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

Margery Trail

Margery TrailPhoto: Phreakdigital (talk · contribs), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.0 mi
round trip
108 ft
climb
8,300 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Margery Trail 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.

Margery Trail is a short, easy out-and-back hike in California's Desolation Wilderness, within the Pacific Ranger District of Eldorado National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail lies entirely inside designated wilderness. The route is about 2 miles long, with a low point of 8,176 feet and a high of 8,300 feet. That makes it a gentle climb of about 108 feet, which you can complete in a single outing without much time on your feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Dagget Pass, Nevada, show July highs around 75°F with lows near 49°F, and only about two wet days a month from June through September. That station sits roughly 966 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. The Aloha and Aloha Desolation hikes both start within half a mile. Climbers can find the Desolation Wilderness Bouldering area about 2 miles away, and Lovers Leap Campground is about 4 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Stanford Sierra Camp

    Campground

    Campground · 3.1 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Beacon Bar & Grill

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 7 mi
  • If it rains

    Baldwin Home

    Museum

    On your way back · 7 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Margery Trail

    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, 14.8 mi away at 7,334 ft. The station sits about 1,000 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

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

AlohaPhoto: Phreakdigital (talk · contribs), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Aloha

Next door

Aloha is a 1-mile out-and-back trail in California with 35 feet of elevation gain.

Lake of the WoodsPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lake of the Woods

~1 min drive

4.86-mile out-and-back trail at Lake of the Woods in California with 273 ft of elevation gain.

Tamarack Lake TrailPhoto: bsterling, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tamarack Lake Trail

~5 min drive

5.64-mile out-and-back hike to Tamarack Lake in California.

Pyramid Peak TrailPhoto: Peter, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pyramid Peak Trail

~6 min drive

6.08-mile out-and-back trail in California with 3,831 ft elevation gain and loss.

Aloha DesolationPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Aloha Desolation

Next door

2.60-mile out-and-back trail in California with 304 ft elevation gain.

Ralston Peak TrailPhoto: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ralston Peak Trail

~3 min drive

2.7-mile out-and-back to Ralston Peak in California with 726 ft gain.

Lily Lake TrailPhoto: Scorewith German, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lily Lake Trail

~5 min drive

3.72-mile out-and-back hike in California with 3,015 ft gain/loss.

Pacific Crest TrailPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pacific Crest Trail

Next door

0.82-mile out-and-back trail on the Pacific Crest Trail in California.

Echo Peak TrailPhoto: John Game, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Echo Peak Trail

~3 min drive

3.72-mile out-and-back hike in California with 1,337 ft elevation gain and loss.

Angora Ridge TrailPhoto: Scorewith German, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Angora Ridge Trail

~6 min drive

5.74-mile out-and-back hike in California with 1,707 ft elevation gain and loss.