Most of my trips up Little Lakes Valley were on backpack trips to either climb a peak or hike part of the John Muir Trail. The two trips shown here were, however, simple overnight sightseeing trips.
To get there you take the Rock Creek Road from Tom's Place. On this road one begins to get a direct taste of the grandeur of this marvelous area of the Eastern Sierra. First, the massive Mount Morgan South at 13,748' looms ahead. A few miles further along there is Bear Creek Spire, Mount Dade and Mount Abbot, all high thirteeners that come into view beyond Rock Creek Lake.
A couple more miles bring you to the Mosquito Flat trailhead parking. A short hike of less than a mile and you're in the heart of Little Lakes Valley surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery the high Sierra has to offer. With a starting elevation of 10,230' at the parking area, and an excellent trail system, one has easy access to a great cirque of peaks and two major passes into the backcountry that can all be done in a day.
Little Lakes Valley (great pictures on this link) is truly a mountain lovers paradise for hiking, fly fishing, camping and climbing. With all this being the case the area is a very popular destination in the summer. Everything from short 1-2 hour strolls up to Marsh or Heart Lake to extensive climbing/backpacking adventures along the crest or over the passes await. More great pictures here.
On July 16-17, 1966 myself, Iona Deck, Steve Henderson, Scott Henderson and David Henderson backpacked in two miles and camped at Long Lake. This was Iona's and Dvid's first backpack so we took it easy. Scott caught 2 troute.
Little Lakes Valley trail to Long Lake 1966
On June 20-21, 1981 myself and Jim White backpacked about six miles to above Gem Lakes. We left Independence around 8 am and hit the trail around 9:30. We moved at a steady pace up the trail. Stopped at Long Lake for snacks. Left the trail near Gem Lakes headed for Dade Lake. Stopped for lunch above Gem Lakes. After lunch Jim was feeling a bit altitude sick so we made camp.
Next day we hiked over Morgan Pass and up to a ridge on a leisurely day hike. Returned to camp and laid around a while. Finally headed for the car around 5 p.m. Weather was beautiful and warm. Mosquitos were out but not terribly thick. Things were quite dry for this time of year
Little Lakes Valley trail beyond Long Lake to Gem Lakes 1981
