Echo Lakes Rock Climbing

This largely granite area sits just off highway 50 at Echo Pass, the pass you must travel over in order to get into South Lake Tahoe from Sacramento. There are several hundred routes, with lengths from 30 to 300 feet.

Climbing is for the most part traditional, though there are a few mixed and sport climbs, and just like everywhere else in Tahoe if you're really wanting to boulder, there are plenty of good boulders to be found. If you travel a little further away from the lake down to Berkeley Camp, you can also find about 10 sport routes.

Most climbs sit above the Echo Lake entrance to the Desolation Wilderness and Pacific Crest Trail, which makes the parking lot seem quite full often, though most of the people parked are there visiting some of the cabins on the lake, for boating, and also for hiking. As a result, you will find yourself climbing uncrowded domes and peaks above the crowded trails.

Most approaches are under an hour, and most of the approach is on the Pacific Crest Trail, which is even smoothed out with concrete in some sections.

All routes are on National Forest land, so there are no access issues.

There's even a general store at the beginning of the trailhead, so getting beer is easy in case you forgot to bring your own. A view from the parking lot at Lower Echo Lakes. The path you need to take out to the majority of climbing starts on the concrete walkway on the right side of the picture. Most Climbing is behind the large formation in the picture known as Echo Edge.