The east face of Mount Whitney in early morning light, orange granite cliffs and pinnacles under a clear blue sky

Mount Whitney Trail: 2-Day Overnight, Permit and Camps

The highest summit in the lower 48 on a maintained trail, and a permit that decides before the legs do.

10.6 mi · 2 days · Hard
By

Photo: Mark and Jan Rice, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States, 14,505 feet (4,421 m), and the trail up from Whitney Portal is the shortest and most popular way to it: 10.7 miles (17.1 km) one way, climbing more than 6,200 feet (1,890 m). The trail starts in Inyo National Forest and enters Sequoia National Park at Trail Crest, about 2 miles (3.2 km) below the summit. When it is free of snow it is non-technical but strenuous.

This page draws the climb as two days with one night on the mountain, because that is how most people give the altitude a chance. Day 1 climbs about 6.2 miles (9.9 km) to Trail Camp at 12,000 feet (3,658 m), the high camp. Outpost Camp at 10,400 feet (3,170 m) is the lower choice, and Consultation Lake and Lone Pine Lake are the other common camps. Day 2 goes up to the summit and, in the same day, back down to the car: about 4.4 miles (7.1 km) up and 10.7 miles (17.1 km) down. The split between the two days is measured along the mapped line, not an official figure, so it can differ slightly from the official total. Camping at Outpost Camp instead moves some of that climb to day 2.

The decision that matters is the permit, and the one-day option shapes it. The one-day hike is 22 miles (35.4 km) round trip, and the usual advice is to expect 12 to 14 hours, start before sunrise and be ready to hike in the dark. It uses a Day Use permit, with a separate quota of 100 people a day against 60 for Overnight, so the one-day hike has more places. Day Use and Overnight are different permits and cannot be mixed. Pick which trip you are really doing when you apply, because the date is hard to change afterward.

The lottery covers May 1 to November 1 and you can list up to 10 alternate choices, so list several dates and both trip types if you would do either. There is no walk-up permit: dates the lottery leaves unfilled open for reservation in late April (April 22 in 2026), and those go fast. If you miss both, November 2 to April 30 has no quota, but that is the snow season.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Elevation Profile

Highest 14,490 ft (4,418 m) · lowest 8,350 ft (2,544 m)

14,490 ft8,350 ft1
0 mi10.6 mi (17.1 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

Day by Day

2 legs and 1 night on the way, each in a different place.

  1. Turquoise Consultation Lake below steep granite walls and pinnacles, with pale rock slabs in the foreground under a blue sky
    Day 1

    Day 1: Whitney Portal to Trail Camp

    Whitney Portal TrailheadtoTrail Camp

    Distance
    6.2 mi 9.9 km
    Up
    3,650 ft 1,112 m
    Down
    0 ft 0 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    The climb starts at the trailhead and it is steady from there: Trail Camp is about 3,640 feet (1,110 m) above the trailhead. The trail enters the John Muir Wilderness and then the Mount Whitney Zone, where you need to hold the permit and carry it with you. Lone Pine Lake sits at about 10,000 feet (3,040 m) and Outpost Camp at about 10,400 feet (3,170 m). Mirror Lake and Trailside Meadow are closed to camping.

    Consultation Lake sits at about 11,700 feet (3,560 m), and Trail Camp at about 12,000 feet (3,660 m) is the highest of the common camps; its spot here is the one mapped on OpenStreetMap, so treat it as approximate. Campfires are not allowed, and the rules ask for camping at least 100 feet (30 m) from lakes, streams and the trail where the terrain permits, and never within 50 feet (15 m). Keep all food and trash in the bear canister. Outpost Camp is the lower alternative: the same permit covers it, and you give up some of the acclimatization but climb about 1,600 feet (490 m) less on the first day.

    Sleep
    Trail Camp · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    No taps are promised. Lone Pine Lake, Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake and a tarn at Trail Camp are mapped near the trail; treat every drop.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Most of the trail has no cell service.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0

  2. A rocky trail switchbacks up a scree slope above a small blue lake, with granite peaks rising beyond it
    Day 2

    Day 2: Trail Camp to the summit, and back down

    Trail CamptoMount Whitney summit

    Distance
    4.4 mi 7.1 km
    Up
    2,680 ft 818 m
    Down
    200 ft 62 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    From Trail Camp the trail climbs to Trail Crest at 13,600 feet (4,145 m). Here it crosses into Sequoia National Park, where pets are not allowed, and the last stretch to the summit, 14,505 feet (4,421 m), runs on the park side of the crest. The John Muir Trail ends here too, so you share the top with people who have walked from Yosemite; see the John Muir Trail page for that trip.

