Updated 29 July 2025
The Glen Alpine trail starts at the Lily Lake trailhead, which is at the end of a narrow road near the south end of Fallen Leaf Lake. From here you can hike to several of the loveliest lakes in the Desolation Wilderness, including Grass Lake, Susie Lake, Heather Lake, Aloha Lake, Half Moon Lake and Gilmore Lake. From Gilmore Lake you can also hike to the summit of Mount Tallac via a nice wildflower-covered trail that some people prefer to the standard Mount Tallac trail. There are several possibilities:
- Hike to Grass Lake (5.8 miles round trip, 728 feet elevation gain)
- Hike to Susie Lake (9.2 miles round trip, 2113 feet elevation gain)
- Hike to Susie Lake, Heather Lake and Aloha Lake (12.8 miles round trip, 2183 feet elevation gain)
- Hike to Half Moon Lake (9.9 miles, 1739 feet elevation gain)
- Hike to Gilmore Lake and the Mount Tallac summit (12.6 miles round trip, 2989 feet elevation gain)
A map and some photos are shown below.
Parking is available at the Lily Lake trailhead, but on busy days or if you do not arrive early, you may need to park along the narrow road leading to the trailhead. A Desolation Wilderness day use permit (free) must be completed at the trailhead, and you must keep the top portion with you.
NOTE: Some maps, including the map below, show a trail, known as the “Mid-Tallac Trail,” which starts near the Lily Lake trailhead (at N38 52.694 W120 04.774), then heads northwest up the side of the canyon, then north up to a point where it joins the trail from the main Tallac trailhead to the Tallac summit. This trail is narrow, steep, and very treacherous in spots (notably at N38 53.007 W120 05.768, where one must hold on for dear life to a tree branch). Although some use this trail, it is not recommended for most hikers.
Here is a map of hike (e), from the Lily Lake trailhead to Gilmore Lake, then to the Mt Tallac summit, then back down to Lily Lake:
Grass Lake is only about three miles (on a side trail) from the Lily Lake Trailhead, yet is very lovely and has an impressive waterfall to the north:
Susie Lake is further up the main Glen Alpine trail, to the left from the trail junction at N38 53.034 W120 06.816. It features a striking combination of red rocks and trees:
This is Heather Lake, on the trail between Susie Lake and Aloha Lake:
This is Aloha Lake, a very large, shallow lake on a striking rocky terrain:
Half Moon Lake is further up the Glen Alpine trail, to the right from the trail junction at N38 53.034 W120 06.816. Note the waterfall in the distance:
This is Gilmore Lake, also on right branch of the trail from the junction at N38 53.034 W120 06.816. One can hike from here to the summit of Mount Tallac:
The view from the summit of Mount Tallac is stunning in all directions. Here is the view looking west, with Gilmore Lake, Suzie Lake, Aloha Lake and Pyramid Peak all visible:
