Exploring the History of Little Lake, California Ghost Town

Little Lake, California, is a historic site in Inyo County, just off U.S. Route 395 at the southern end of Owens Valley. The town served as an important stop for travelers journeying between Los Angeles and the Eastern Sierra. It was established as a rest stop for travelers, especially after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power dammed the site’s eponymous landmark in 1905 as part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct project.

Little Lake Hotel

1923, the Little Lake Hotel, a beloved landmark, was built. This rock-faced, two-story building provided a lifeline for travelers heading north to the Eastern Sierras. It offered a place to rest and a store, gas station, and café catering to the needs of tourists and athletes alike. However, in 1989, a devastating fire consumed the hotel’s upper floor, leading to its closure. The town’s post office followed suit in 1997, and by the early 2000s, the city had been largely dismantled, with the buildings and road signs bulldozed away.

Southern Pacific Railroad

The Southern Pacific Railroad was instrumental in its growth and development. The town became a stop for travelers journeying between Los Angeles and the Eastern Sierra and a crucial point for freight and passenger services. The construction of the Little Lake Hotel in 1923, known for its rock-faced, two-story design, further solidified Little Lake’s importance as a destination along the SPRR route.

However, by the 1980s, the Southern Pacific Railroad’s “Slim Princess” Narrow Gauge Railroad, which had passed through Little Lake, was permanently removed. This, along with the closure of the Little Lake Hotel after a fire in 1989, marked the beginning of Little Lake’s decline as a bustling town. By the early 2000s, much of the town’s infrastructure was bulldozed away, leaving the eponymous lake as its most prominent remaining feature.

Little Lake Ghost Town

Today, Little Lake is remembered as a ghost town that once played a role in the region’s transportation and tourism development. It is part of California’s rich history, reflecting the state’s changing needs and travel patterns over the past century. The only structure still standing is the post office, albeit in a poor state of decay. There are also a few foundations and graffiti on the rocks behind the hotel once stood. Little Lake is located in Inyo County, California, along Highway 395.

Nearby Highway 395 Points Of Interest

Keeler California

Keeler, California, was once a bustling town with a train station, a 300-foot pier, a public swimming pool, and several hotels. The city was initially called Hawley and later named Keeler after Julius M. Keeler. The town’s existence was partly due to the Cerro Gordo mines high above the Inyo Mountains. Today, Keeler has a population of around 50. In its heyday, Keller’s population was about 2500 people.

Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns

The kilns were once used to produce charcoal that powered the smelters of the Cerro Gordo Mine across the lake in the Inyo Mountains. Two steamers named Bessie Brady and Mollie Stevens were used to transport the charcoal across Lake Keeler. On their return trips, they would carry back bars of silver. Today, the kilns have been designated as a historical landmark and serve as a testimony to the industrial and mining history of the Owens Valley. The kilns are approximately 14.4 miles south of Lone Pine on U.S. Highway 395, attracting many tourists and history enthusiasts interested in the region’s past.

Dirty Sock Hot Spring Owens Valley, California

Dirty Sock Hot Spring is situated on the southeast side of Owens Lake, near Olancha, California. The spring comprises a significant concrete-lined pool supplied by an underground spring. The distinct odor of the natural hot springs water resembles that of dirty socks and is caused by the volcanic sulfur earth surrounding the pool.

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