Desolation Wilderness
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Location:	California, USA
Nearest city:	Reno, NV
Coordinates:	38° 55′ 11″ N, 120° 10′ 12″ W
Area:	63,475 acres (257 km²)
Established:	January 1, 1969
Visitation:	(in [[]])
Governing body:	U.S. Forest Service

The Desolation Wilderness is a 63,690 acre (258 km²) wilderness area located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, just west of Lake Tahoe in California, United States. It is a popular backpacking destination, with much barren rocky terrain at the edge of the tree line: it has extensive areas of bare granite. Lake Aloha is one of the most beautiful features of the wilderness area, with its shallow, clear waters sitting in a wide granite basin carved by glaciers in the last ice age. The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Broadly, a wilderness area is a region where the land is left in a state where human modifications are minimal; that is, as a wilderness. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Official language(s) English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... City nickname: The Biggest Little City in the World Founded May 13, 1868 County Washoe County Mayor Bob Cashell Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 179. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... The USDA Forest Service, a United States government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ... The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is almost entirely in eastern California. ... Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada, on the border between California and Nevada, with approximately two-thirds of the shoreline in California. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Official language(s) English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Knapsack. ...

The Desolation Wilderness is accessible by several hiking trails, most notably the Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. Tahoe Rim Trail is a popular hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada range of the U.S. which circumnavigates Lake Tahoe along the high peaks above the lake. ... View of Ansel Adams Wilderness along Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail that runs from the United States border with Mexico to its border with Canada. ...

The land which became Desolation Wilderness was part of the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve, established in 1899. In 1910, when the first tourists were beginning to make their way over the narrow dirt roads of Echo and Donner summits, the are was made part of the newly formed Eldorado National Forest. The are was named the Desolation Valley Primitive Area in 1931, and in 1969 Desolation Wilderness was Congressionally designated and included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ...

Biology

The Desolation Wilderness provides a home for many species of plants, fish and wildlife.

Desolation Wilderness supports predominantly Red Fir and Lodgepole Pine forests with associated species such as Jeffrey Pine, Mountain Hemlock, Western Juniper, and Western White Pine. Most forested areas occur between 7,400-9,000 foot (2250-2750 m) elevations, becoming patchy to rare at higher elevations. These hardy trees take root in excessively rocky and often nutrient-poor soils. As much of the ground surface in Desolation is bedrock granite: soils are limited. Decomposed granite accumulations are often shallow deposits within glacially scoured basins. The most extensive forested areas are found on moist soils bordering lakes, streams, and meadows. The limited tree cover in Desolation is valuable for watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and esthetics. Binomial name Abies magnifica A.Murray The Red Fir (Abies magnifica) is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. ... Binomial name Pinus contorta Douglas Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) is a common tree in western North America. ... Binomial name Pinus jeffreyi Balf. ... Binomial name Tsuga mertensiana (Bong. ... Species 50-55 species; see text. ... Binomial name Pinus monticola Douglas ex D. Don Western White Pine (Pinus monticola; family Pinaceae) is a species of pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ...

At Mosquito Pass looking down on lake Aloha

The sparse woodlands of widely scattered western junipers and lodgepole pines are interrupted by patches of montaine chaparral species such as Pinemat Manzanita, Huckleberry Oak, and Mountain Pride Penstemon clinging to the expanses of barren rock. There are many wet meadows throughout the wilderness, each unique due to the differences in elevation, exposure, soil composition and soil depth, resulting in a wide diversity of annual and perennial plant life. A variety of wildflower species, sedges, and grasses inhabit these fragile wet areas. Aspen and Willow are common to these wetland areas. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 626 KB) Top of Mosquito pass looking down at Lake Aloha File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 626 KB) Top of Mosquito pass looking down at Lake Aloha File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Species See text See Manzanita (album) for the Mia Doi Todd album. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus. ... Penstemon is a large genus of North American (and East Asian) plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. ... Species Populus adenopoda Populus alba Populus grandidentata Populus sieboldii Populus tremula Populus tremuloides Aspens are trees of the willow family and comprise a section of the poplar genus Populus sect. ... Species About 350, including: Salix acutifolia - Violet Willow Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow Salix alba - White Willow Salix alpina - Alpine Willow Salix amygdaloides - Peachleaf Willow Salix arbuscula - Mountain Willow Salix arbusculoides - Littletree Willow Salix arctica - Arctic Willow Salix atrocinerea Salix aurita - Eared Willow Salix babylonica - Peking Willow Salix barrattiana - Barratts...

