Desolation Wilderness is a 63,000-acre roadless area immediately west of Lake Tahoe, a granite basin scraped clean by glaciers and dotted with over 130 lakes, from small ponds to the substantial Lake Aloha. It is one of the most heavily visited wilderness areas in the United States, and for good reason: the scenery is extraordinary, the trails are excellent, and the high-country lake swimming is among the best in the Sierra.
Entry requires a permit (self-issue for day hikers, quota for overnight). The most popular routes start from the Echo Lakes trailhead near Highway 50, where a small water taxi ferries hikers across the lakes to shorten the approach. The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the wilderness. The most rewarding overnight routes loop through several lake basins, camping on granite slabs above the water.