Lily Lake–Upper Echo Lake, 6 sights is a 14.5-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Little Norway, CA. The route passes Lower Echo Lake, Upper Echo Lake and Lily Lake before reaching Lily Lake at the turnaround, 7.2 miles in. It climbs 3,347 ft, with sections as steep as 29% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 60/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi6,555 – 8,242 ft · steepest grade: 29%15.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Ridge Path 38.82329, -120.03366
Nearest town Little Norway, CA · Official trailhead info (ohv.parks.ca.gov)
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lily Lake–Upper Echo Lake, 6 sights
14.5 mi · ▲ 3,347 ft · 6 hr 30 min
Elevation 6,554–8,241 ft
Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Trailhead: Ridge Path · 38.82329, -120.03366
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 81°F / low 46° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:10 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Johnson Pass Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NE.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading N.
- 300 ftPass Lower Echo Lake.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Echo Lakes Road, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
- 2.4 miPass Upper Echo Lake.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Triangle Lake Trail, heading W.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Tamarack Trail, heading N.
- 1.9 miPass Lily Lake.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lily Lake Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miReach Lily Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Tamarack Trail, heading NW.
- 2 miTurn left onto Triangle Lake Trail, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SE.
- 3 miTurn left onto Echo Lakes Road, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading E.
- 1.2 miSharp left onto Johnson Pass Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
98% dirt2% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 81°F46°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV9Humidity27%
Hourly temperature
85°45°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:10 PM
Tue
81°56°
Wed
81°59°
Thu
86°59°
Fri
85°61°
Sat
86°61°
Sun
86°59°
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Ridge Path Trailhead
- Echo Pass viewpoint–Lower Echo Lake, 3 sights 3.1 mi · ▲ 593 ft
- Upper Echo Lake–Lower Echo Lake, 6 sights 13.5 mi · ▲ 2,444 ft
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