

Where it leads

From Big Meadow: Round Lake, Scotts Lake (2.5 miles, easy), and Dardanelles Lake via Christmas Valley. From Carson Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail: Showers Lake at 5.1 miles and Meiss Lake at about 4 miles, where fishing is not allowed. Carson Pass parking carries a fee.⁶

Meiss Meadows, where the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite trails meet near Meiss Cabin, is about 2 miles south of Round Lake. Campsites at Round Lake are along the north and east shores, and Sierra Rec calls the lake a good mini through-hike for backpackers.^8,7

What trip reports say

The Tahoe to Whitney author, who camps at Round Lake often, usually finds few other campers and says heavy mosquitoes last from snowmelt until late July or August, longer after a wet spring. Deer are common and approachable.⁸

Another hiker calls the trail well maintained, hot and exposed, with light weekday traffic and heavier weekends. Mosquitoes were the main nuisance at Round Lake, and the writer had one close call with a fast mountain biker.⁹

A third guide calls it busy on summer weekends and suggests weekdays or early morning. It says camping is allowed at Round Lake, dogs must be leashed, and the trail was snow-covered in early April in 2021.¹⁰

When to go from here

The Forest Service says deep snow usually blocks hiking until May or early June, and north-facing slopes can hold snow until July. Parking at Big Meadow is seasonal, with no restroom or trash service in winter.^1,2

Compare with nearby entry points

• Gilmore: Gilmore (zone 29) is inside Desolation Wilderness. It takes 18 people a day under a quota, with a permit and a first-night zone, where Meiss Country needs neither.^4,3,1
• Granite Chief: Granite Chief is the other no-permit place on this list, but it is a separate designated wilderness next to the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Meiss Country is a roadless area, not a wilderness, and is south of the basin.^1,5

Sources

1. Meiss Country, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Big Meadow Trailhead, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Desolation Wilderness Permits, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Desolation Wilderness Overnight Quota, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Granite Chief Wilderness, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Hiking Meiss Country, Visit Lake Tahoe. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Guide to Hiking Meiss Country in Lake Tahoe, Sierra Rec Magazine. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Round Lake, Meiss Roadless Country, Tahoe to Whitney. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Hiking Big Meadow Trail to Round Lake, Another 100 Feet. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Hiking Round Lake via Big Meadow Trailhead, Tahoe Trail Guide. Read 2026-10-15.
11. Desolation Wilderness rules and regulations, Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Meiss permit

• California Backpacking Trips With No PermitFour California trips the agencies say need no permit at all, three more on a free self-issued permit, and the walk-up trips people wrongly read as free.