Forebay
Reservoir
Forebay Reservoir is located on Forebay Road in Pollock Pines, just off of
Pony Express Trail at Highway 50's Sly Park Road exit. Functionally created to
regulate water flow to EID's hydroelectric facility, it aslo provides great
day-time recreational opportunities. Forebay is a geat place to have a
barbeque, take a walk around the lake or throw your line in to catch a rainbow
trout. EID planted the lake with fish in August of 2003.
Echo Lake
The Echo Lakes trailhead is one of the most popular entry points to Desolation
Wilderness. By starting a 7300', you reduce to a minimum the amount of
climbing you have to do to get into the backcountry. It also provides the most
direct route to Lake Aloha and Rockbound Valley, two popular destinations. For
those wanting a shorter hike or backpack, three lakes along the trail to Lake
Aloha offer both beauty and solitude (except on summer weekends): Tamarack
Lake, Ralston Lake, and Lake of the Woods. Echo Lake offers great hiking and
pristine lakes in a beautiful, alpine environment.
Lake Aloha
Lake Aloha is located Along Highway 50 near the town of Meyers. This hiking
trail offers 6.8 miles of moderately difficult terrain along the Pacific Crest
Trail. This beautiful lake is described by many as one of the nicest lakes
along the Pacific Crest Trail and is famous for its hundreds of lovely, little
islands.
Pyramid Creek/Horsetail Falls
This is a popular summer destination for hikers coming from
Sacramento or the Bay Area. It is a short, but ever steepening hike along the
Pyramid Creek drainage toward the magnificent Horsetail Falls. is also one of
the possible routes up Pyramid Peak. The hike starts at the sweeping curve at
Twin Bridges just past the tiny town of Strawberry on Highway 50.
Flowing out of the popular Desolation Wilderness, Pyramid Creek tumbles over spectacular Horsetail Falls and into a series of smaller, but equally dramatic, cataracts and cascades. The waterfall can be seen from Highway 50, just 18 miles southwest of Lake Tahoe. A short, but sometimes challenging, trail begins in the tiny roadside hamlet of Twin Bridges and leads visitors to the falls and into the wilderness.
Pyramid
Creek and Horsetail Falls are accessible spring through fall by hikers, and in
the winter by cross country skiers and snowshoers. The best days to visit are
weekdays, since weekends during the spring and summer can be crowded. The
falls are most spectacular in the late spring or early summer. Not everybody
may want to hike to the top of the falls, but there are plenty of places along
the 1.5- mile trail to stop for a picnic, enjoy the scenery or just listen to
the rushing water.
The area is of geological interest, too. Geologists consider the bare granite cliffs surrounding Pyramid Creek to be among the best examples of Pleistocene glaciation in the Sierra Nevada.
The Forest Service has named Pyramid Creek eligible for National Wild & Scenic River status, in recognition of its outstanding scenic, recreational, and geological values. A portion of the creek also flows through the unprotected Pyramid roadless area, which is a potential addition to the Desolation Wilderness.
