A small parking lot for the trailhead is just before South Steens campground. The Little Blitzen trail starts right across the road from the parking lot.

The Little Blitzen trail follows the Little Blitzen river through a U-shaped gorge for about ten miles, ending at a former glacial headwall. There are numerous small waterfalls along the way, and many wildflowers depending on the season.

We hiked the Little Blitzen as an out-and-back day hike, which results in about a 20 mile round-trip. There's plentiful water along the trail, and several flat places to camp. If you are adventurous, the Little Blitzen can be hiked as a loop with the Big Indian trail. This involves climbing out the Little Blitzen gorge via a side trail, hiking along the Steens Mountain road for a few miles, and then scrambling down into Big Indian gorge. I've heard this about a 24 mile hike or backpacking trip.

There's lots to do in the surrounding Steens Mountain area, so I suggest camping at the nearby South Steens campground, or one of the other campgrounds on the Steens Mountain loop road. Fishing for rainbow and Lahontan cutthroat trout is possible in almost any water body of the Steens.