Mule Deer are the largest of the game species found within the wilderness. Black Bears are increasingly common, with individuals being displaced from the Tahoe Basin and lower elevation western slopes into the higher country. More common, yet seldom seen, are the smaller mammals like Coyote, Porcupine, Badger, and Bobcat. Species of special interest that are very rare in the area are the Fisher, Pine Marten, Red Fox, and Wolverine. Binomial name Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817) The Mule Deer (Odocoileus hermionus ) is a deer whose habitat is in the western half of North America. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ... Binomial name Canis latrans Say, 1823 The Coyote (Canis latrans, meaning barking dog) is a member of the Canidae (the dog family) and a relative of the domestic dog. ... Genera Family Erethizontidae   Coendou   Sphiggurus   Erethizon   Echinoprocta   Chaetomys Family Hystricidae   Atherurus   Hystrix   Thecurus   Trichys Porcupines are rodents known for their coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. ... Suborders  Mydeus  Arctonyx  Melogale  Meles  Mellivora  Taxidea Badger is the common name for any animal of three subfamilies, which belong to the family Mustelidae: the same mammal family as the ferrets, the weasels, the otters, and several other types of carnivore. ... Binomial name Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) The Bobcat (Lynx rufus, or Felis rufus) is a small wild cat indigenous to North America. ... The fisher (Martes pennanti) is a North American marten. ... Binomial name Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) The Pine Marten (Martes martes) is an animal in the weasel family, native to Europe. ... Binomial name Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes or Vulpes fulva), the most familiar of the foxes, has the widest range of any terrestrial carnivore. ... Binomial name Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest species of the Mustelidae or weasel family, and is also called the Glutton or Carcajou. ...

Desolation also provides an ideal habitat for numerous alpine rodents such as the Yellow-bellied Marmot, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Douglas Squirrel and the Pika. There are also a variety of mountain birds like the Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Blue Grouse, Mountain Bluebird, American Dipper, occasional Golden Eagle, and others. Families See Classification Section The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Binomial name Marmota flaviventris The Yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) is a squirrel in the marmot genus. ... Binomial name Spermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823) The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) lives in all types of forests across North America. ... Binomial name Tamiasciurus douglasii (Bachman, 1839) The Douglas Squirrel, Tamiasciurus douglasii, is a pine squirrel found in the Pacific coastal states and provinces of North America. ... Genera Ochotona Prolagus The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae (rabbits and hares). ... Binomial name Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, 1788) The Stellers Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a jay of western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but having a black head and upper body. ... Binomial name Nucifraga columbiana (Wilson, 1811) The Clarks Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), is a large passerine bird, in the family Corvidae. ... Genera see text The tits, chickadees, and titmice, family Paridae, are a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa. ... Binomial name Dendragapus obscurus (Say, 1823) The Blue Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus, is a large grouse. ... Binomial name Sialia currucoides (Bechstein, 1798) The Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides, is a medium-sized thrush. ... Binomial name Cinclus mexicanus Swainson, 1827 The American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a Water Ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown. ... Binomial name Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus, 1758 The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the world. ...

Within Desolation's numerous lakes and streams are also a variety of game fish such as the rainbow and brook trout. Less common, but also present are brown and golden trout. Binomial name Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792 The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, a. ... Binomial name Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814) The brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a species of fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae) of order Salmoniformes. ... Binomial name Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Salmo trutta fario Salmo trutta trutta The Brown Trout (Salmo trutta fario) and the Sea Trout (Salmo trutta trutta) are fish distinguished chiefly by the fact that the Brown Trout is largely a freshwater fish, while the Sea Trout shows anadromous reproduction, spawning... Binomial name Oncorhynchus aguabonita (Jordan, 1892) The Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae) of order Salmoniformes. ...

External links

• USFS web page about Desolation Wilderness
• Desolation Wilderness vegetation and Desolation Wilderness wildlife --- PD source
• QTVR photos of Desolation Wilderness
• Wilderness.net
• Topozone map