Trail Map of Lake Aloha Hike

Moderate: 11.7 miles, Full day

Other Information: Dog Friendly

Overview: The hike to Lake Aloha is the ultimate day hike in Desolation Wilderness. The trail is fairly flat for most of the hike, with only two sections of significant elevation gain, and you will pass by 5 lakes in under 12 miles round trip. After a hot day of hiking there is no better way to relax than with a swim in beautiful Lake Aloha where you can spend hours swimming from island to island.

This trip can easily be extended to an overnight backpacking trip with a stay near Lake Aloha. Make sure to call ahead to the El Dorado Ranger Station to reserve a wilderness permit ($5 plus $5/person per night). You may find the area so remarkable that you will want to stay longer--it's hard to see all its beauty in such a short amount of time.

For day hikes, fill out a day permit so that people know where you are in case anything goes wrong.

Tips: Parking at Lower Echo Lake can be tough--get there early or you will need to park on the side of the road. There is no water fountain at the trail head, so fill up water bottles ahead of time.