Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake (via the eagle lake trail) is one of the easier alpine lakes to get to within desolation wilderness. the start of the trail is directly across emerald bay, so parking can get a little crazy. but the hike-in is extremely rewarding with several scenic views of lake tahoe, with the best view being of eagle lake at the end.
MY TRIP IN A NUTSHELL:
MONTH. EARLY OCTOBER.
TIME OF DAY. ~10:30AM.
PERMIT REQUIRED. NO, but for overnight backpackn- yes.
DOGS ALLOWED. YES! must be kept on leash.
ELEVATION GAIN. 456 FT.
TRAILHEAD ADDRESS. CLICK HERE
PARKING. THERE is one small parking lot at the start of the trail. there is also street parking. FYI- parking fills up super quickly and It’s usually a shit show trying to find a spot.
OUT-N-BACK. 2.2 MILES.
Popularity. heavily trafficked.
TRAIL & PARKING INFORMATION
FOR EMERALD POOLS IN NEVADA CITY, CA
The start of the trail begins at the Eagle lake trailhead. this is one of the trailheads that leads to other beautiful lakes Within desolation wilderness like the velma lakes and dicks lake (where i’ve been! click here for deets). day parking is allowed without a permit, but you’ll need a BACKPACKING permit For OVERNIGHT parking.
Also shout out to kyle & chris for going camping and hiking with me (check out our camping details here):
THE TRAIL IS LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE MAIN PARKING LOT.
THE TRAIL ITSELF IS somewhat uphill but luckily it’s not too long (2.2 miles round trip):
My Trip!
THe hike started off sooooo strong because we lucked out and got VIP parking right next to the trailhead. seriously 1 in a million chance of that happening. Then, the day kept getting better because the viewsss and blue skies! Look at the mountain tops in these photos on the hike-in:
and the trail had a few picture-perfect spots of lake tahoe (my dogs were doing the cute “look off into the distance” look):
after 1.1 miles, we reached our destination! we walked about another 200 yards to the west side of the lake in order to get a private little spot that was all ours. and Kyle was able to fish (he has a CA fishing permit) but was unsuccessful (so sad):
ANd finally, i leave you with a GORGEOUS picture of the lake:
If you’re looking for a great day hike that isn’t too long or strenuous then i would highly recommend this spot. it is one of the more accessible alpine lakes and it’s just as pretty aS some of the further alpine lakes in desolation wilderness. Note: because of it’s beauty and shorter distance, it is heavily trafficked. go early and go on weekdays if possible.
enjoy!