Availability
Heart Lake and Arrowhead Lake are mapped at or near the camp-area marker. This is map evidence, not a real-time flow report.
Backpacking camp
Heart Lake camp area
Duck Pass — Inyo National Forest, California
About this place
Heart Lake is an official Recreation.gov camp-area option connected to the duck-pass route. Kampilo uses the named feature as a general dispersed overnight-area reference, not as an individual campsite.
Choose an existing durable surface outside every required water, stream, and trail setback. Space, conditions, and legal availability are never guaranteed by the marker.
Water planning
Water at this camp
Natural water at or near this camp areaDrinking safety
Natural water is not verified potable. Filter and disinfect it or boil it according to the linked land-manager guidance before drinking.
Seasonality
Heart Lake is a mapped waterbody; USGS does not classify it here as seasonal or year-round. Confirm current level, access, and quality. Arrowhead Lake is a mapped waterbody; USGS does not classify it here as seasonal or year-round. Confirm current level, access, and quality.
- Heart LakeLake or pond · at the camp areaMapped waterbody — level and access can change · Treat before drinkingOfficial source
- Arrowhead LakeLake or pond · 0.3 mi awayMapped waterbody — level and access can change · Treat before drinkingOfficial source
Fire planning
Campfire & stove rules
Campfires prohibited under current Stage 1 restrictionsCampfires
This is an undeveloped backcountry camp area. The current Inyo National Forest Stage 1 order prohibits wood, charcoal, and other campfires outside listed developed recreation sites; a wilderness permit does not override that order.
Backpacking stoves
Shutoff-valve gas stove allowed with permit. Use only a portable gas, LPG, jellied-petroleum, or pressurized-liquid-fuel stove with a working shutoff valve. Wood-burning and twig stoves count as campfires and are not allowed under the current order.
Permit
Carry a valid California Campfire Permit for stove use. The wilderness permit is not a substitute for checking the current fire order.
Current restrictions
Stage 1 restrictions are listed through December 31, 2026. Recheck the Inyo alerts page immediately before departure because orders can be extended, replaced, or tightened.
Seasonal access
Closures & seasonal access
High Sierra approaches can be snowbound well into summer, and several roads, shuttles, and remote spurs operate only seasonallyPlace closure
No recurring date-based closure of Heart Lake is published. The source-connected approach conditions below and temporary emergency orders still control access.
Seasonal access
Source-connected approach: Duck Pass Trailhead. High Sierra approaches can be snowbound well into summer, and several roads, shuttles, and remote spurs operate only seasonally. Desert and foothill entries may remain physically reachable in winter but can become unsafe in storms, heat, or after washouts.
Before driving
Check the exact county, highway, Forest Service road, gate, and shuttle status immediately before departure; a wilderness permit does not guarantee vehicle access.
Mapped approaches
Choose a trailhead for Heart Lake camp area
Each option has a sourced trail route to this camp area. Choose one to open its itinerary builder with this destination in context.
- Duck Pass Trailhead1.4 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
- Reds Meadow Trailhead20.5 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
- McGee Creek Trailhead25.7 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 37.588542° N
- Longitude
- 118.978229° W