Twin Bridges, Desolation Wilde

In the 1930s, this site was often as far as the snowplow could successfully clear the road.  Skiers drove to this location and practiced their skills on the neighboring slopes.  An enterprising resident of Twin Bridges constructed a rope tow powered by a Model T Ford to serve the skiers in 1938.  Some sources believe this was the first ski tow in the Sierra Nevada, although Truckee has an earlier claim. 

Soon afterward, a general store was built and a post office was erected.  The general store was torn down in the 1990s to provide parking lot access for nearby Desolation Valley.

Heading westward on Highway 50 while approaching Twin Bridges will afford an excellent view of Horsetail Falls, a waterfall that gushes dramatically in the Springtime. It is located at an entrance to Desolation Valley.

Desolation Wilderness is 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, granite peaks, and glacially-formed valleys and lakes. It is located west of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50 in El Dorado County. A primary access point is Twin Bridges. 

The land which became Desolation Wilderness was part of the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve, established in 1899. In 1910, the area was made part of the newly formed Eldorado National Forest. The area was named the Desolation Valley Primitive Area in 1931, and in 1969 Desolation Wilderness was congressionally designated and included in the National Wilderness Preservation System.