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. Before European settlement in the mid-19th century, there is evidence this area was used by the Washoe. After, it was known at times as "Devil's Valley," and most often used for cattle grazing. By the end of that century, the first formal step to limiting its development when it was made a Forest Reserve, managed first by the General Land Office, and later, by the US Forest Service. It was set aside as the Desolation Valley Primitive Area in 1931 with an area of . In 1969, it became the Desolation Wilderness after the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Desolation is a popular backpacking destination, with much barren rocky terrain at the edge of the tree line. It has extensive areas of bare granite rock formations. The Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail pass through the wilderness. A list of other trailheads that provide access to the wilderness follows. Permits are usually required for both day use and overnight camping, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic this restriction has been temporarily lifted. In the summer, a quota system is used for overnight trips to limit the number of visitors on any given day in the wilderness. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used protected areas in the United States. This Wilderness area is split up into 45 different zones, with each having a specific permitting quota. 70% of each zone's overnight permits are available through the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) at www.recreation.gov or 1-877-444-6777. Reserved permits can be printed at home or picked up at a Forest Service office within 14 days prior to date of entry. A signed copy of your permit must be in your possession. The remaining 30% of each zone's quota is available first-come, first-served at either the Placerville Ranger Station (year-round) at 4260 Eight Mile Road, Camino, CA 95709 (530-644-2349) or in the summer at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center at Visitor Center Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 (530-543-2674). 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, ponderosa pine, western juniper, and western white pine.