Restoration Projects and Wilderness Regulations Bears ,\g Designated Campsites in the Black bears are active in Desolation Wilder- ness. As a result of the availability of improp- erly stored human food, greater numbers of We need your help to protect fragile areas! bears remain active at higher elevations than Basin Management Unit The popularity of some wilderness in the past. Bears have extremely keen noses destinations results in damage to the delicate and are attracted to food smells as well as to the scents of personal products such as tooth- Welcome to the Desolation Wilderness! vegetation of shorelines and meadow areas. • Human waste must be disposed of 200 feet To promote the revegetation of these areas, paste and deodorant. Please remember that or more from campsites, water sources or specific campsites have been designated the forest is the bear’s natural environment. To protect fragile ecosystems, reduce visual trails. Dig a hole at least 4” deep to bury Protect your- and environmental impacts and help maintain within 500 feet of Eagle, Grouse, and human and canine waste. Digging animals Hemlock lakes. The maps below illustrate the self by pre- healthy water sources, special regulations will expose waste buried in shallow holes. locations of the designated sites. venting the un- exist within the Desolation Wilderness. 36CFR 261.57(g)...$150 natural contact Eagle Lake of bears with Regulations ½r • Leaving refuse, debris or litter is prohibited. humans by us- Pack it in, Pack it out! Toilet paper must be c ing bear canis- Pursuant to 36 Code of Federal Regulations buried or packed out. L ters for food the following regulations apply within the 36CFR 261.57(g)...$150 N c c storage, or by wilderness boundary: hanging your • Washing with soap in a stream, lake or other c food using the • A valid wilderness permit is required for water source is prohibited. Insect repellents, counterbalanc- entry into Desolation Wilderness, both for sunscreens and soaps (even biodegradable c ing method. day use and overnight stays. Permits not only soaps) all contaminate water sources. Please c provide important recreation use data, they help protect aquatic life and drinking water have also proven invaluable in search and quality by rinsing off contaminants before • Balance the weight in food bags equally. rescue emergencies. swimming and by washing cookware well • Hoist the first sack up. 36CFR 261.57(a)...$100 away from water sources. Grouse and Hemlock Lakes • Tie second sack as high on rope as possible, 36CFR 261.11(c)...$270 leaving a loop. • The zone quota system in Desolation • Push into place with a long stick. L Wilderness requires that you predetermine • Damaging or removing any natural feature c Pull down by hooking loop. N • the location of your first night’s stay. Your in the wilderness is not allowed. Please leave c wilderness permit will reflect your selection, wildflowers for all to enjoy, and avoid c Drinking Water and you must stay in your selected zone on trampling delicate lakeshore vegetation. Treat all water by boiling or filtering through the first night of your trip. The zone quota 36CFR 261.9(a,b)...$250 a portable water filter. The microorganisms system protects popular destinations from c Giardia lambia and Cryptosporidia may be overcrowding, which can detract from your • Hitching, tethering or hobbling a horse c c found in even the most remote mountain lakes primitive recreational experience. or other saddle or pack animal within 200 c and streams, and cause intense 36CFR 261.57(a)...$100 feet of a water source or within 100 feet of a gastrointestinal distress, including diarrhea • Campfires are prohibited throughout the campsite, or in violation of posted and abdominal cramps. The organisms instructions. 36CFR 261.58(aa)...$50 contaminate water sources through the fecal Desolation Wilderness. Dead and downed Many restoration sites are formerly used wood is critical habitat for many alpine matter of infected mammals (including Special Management Areas camping areas which are now closed due to humans). species in Desolation, and the decomposition c their proximity to water and fragile meadow of wood plays a critical role in the nutritive • Camping within 500 feet of Grouse, areas. Please do your part by not walking or Dogs value of the soils in which high-altitude camping in these restored areas. vegetation must survive. Hemlock and Eagle lakes is restricted to Pet owners are responsible for the actions of 36CFR 261.52(a) ...$270 designated campsites only. Within 500 feet their pets and for the proper disposal of dog of the shoreline, the only permissible Designated campsites at Grouse, Eagle, and Hemlock lakes are unnumbered, and are first- waste. The El Dorado County leash law • Maximum group size is 12 persons, campsites are those designated by a wooden requires that dogs inside the wilderness be post displaying either a tent symbol or an come, first-served only. If all designated sites applicable to both day use and overnight are taken when you arrive, you must camp under the immediate control of the owner. visitors. Wilderness is intended to provide orange diamond. Further than 500 feet from Dogs off-leash can threaten wildlife or the lakeshore, you may select a campsite of more that 500 feet from the lakeshore and opportunities for solitude. meadow areas. present a hazard to the safety or convenience 36CFR 261.58(f)...$50 your choosing. 36CFR 261.58(e)...$100 of other visitors.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits descrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disiability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with diabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). Loon Lake

You must stay in your assigned zone the first night of your stay in order for your permit to be valid.