TRT (Section 15)
There are fees to camp in California between Richardson Lake and Upper Echo Lake which is the area known as the California Desolation Wilderness. The USDA Forest Service website provides information about the reservation tax, overnight wilderness tax, the service charge tax and the parking tax. According to the USDA Forest Service website, "The cost of a single permit will not exceed $100.00"
Regarding loop hikes, the USDA Forest Service website says, "Tahoe Rim Trail hikers that are hiking the whole loop are required to have a permit and are subject to fees. The Basin has decided to not incorporate these permits into the quota..." Here's what this means: If you're hiking the entire Tahoe Rim Trail then you will need a permit to pass through the California Desolation Wilderness, but the permit is free if you pass through in one day. If you do not pass through the California Desolation Wilderness in one day then you must be camping there which means you are subject to taxes, including the camping taxes. If you're hiking the entire Tahoe Rim Trail then you're not counted as a part of any quotas, which means you don't have to worry about whether or not you can camp in the California Desolation Wilderness.
Day use is not subject to fees nor limited by quota at any time of the year. According to the USDA Forest Service website, "Day users may obtain a free permit... or may issue themselves a permit at most major trailheads in the summer. During the winter, day permits are available at the Pacific Ranger Station. Day use is not subject to fees nor limited by quota at any time of the year." This means you can camp at the northern border of the California Desolation Wilderness, located near Richardson Lake (below Sourdough Hill) free of taxes and hike across the California Desolation Wilderness to Upper Echo Lake (which is where the southern end of the California Desolation Wilderness border is located) as a day hike which is also free of taxes. Just keep in mind, it's a 23-mile hike across the California Desolation Wilderness.
All of the charts and graphs on this page represent the Tahoe Rim Trail between the entry and exit points on TRT (Section 15).
Elevation
Metrics
| [ CCWISE ] or [ CLWISE ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length 2 | Min Ele 3 | Max Ele 4 | Range 5 |
| 10.1 mi | 7,022 ft | 8,148 ft | 1,126 ft |
| [ CCWISE ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time 6 | Floors 7 | Gain 8 | Loss 9 |
| 3.8 hrs | 121.2 | 1,454 ft | 521 ft |
| [ CLWISE ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Floors | Gain | Loss |
| 3.5 hrs | 43.4 | 521 ft | 1,454 ft |
Calories
The following chart shows the total calories that you may expend on the trail while hiking in both directions. The chart is based on data derived from a statistical model of energy expenditure that relates gross weight, typical speed and trail topography.
Warnings
Prevent tick bites: Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
(cdc.gov)
- The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) may be present in this area. The American dog tick transmits Tularemia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
- The Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) may be present in this area. The Brown dog tick transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
- The Western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) may be present in this area. The Western blacklegged tick transmits Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease.
Footnotes
- Steps is a unit of distance equal to the sum of stride lengths that vary with the terrain.
- Length is the distance of the trail between the two trailheads, measured on the trail.
- Min Ele is the minimum elevation on the trail.
- Max Ele is the maximum elevation on the trail.
- Range is the difference between maximum and minimum elevation.
- Time is the typical total time required to hike the trail.
- Floors is the gain divided by twelve feet, the height of one floor.
- Gain (cumulative elevation gain) is the sum of every gain in elevation.
- Loss (cumulative elevation loss) is the sum of every loss in elevation.