California · Hiking · Desolation Wilderness · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Clyde Lake

Clyde LakePhoto: jayarmstrong, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.0 mi
round trip
113 ft
climb
8,172 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Clyde Lake open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Eldorado National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Eldorado National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Clyde Lake is a 1-mile out-and-back hike in the Desolation Wilderness, part of the Pacific Ranger District of Eldorado National Forest in California. It is managed by the Forest Service and rated easy, with about 113 feet of elevation gain. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows horses. Bikes are not permitted. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Dagget Pass weather station, about 16 miles away, put July highs near 75°F with lows around 49°F, and August is similar. Winter is cold, with highs in the mid-30s. Nearby, Desolation Wilderness Bouldering is about a mile away, and the Aloha Desolation and Susie Lateral Trail hikes are both within about 2.5 miles. Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground is roughly 4.5 miles off.

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  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Clyde Lake

    Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      36° / 23°

      9 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 23°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 26°

      7 wet

    4. Apr

      48° / 29°

      5 wet

    5. May

      56° / 35°

      4 wet

    6. Jun

      66° / 42°

      2 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 49°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 49°

      1 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 44°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 36°

      3 wet

    11. Nov

      43° / 28°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 23°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dagget Pass, NV, 16.3 mi away at 7,334 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

    Closures we've recorded since August 2026

    • Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide

      Eldorado National Forest · Order dated September 22, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Nov 2, 2026 · Forest Service

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