Echo Lakes are a glacially formed pair of lakes 10 miles south of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The Echo Lakes community includes the resort and marina, a seasonal post office, over 100 summer residences (located on US Forest Service or private lands), and many welcome visitors. Echo Lake is an ideal place for your mountain vacation.

The housekeeping cabins, rustic but comfortable, have wide porches with beautiful views of the lake and mountains. For evening entertainment and a change of pace, there is the excitement of South Lake Tahoe.

Seasons Open: Memorial Day thru Labor Day (weather permitting)

The area offers a variety of outdoor activities including boating, hiking, fishing, and camping in Desolation Wilderness.

Fishermen coming to Echo Lake will find relaxing fishing just a short walk from their cars, both off the Dam and the nearby shoreline. The more involved can hike around both lakes or rent a fishing boat from the Chalet, for trolling or deep water fishing. A local fisherman caught this amazing rainbow trout in July.

For those who want to go hiking, the Pacific Crest Trail borders the Lakes on its way from Mexico to Canada, and leads to the Desolation Wilderness area. The stretch of trail along the Lakes is supposedly the second easiest section of the entire Pacific Crest Trail, since it is a fairly flat 3.1 miles. During the summer there is a boat taxi that carries passengers from the lower lake to the upper lake for a nominal fee.

Rate Range: $82 (one bedroom two guests) to $126 (2 bedroom-four guests) / night.

From the Bay Area:

Take Highway 80 East to Sacramento, then continue East on Highway 50 through Placerville and towards South Lake Tahoe.

1.8 miles east of the Sierra at Tahoe Ski Resort, look for the brown Berkeley Camp / Echo Lake sign. Turn left. Continue about 1/2 mile to Echo Lakes Road, turn left again and continue to the end of the road. If you come to a turn-around at the California Alpine Club (red building), you missed Echo Lakes Road by about 1/4 mile.