Highway 50 winds its way across El Dorado County and in doing so passes through an ever-changing landscape—from Lake Tahoe and the pine forests of the high Sierra to manzanita and black oak communities in the western end of the county. This diverse setting gives rise to outstanding recreation sites, and EID operates several, in addition to Sly Park, that are found along the highway.

Forebay Reservoir
This delightful picnic area with fishing access is popular with local residents and visitors from afar. Forebay Reservoir was initially created to regulate water flow to EID’s hydroelectric power generation facility, but it is also a great daytime recreation spot — perfect for barbeques, quiet walks, and fishing. The area is located on Forebay Road in Pollock Pines, just off Pony Express Trail at Highway 50’s Sly Park Road exit. The area is open from dawn to dusk.

Echo Lake
Located in a breathtakingly beautiful alpine setting, the two bodies of water that comprise Echo Lake offer great hiking and outstanding photographic opportunities. Echo Lake trailhead, beginning at 7300 feet above sea level near the southern end of the lower lake is one of the most well-used entry points to Desolation Wilderness Area and two other popular backcountry destinations — Lake Aloha and Rockbound Valley. For those who desire shorter hikes, Tamarack and Ralston lakes and Lake of the Woods along the trail to Lake Aloha offer both beauty and, except on busy summer weekends, a nice bit of solitude.

Lake Aloha
This wonderful high-elevation area is often described by visitors as one of the nicest lakes along the Pacific Crest Trail. Well known for its hundreds of lovely small islands, the Lake Aloha area is actually a combination of several small lakes, once known as Medley Lakes. The hike in, starting from Echo Lake trailhead, consists of about 6.8 miles of moderately difficult terrain.

Pyramid Creek/Horsetail Falls
Hikers abound here during the summer, availing themselves of the short but ever-steepening trail along the Pyramid Creek drainage toward tumbling Horsetail Falls. The trail is also part of one route up Pyramid Peak. The hike starts at the sweeping curve in the road at Twin Bridges just past the town of Strawberry on Highway 50.