Desolation Wilderness Permit — Susie

Susie (Zone 34): what makes it different

Zone 34 is the basin around Susie Lake, reached from the Glen Alpine Trailhead at Fallen Leaf Lake. The Forest Service sets its quota at 8 people a night, one of the small ones, and a mid-summer weekend can leave you with a camp that other parties already took.^1,5,8

Getting to the start

Recreation.gov says the zone surrounds Susie Lake and is reached from the Glen Alpine Trailhead. The Forest Service table lists the lake at 3.8 miles one way from that trailhead, rated moderate, and the only zone-34 destination on the Glen Alpine list.^5,4

Visit Lake Tahoe gives the drive: about 3 miles north of the Highway 50 and 89 junction to Fallen Leaf Lake Road, then about 4.5 miles on a narrow one-lane road to the trailhead sign. Parking is across from Lily Lake. The same page says day hikers self-register at the trailhead, but an overnight stay needs the zone permit instead.^6,2

Sierra Rec Magazine describes a paved lot at Lilly Lake and a rock road from there to the old Glen Alpine Spring resort. It calls the trail very rocky, and uphill most of the way to most destinations.⁷

There is a second, much longer door. The Echo Lakes trailhead feeds the Pacific Crest Trail past Lake Aloha and Heather Lake, and Sierra Rec puts that walk at about 9 miles one way.⁸

The first leg

The Forest Service lists Grass Lake at 2.3 miles, in zone 35, so you pass out of one zone and into another before you reach Susie. A 2015 solo report from the trailhead to Susie took about 1.5 hours, which he called fast for roughly 4 miles.^4,9

Sierra Rec says the route follows the old resort road past Glen Alpine Springs, then reaches the Pacific Crest Trail about 3.5 miles from Lilly Lake. Turning left there takes you up to Susie. A fork near a ridge splits Susie traffic from the Gilmore Lake trail.⁸

Visit Lake Tahoe prints the trailhead at 6,560 feet. Sierra Rec rates the climb to Susie at about 1,500 feet.^6,8

Terrain and difficulty

Sierra Rec describes mostly exposed granite with some trees and a gentle shoreline, with clear water good for swimming. Sierra Rec adds that the basin around Susie and Grass lakes draws backcountry skiers in early spring.⁸

A 2012 couple's blog from the Echo Lakes side walked past Heather Lake and on to Susie. They found a ledge campsite with a cross breeze that kept it almost free of mosquitoes, while the lake's other prime spots were already taken.¹⁰

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Susie (Zone 34), overnight: 8 people a day. The Forest Service table splits the 8 into 6 advance and 2 walk-in. It prints no year, so the figure was checked on Recreation.gov, where the daily total for division 344 across June to September 2026 most often read 6, the advance share.^1,5

Rules specific to this entry point

The permit ties only your first night to the zone. The Forest Service says the rest of the trip is not subject to zone requirements, so you can move on after Susie. Because the quota is 8 people, a party of 9 or more cannot fit in this zone on any night, and the Forest Service says groups cannot split and camp together.^2,1

Susie is not one of the lakes with designated posted campsites. The rules sheet lists those only at Eagle, Grouse and Hemlock lakes and Lake of the Woods, so the general rule applies here: camp 100 feet back from the shore. Campfires are banned everywhere in the wilderness.³

Sierra Rec reports more bear activity at campsites over the years and says canisters are required for all backpackers.⁸

Where it leads

Heather Lake sits in zone 33 at 4.9 miles from Glen Alpine, and Lake Aloha is 5.8 miles, listed across zones 33, 15 and 22. Gilmore Lake, 3.9 miles, belongs to zone 29. Sierra Rec says a stream links Half Moon Lake to Susie.^4,8

A 1999 club trip day-hiked Susie, Heather and Aloha with daypacks from a pack drop beside the PCT in late September, and found mosquitoes no trouble that late in the year.¹¹

What trip reports say

June 2015, solo: the writer drove up for a Sunday night, took a Susie permit with no trouble, and pitched near the lake. Wind shook the tent all night and kept him awake. He saw only one other angler. He fished the north shore around 3 p.m. with nothing, then landed a large brown trout from camp later.⁹

June 30 to July 4, 2012, from Echo Lakes: they hiked about 5 miles to Lake Aloha in roughly 3.5 hours, then about 2 more past Heather to Susie. Mosquitoes rose at Susie and a ranger asked to see their permits on day two.¹⁰

On a September 1999 trip the author called the area neither desolated nor wild, with countless people and dogs on trails that were well kept and signed.¹¹

When to go from here

The reports bracket the bugs. Early July at Susie brought mosquitoes, while late September brought none. The Forest Service warns of heavy mosquitoes after snowmelt and snow cover into late June. The quota runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through September 30.^10,11,2

Sierra Rec says the lake is busiest in mid-summer when PCT hikers peak, and fishing is best in mid-summer and fall.⁸

Compare with nearby entry points

• Gilmore: Gilmore (zone 29) has a quota of 18 and sits 3.9 miles from the same trailhead. Susie's 8 people leave far less room, so a larger party often has to take Gilmore.^1,4
• Halfmoon: Half Moon (zone 28) takes 5 people a night and is 5.5 miles from Glen Alpine, 1.7 miles past Susie. It is the smaller and farther quiet option.^1,4
• Aloha: Aloha (zone 33) holds 36 people a night, 28 of them bookable ahead. Its quota is more than four times Susie's.¹

Sources

1. Desolation Wilderness Overnight Quota, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Desolation Wilderness Permits, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Desolation Wilderness rules and regulations, Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Desolation Wilderness Trails & Trailheads, Eldorado National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Desolation Wilderness Permit, division 344 (34 Susie), Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Glen Alpine Trail, Visit Lake Tahoe. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Hiking Desolation Wilderness: Glen Alpine Trailhead, Sierra Rec Magazine. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Susie Lake: A Hidden Gem in Desolation Wilderness, Sierra Rec Magazine. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Adventures in Solo Camping: Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe, Corbin's Treehouse. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Matt and Sarah's Adventures: Desolation Wilderness, Matt and Sarah's Adventures (blog). Read 2026-10-15.
11. Desolation Wilderness Trip, September 1999, Arturo Crespo. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Susie permit