Gilmore Lake Overnighter in Desolation Wilderness
Gilmore Lake is a wonderful hike, perfect for beginner backpackers and those who just want to get into the wilderness for a night. Since there is lots to see in the area, this hike can easily be extended to other destinations like Grass Lake, Half Moon Lake, Mt. Tallac, or Dick’s Peak if you’re looking for a little more adventure.
Hiking life for me has been pretty quiet since I returned from Patagonia way back in February. Since the Sierra saw it’s snowiest winter in 22-23, my summer backpacking season got off to a slow start. After recovering from an early-summer flu, I figured Gilmore Lake, which some friends had told me about five years earlier, would be a great kickoff to the season. I checked conditions reports, nabbed some permits a few days prior, and took off!
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Trail Stats
Where: Desolation Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest
Miles: 8.25
Elevation Gain/ Loss: +/- 1,800 ft.
Time to Complete: 2 days
Trail Type: Out-and-back
Permits Required: YES
Pets Allowed: YES, on-leash
Trailhead: Glen Alpine, Gilmore Zone (#29)
Itinerary & Trip Planning
Route Description
The hike to Gilmore Lake begins at the popular Glen Alpine Trailhead. From here you’ll pass by a signboard for pertinent information regarding Desolation Wilderness, including self-registration day hiker permits, and through a gate.
The next mile or so is on a well graded, partially paved, partially rocky use road up to the historic buildings of the Glen Alpine Springs Resort. The beginning of this portion of trail was entirely flooded when I hiked through on July 6, 2023. Many people were trying to hike around this flooding, but trampling meadow grasses to do so. Please remember Leave No Trace etiquette and stay on the path! Even though there is a lot of historical development along this beginning portion of trail, there are still some nice sights, like the cascades along Glen Alpine Creek. As you keep gradually ascending, you’ll eventually come to a large building and a bubbling natural spring. This is where the wider path becomes more of a trail, and shortly after this area, you’ll pass the turn-off for Grass Lake.
The trail meanders through the trees for a bit, passing a few small streams, always gradually ascending, before reaching an exposed section of rocky switchbacks. As the trail climbs, the views of the mountains to the south start to reveal themselves. After the short section of switchbacks, the trail levels out a bit and heads back into the sparse forest before meeting up with the Pacific Crest Trail. There is one creek crossing that was hard to stay dry on, which is right before the PCT junction. There were enough logs and branches jammed to cross if you are comfortable balancing, but when water levels decrease it will probably be an easier and drier crossing.
I highly recommend lingering around at the clearing just before the trail junction with the PCT as the views of Agassiz and Mt. Price are pretty spectacular. And as you keep climbing up toward the junction to Gilmore Lake, the views get even better, and Pyramid Peak becomes more prominent as well. When the trail enters the forest again, the Gilmore Lake junction is close. And once you meet up with it, the lake is just 100 yards or so away.
Gilmore Lake has plenty of campsites, even though there were a bunch of snow patches on the ground. The majority of the sites are in the trees on the south side of the lake, opposite Mt. Tallac. I picked a nice campsite with a giant downed tree to serve as my gear organizing spot and kitchen table.
I started my hike pretty late in the afternoon, so once I arrived at Gilmore Lake, it was time to filter water, make dinner and get my pup, Jade, settled in for the evening. Sadly, the sunset was nearly non-existent, and the mosquitoes, gnats, and black flies were horrendous even with bug spray applied, so it was time to hang out in the tent for the rest of the night. Luckily, Jade is a great snuggle partner, even when she tries to steal my pillow.
The next day I turned around and walked back out, as Jade had hurt her paw pad and was not a happy girl (poor baby). But a two nighter here would be pretty awesome. Gilmore Lake is the perfect basecamp for a Mt. Tallac summit, or if you want to go back onto the PCT and climb up to Dick’s Pass or even Dick’s Peak for incredible views of Desolation Wilderness.
Permits
Desolation Wilderness has pretty strict permitting rules. Please make sure you understand all of the regulations before heading into the wilderness. There is a very handy-dandy PDF guide to help you make decisions about camping in Desolation.
