Lake Aloha is a large shallow

backcountry In the United States, a backcountry or backwater is a geographical area that is remote, undeveloped, isolated, or difficult to access. Terminology Backcountry and wilderness within United States national parks The National Park Service (NPS) ...

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

located at an elevation of 8,116 feet in the Sierra Nevada Range, west of

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...

El Dorado County El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville-A ...

, in eastern California. The reservoir is located in Desolation Valley, within the federally protected

Desolation Wilderness The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. The crest of the Sierra Nevada runs through it, just west of Lake Tahoe. ...

area. The shortest and easiest approach is from Echo Lake by the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

. Alternately, it can be reached by the

Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead The Glen Alpine Springs trailhead or Glen Alpine trailhead is located off Highway 89 a few miles north of South Lake Tahoe, California, at Fallen Leaf Lake just to the west of Lake Tahoe. The road to the trailhead is not plowed in winter. Som ...

, near the city of

South Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe is the most populous city in El Dorado County, California, United States, in the Sierra Nevada. The city's population was 21,330 at the 2020 census, down from 21,403 at the 2010 census. The city, along the southern edge of Lake ...

. There is a moderate gain in elevation as you head west. From the south, Lake Aloha can be reached by the

Ralston Peak Ralston Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe within the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado County, California. Ralston Peak is a very popular mountain to summit for the views of the wilderness area a ...

Trail or cross country through Horsetail Falls and Desolation Valley. To reach the base of Price and Pyramid Peaks, in the

Crystal Range The Crystal Range is a small chain of mountain peaks in the Desolation Wilderness The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, Cali ...

of the Sierra Nevada, you have to traverse the Lake Aloha area. The primary outflow from Lake Aloha is Pyramid Creek, which flows south for roughly four miles before it empties into the

South Fork American River The South Fork American River is a major tributary of the American River in El Dorado County, California, draining a watershed on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada east of Sacramento. The river begins in pristine Desolation Wilderness and fl ...

near

Twin Bridges Twin bridges are a set of two bridges running parallel to each other. A pair of twin bridges is often referred to collectively as a twin-span or dual-span bridge. Twin bridges are independent structures and each bridge has its own superstructur ...

. Pyramid Creek was first dammed to create Lake Aloha in 1875, creating a year-round water source for grazing cattle and inundating a collection of natural lakes known as the Medley Lakes. The dam was later raised, and several auxiliary dams were constructed up to 1955. Lake Aloha rappensuncle

References

Lake Tahoe Basin Mgmt Unit

External links

* Reservoirs in California Lakes of the Desolation Wilderness Lakes of El Dorado County, California Lakes of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Lakes of Northern California Lakes of California {{ElDoradoCountyCA-geo-stub

See also

References

External links