US 50 TRIPS

Merely driving US 50 can be a visual treat; for hikers, there’s even more: the beauty of Desolation Wilderness north of the highway and of Meiss Country to the south. We offer a trip from each of these trailheads (from west to east): Wrights Lake’s Twin Lakes Trailhead north of the highway and into Desolation Wilderness, Echo Lakes Trailhead also into Desolation, and the Echo Summit Trailhead south of the highway into Meiss Country.

The scenic Wrights Lake area is a favorite gateway to western Desolation Wilderness. Despite this popularity, backpackers willing to step off the trail can still find peace and quiet amid the extraordinary scenery.

Meiss Country is the headwaters of the Truckee River and a beautiful region of wildflowers, streams, lakes, meadows, and peaks.

Note that this book has two Twin Lakes Trailheads: this one, starting from US 50, and another from US 395.

Trailheads: Twin Lakes

Echo Lakes

Echo Summit