Desolation Wilderness is split into camping zones, and this is how permits are given out. Gilmore Lake is situated in the Gilmore Zone (#29). You must camp in the zone you received a permit for on your first night in the wilderness, but then you are allowed to move to another zone(s) on subsequent nights.
It’s important to note that the neighboring lakes in the area - Grass, Susie, and Half Moon are in separate camping zones. So you can’t decide midway through your hike that you’d rather go to those lakes. Gilmore Lake is the only desirable campsite in this zone. If you want to make a longer trip, you are welcome to camp in those zones after your first night camped in the Gilmore zone!
Permits are required year-round, but the quota season is from the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend to September 30th. 70% of permits are reservable online, up to 6 months in advance at recreation.gov. Desolation Wilderness allows you to print your permit at home from recreation.gov up to 7 days before your trip. They do not allow a picture of the permit on your phone as an option, though. Once you print your permit, you can’t make any changes to it.
30% of permits are available for same-day departures at the Placerville Ranger Station, Taylor Creek Visitor Center, and Lake Tahoe Basin Supervisor’s Office. As of 2023, these offices open at 8 am, and popular permit zones sell out quickly after opening.
Permits cost $6/permit and then an additional $5/person for one night. If you are staying 2 or more nights, that cost is $10/person. These fees apply even in the non-quota season. The $6 fee is only for reservations, not same-day permits.
Campfires
Campfires are ALWAYS PROHIBITED in Desolation Wilderness. Do not make a campfire, even if you see fire rings.
Bears
As of July 18, 2022, bear canisters are now required in Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
This is a shift from before, when bear canisters were just recommended. This is going to be better in the long run, and hopefully, we will see a decrease in the number of negative human-bear interactions! The number of posts I have seen about people losing their food to bears in Desolation was astounding - I can’t believe some people still chose to not bring bear canisters to popular areas even recently. Now, we won’t have a choice! So please be prepared with a bear canister, unless you want to pay a fine of up to $5,000!
Seasonality & Weather
Summer is the most popular time for backpacking in Desolation wilderness, though any time between June to the end of October is potentially feasible for a snow-free backpacking trip. Gilmore Lake sits at 8,000 ft, so depending on the snow levels and snowmelt throughout the spring, you might be able to go in a little earlier. The flip side is that with heavy winters, there could be snow on the trail into mid-July. The 2023 season was at the end of the highest snow year on record, and the trail itself was clear of snow by July 6th. There were snow patches in shady spots and around the lake, but because the trail is mostly exposed to the sun and not very high in elevation, the snow melted pretty quickly.
Generally, thunderstorms can be a possibility once summer starts. They aren’t a daily occurrence, but you should be prepared. Thunderstorm risk for the area dies down towards the end of August and into September.
Summer heat can be really strong in Desolation. The altitude doesn’t get as high here as it does in the southern Sierra, so heat is more of a factor. You should be prepared for warm days while backpacking in the summer, and carry plenty of water and electrolytes. On this trip in particular, the highs at night were in the 50s F, and the daytime highs were in the high 70s-low 80s F. This was during the first major heat wave in the Tahoe Basin for the summer.
With the elevation at 8,000 feet and being in a bowled lake area, it can get cold at night. Most people will want a sleep system rated between 15*-30* depending on their personal preferences.
Trailhead & Parking
The Glen Alpine Trailhead sits at the end of the long, mostly 1.5-car wide Fallen Leaf Road off of Hwy 89. At least, it feels pretty long. Be patient on this road as in the summertime there are tons of casual cyclists, other vehicles, and pedestrians walking on the narrow road. You will have to use driveways and wide spots to pull over for other vehicles.
Do not park at the first parking area you see after the fire station. That area is for Glen Alpine Falls and Angora Lake. You’ll want to keep driving up the partially paved road and over a bridge into the Glen Alpine parking lot. The road as a few potholes but nothing crazy. 2WD low clearance cars should not have a problem. At the trailhead you’ll find lots of parking spaces, pit toilet bathrooms, and bear-proof garbage bins.
What to Pack
When backpacking, gear can be an important factor to happiness on the trail.
Check out my post: Ultimate Lightweight Backpacking Gear List for the items I always bring backpacking and my favorite pieces of gear!
