Little Lakes Valley Gear Checklist
Little Lakes Valley is an easy walk that starts above 10,000 feet, so the pack is about altitude, cold mornings and bears, not distance. The Forest Service requires bear-proof containers for food, trash and scented items, bans campfires everywhere in the valley, and asks you to treat the lake and creek water. People who camp at Chickenfoot Lake bring a stove, a filter, layers for 40-degree mornings and the cable for their battery pack. The valley is popular with fishing families and first-time backpackers, and the trailhead lot fills early.
What shapes your gear on Little Lakes Valley
- Start and elevation
- Hikers start from the Mosquito Flat lot where Rock Creek Road ends, roughly 10 miles above Tom's Place. The Forest Service says that road is closed in winter. The Forest Service lists the elevation as 10,100 feet. Blogs give 10,215 or 10,250 feet for the same lot, so the figure printed here is the Forest Service's.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mosquito Flat Backpacker Campground, No Back Home and Garden Betty
- Quota and fees
- Overnight trips need a wilderness permit all year, and day use needs none. From May 1 through November 1 the quota is 25 people a day, and groups cannot exceed 15. Reserving costs $6 per permit plus $5 per person, since the valley is outside the Mount Whitney Zone.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Permits
- The night before
- Mosquito Flat Backpacker Campground has 10 single sites, no reservations, no fee and one night only. You need a Little Lakes Valley or Mono Pass wilderness permit for the following day, and the bear boxes there must be used. A hiker on a 2025 trip saw the trailhead lot packed solid the evening before.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mosquito Flat Backpacker Campground and Backpacking Light forums
- Where people camp
- Chickenfoot Lake sits at 10,761 feet about 3.5 miles in, off the main trail, and three writers camped there, and two say they prefer it to nearby alternatives. One blogger would not camp at any lake before Long Lake because of day-hiker traffic. Gem Lakes farther up have sites but drew more campers.
From No Back Home, Garden Betty and Backpacking Light forums
- Water and temperature
- The Forest Service advises treating any water you take from a creek, lake or spring. An August 2025 trip logged 40 degrees at 7 am at Chickenfoot, with the sun reaching the camp near 8, and a windier second evening that felt colder. A blogger found Upper Gem Lake water around 50 degrees.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail, Backpacking Light forums and Garden Betty
- Dead end and a separate permit
- The Forest Service reports an unstable hillside has blocked the old mine road beyond Morgan Lakes, so you leave the same way you came, through Mosquito Flat. The Forest Service also notes that trips toward Mono Pass use a different permit.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail
What the agency requires on Little Lakes Valley
A bear-proof container for food, trash and scented items
Little Lakes Valley is one of eight Inyo areas where bear-resistant containers are required, and the trail page applies that to food, trash and anything scented. At Mosquito Flat the provided bear boxes must be used.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail, U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mosquito Flat Backpacker Campground
A stove instead of a campfire
There are no campfires anywhere in the valley.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail
An overnight wilderness permit
Overnight trips need a wilderness permit year-round. From May 1 through November 1 the quota is 25 people a day, and 60 percent of it opens six months ahead and 40 percent two weeks ahead.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Permits
A group of no more than 15
Group size is capped at 15, and that includes day use.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail
What hikers carry on Little Lakes Valley
A water filter, backflushed before the trip
The Forest Service advises treating water from natural sources. A 2025 backpacker found his filter slow at Chickenfoot until he backflushed it, which brought the flow back at once.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail and Backpacking Light forums
A stove and freeze-dried dinners
With campfires banned, hot food means a stove. The 2025 group cooked beef stroganoff and pasta from pouches at Chickenfoot, and made soup as a first course.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail and Backpacking Light forums
Warm layers for a 40-degree morning
Camp sits in a valley behind steep walls, so the sun arrived near 8 am and the thermometer read 40. The next evening's wind felt colder, and a blogger warns that May and September can bring snow.
From Backpacking Light forums and No Back Home
Sun protection for a shadeless trail
A blogger who has been several times says the trail has no shade and can get very hot in summer, and suggests hiking in the early morning or late afternoon. Swimmers found the lakes around 50 degrees.
From No Back Home and Garden Betty
Extra drinks for the altitude
The trailhead is already above 10,000 feet. One blogger drinks electrolyte drinks for a day before and each day at altitude, and aims for 3 to 4 liters of water, avoiding alcohol.
From No Back Home
A fishing rod, where the lakes hold trout
The Forest Service names fishing as a draw. The 2025 backpacker caught small brook trout and a larger rainbow near Chickenfoot, and saw brook trout at Gem Lakes.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail and Backpacking Light forums
A map and GPS for off-trail lakes
Lakes off the main trail, mean cross-country steps. A 2013 solo hiker navigated by GPS waypoints and a map in haze.
From Ted's Hiking World and Garden Betty
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Little Lakes Valley
A battery pack without its cable
The 2025 backpacker carried a new battery pack up to Chickenfoot and found the connecting cable still in the van, so he carried about ten ounces for nothing.
Speakers, beach chairs and inflatables
The same trip met a couple camped at the Long Lake outlet who had hauled in floating rafts and beach chairs and played music across the lake. The writer was not pleased.
Camping at the lakes nearest the parking lot
One blogger says not to camp at any lake before Long Lake, because day hikers pass all day. Chickenfoot, a short detour off the trail, felt more private.
From No Back Home and Garden Betty
Food left in a parked car
A blogger says bears visit the lot and the lakes, and the trailhead has lockers for food during your hike.
From No Back Home
Gear questions for Little Lakes Valley
Do I need a permit for Little Lakes Valley?
Not for a day hike. Overnight trips need a wilderness permit year-round. The quota is 25 people a day from May 1 through November 1, and a permit costs $6 plus $5 per person.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Permits
Do I need a bear canister for Little Lakes Valley?
You need a bear-proof container for food, trash and scented items. The Forest Service lists Little Lakes Valley as an active bear area, and a blogger confirms bears visit the lakes and the parking lot.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail, U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Wilderness Regulations and No Back Home
Can I have a campfire in Little Lakes Valley?
No. The Forest Service bans campfires anywhere in the valley, so bring a stove.
From U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Little Lakes Valley Trail
Where do people camp in Little Lakes Valley?
Many people pick Chickenfoot Lake, about 3.5 miles in and a short detour from the main trail. Others use the far side of Long Lake or the Gem Lakes. The night before, backpackers with a permit can use the 10 walk-in sites at Mosquito Flat.
From No Back Home, Garden Betty, Backpacking Light forums and U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest: Mosquito Flat Backpacker Campground
How cold does Little Lakes Valley get at night?
One August 2025 trip logged 40 degrees at 7 am at Chickenfoot and a colder, windier second evening. A blogger notes that May and September can bring snow at this elevation.
From Backpacking Light forums and No Back Home
Sources
- Little Lakes Valley Trail · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Mosquito Flat Backpacker Campground · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Wilderness Regulations · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Wilderness Permits · U.S. Forest Service, Inyo National Forest · Agency
- Little Lakes Valley, Sierra (member trip report) · Backpacking Light forums, Paul Wagner · Trip report
- Backpacking the Beautiful Little Lakes Valley Trail (Near Rock Creek) · No Back Home · Blog
- Backpacking Through Little Lakes Valley · Garden Betty, Linda Ly · Blog
- Hidden Lakes of Little Lakes Valley · Ted's Hiking World, Ted Muller · Trip report