Aloha Lake
via Echo

Why this one

Desolation is one of the most heavily-used wilderness areas in California for good reason — it's a compact, glacier-carved playground above 8,000 ft, a 90-minute drive from Sacramento, with as much exposed granite per square mile as anywhere in the Sierra. Aloha Lake is the prize: a long, shallow, turquoise lake studded with rocky islands, backdropped by Pyramid Peak and the Crystal Range. The Pacific Crest Trail runs right past it.

Logistics

• Trailhead: Echo Lakes, off Highway 50 near Echo Summit. Parking is paid and limited on summer weekends — get there early.
• Water taxi (optional, recommended): The Echo Chalet runs a small boat across Lower and Upper Echo Lakes, dropping you ~2.5 mi closer to Aloha for around $20–25 one-way. Saves a flat, shadeless 2.5 mi each way. Last boat back is usually around 5 PM — check the day-of schedule.
• Permit: Desolation Wilderness Permit, quota-controlled. Reserve via recreation.gov up to 6 months out. Aloha (Zone 33) is competitive — book early or pick a Tuesday.
• Bear canister: Required.
• Campfires: Prohibited above 8,000 ft in Desolation, which covers most of this trip including Aloha.

The route, day by day

Day 1 — Echo Lakes → Aloha Lake (5–6 mi, +1,200 ft)

From the Echo Lakes parking lot, either take the water taxi across or walk the cabin-lined north shore (flat, hot, fine). The PCT joins the trail at the upper end of Echo and starts climbing through forest and over granite benches. You'll pass Tamarack Lake (off-trail, 0.3 mi), Lake of the Woods (0.5 mi off-trail), and finally crest the ridge at Haypress Meadows. From there it's a gentle drop to Aloha. The whole thing is in the open after Lake of the Woods — sun protection matters.

Camping at Aloha is permitted but campsites are limited and rocky. The east shore has a few flat spots in the trees. Be ready to walk a bit to find one — and respect the campfire ban.

Day 2 — Aloha → Echo Lakes (5–6 mi, –1,200 ft)

Same way back, mostly downhill. If you have time and energy, the side trip to Pyramid Peak (3,000+ ft of off-trail scrambling, 4-5 hours RT from Aloha) is one of the great Sierra peakbagging objectives — but only for fit, careful parties. Most of us just swim and walk out.

What to know

• Aloha is shallow and warms up — by August the south end can hit 65°F, which is "swimmable" by Sierra standards.
• The whole basin is exposed granite. There is almost no shade between Lake of the Woods and Aloha. Hike early.
• Mosquitos in early summer (June, early July) can be vicious here once the snow melts. Late August and September are peak bug-free conditions.
• Weekend permits sell out months in advance. Mid-week trips are dramatically quieter even at this popular spot.