Notable sanctuary · El Dorado, California
Desolation Wilderness
Desolation Wilderness is a sanctuary in El Dorado, California.
Desolation Wilderness: crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.
Status options for this sanctuary: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.
Best time to visit Desolation Wilderness
Season: November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon.
Busiest days: Weekends and long holidays.
Crowd: Moderate; weekends busier.
Typical week: Mon light · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri light · Sat busy · Sun busy.
How to reach Desolation Wilderness — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: 38.92094, -120.17159. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Desolation Wilderness
- Dicks Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~4 km · Must-see
- Middle Mountain · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~5 km · Must-see
- Phipps Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~5 km · Must-see
- Red Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~5 km · Must-see
- Eagle Falls Trailhead · waterfall · El Dorado · ~6 km · Must-see
- Maggies Peaks · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~6 km · Must-see
- Silver Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~7 km · Must-see
- Gilmore Lake · lake · El Dorado · ~7 km · Must-see
- Susie Lake · lake · El Dorado · ~7 km · Must-see
- Mount Price · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~8 km · Must-see
- Lake Aloha · lake · El Dorado · ~8 km · Must-see
- Mount Tallac · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~8 km · Must-see
- McConnell Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~9 km · Must-see
- Jakes Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~9 km · Must-see
- Fannette Island · river spot · El Dorado · ~9 km · Must-see
- Waca Lake · lake · El Dorado · ~10 km · Must-see
- Emerald Bay State Park · sanctuary · El Dorado · ~10 km · Must-see
- Rubicon Peak · viewpoint · El Dorado · ~10 km · Must-see
See everything within a day’s drive of Desolation Wilderness
Other wildlife, forests & gardens near Desolation Wilderness
- Emerald Bay State Park · sanctuary · El Dorado · ~10 km · Must-see
- Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park · sanctuary · El Dorado · ~17 km · Must-see
- Eldorado National Forest · sanctuary · El Dorado · ~29 km · Must-see
- Granite Chief Wilderness · sanctuary · Placer · ~33 km · Must-see
- Grover Hot Springs · sanctuary · Douglas · ~47 km · Must-see
- Sagehen Experimental Forest · sanctuary · Nevada · ~71 km · Must-see
- Eddy Arboretum · sanctuary · El Dorado · ~73 km · Must-see
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park · sanctuary · El Dorado · ~79 km · Must-see
- Tahoe National Forest · sanctuary · Nevada · ~80 km · Must-see
- Auburn State Recreation Area · sanctuary · Placer · ~83 km · Must-see
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0)
Frequently asked
Is the park open?
No visitor has reported the opening & safari status for Desolation Wilderness yet. Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Busiest: Weekends and long holidays.
What is the best time to visit Desolation Wilderness?
November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon. Moderate; weekends busier.
What are the places to visit near Desolation Wilderness?
Nearby: Dicks Peak (viewpoint, 4 km), Middle Mountain (viewpoint, 5 km), Phipps Peak (viewpoint, 5 km), Red Peak (viewpoint, 5 km), Eagle Falls Trailhead (waterfall, 6 km), Maggies Peaks (viewpoint, 6 km).
Is Desolation Wilderness worth visiting?
Desolation Wilderness is listed as a notable sanctuary in California on Spotwander.