    The way down is the same trail in reverse, 10.7 miles (17.1 km) from the summit to Whitney Portal, and it is the long half of the day. Pick a turnaround time before you leave and keep to it even if the top is in sight. Building clouds are a reason to turn: lightning is common in the Sierra in summer. If you left your tent at Trail Camp, you break camp on the way down. Put the pack-out kit in the box by the trailhead restrooms, and be ready for bears when you reach the lot.

    Water
    No water is promised above camp; carry what you need for the day.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Most of the trail has no cell service.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Cullen328, CC BY 3.0

Permits

A permit is required

Everyone who enters the Mount Whitney Zone needs a permit, day hikers included, all year. For a trip from Whitney Portal the permit comes from Inyo National Forest through Recreation.gov. There are two types: Day Use, and Mt. Whitney Trail Overnight, which covers the trail and camps such as Outpost Camp and Trail Camp. A Day Use permit cannot be used as part of an overnight trip, and consecutive Day Use permits are not allowed.

The quota applies from May 1 to November 1: 100 people per entry day for Day Use and 60 people per entry day for Overnight. Children count, and the maximum group is 15. The fees are a 6 USD non-refundable reservation fee per reservation and a 15 USD per person recreation fee for trips entering the Whitney Zone. There are no refunds, credits or transfers to another date, and national passes do not cover wilderness permits. The entry date is meant to be final: an online move is possible only 12 or more days ahead and only if the new day has quota, so choose the date as if it were final. Only the leader or the alternate named on the application can pick the permit up or use it.

The permit is a paper copy that the leader must carry and show to rangers. Print it at home up to a week before, or at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center. If you do not print it in time, the reservation is canceled as a no-show: the deadline is 10 a.m. on the entry date for the Overnight permit and noon the day before for Day Use.

The lottery

Dates from May 1 to November 1 go through a lottery. You apply for your preferred dates, group size and trip type, with up to 10 alternate choices and 3 alternate leaders on one application, and only one application per group or household. In 2026 the lottery ran February 1 to March 1, results came on March 15, an awarded permit had to be claimed and paid by April 21, and unclaimed dates opened on April 22 at 7 a.m. Pacific. Each season's dates are posted on the permit page; expect the same shape. From November 2 to April 30 there is no quota and you can reserve up to two weeks ahead.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Mount Whitney Trail, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Whitney Portal, at the end of Whitney Portal Road, about 13 miles (21 km) west of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierra. Turn left at the only traffic signal in Lone Pine. The trailhead is at 8,360 feet (2,548 m). The Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center is on the corner of US 395 and State Route 136, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Lone Pine; it handles permit printing, bear can rental, maps and pack-out kits, and in-person service may be limited in 2026, so check its hours.

The end

Same place. The trail is out and back, and the summit is 10.7 miles (17.1 km) from the trailhead as officially counted. There is no shuttle to arrange. If you walk on along the John Muir Trail instead, that is a different trip, covered on the John Muir Trail page.

Parking

Parking at the trailhead is limited, so carpool. Whitney Portal has very active bears: remove all food and scented items from the car and use the bear-proof lockers in the parking areas, and put trash in the bear-resistant bins. Do not leave a pack or food unattended. Whitney Portal Campground is not in the wilderness, so a night there is not part of the permit's dates.

Safety

  • Altitude. The trailhead is at 8,360 feet (2,548 m) and the summit at 14,505 feet (4,421 m). Altitude illness can strike anyone, and the advice is a slow ascent that lets the body adjust; learn the symptoms of altitude sickness before you go. That is the reason for the overnight: sleeping at 10,400 to 12,000 feet (3,170 to 3,658 m) gives you the night to adjust. If symptoms get worse, go down.

  • Snow and ice. The trail is non-technical when it is free of snow, usually July to late September. In spring and early summer ice axes and crampons are needed. Check the current conditions before you go, and plan a different date if snow or ice is still on the upper trail.

  • Weather. Lightning is common in the Sierra in summer, and distant thunderheads can mean lightning is coming: seek shelter or lower ground, and avoid high places, wet areas and rock ledges. On this route that means being on the summit early and turning around when clouds build. Cold, wet weather is possible in any season, and hypothermia can start in air as warm as 60 F (16 C) if you are wet.

  • Turnaround time. Pick one before you leave, so the descent happens in daylight, stay with your group, and leave your plan with someone who knows when to report you overdue. Most of the trail has no cell service, so carry a map you downloaded in advance.

  • Bears. A bear-resistant container for food and trash is required on overnight trips, and Whitney Portal has a high level of bear activity. At the trailhead, food and scented items go in the lockers, not the car, and a pack is never left unattended. Day hikers keep the pack with them.

  • Human waste. There are no restrooms on the trail. You pack out solid waste and paper in a pack-out kit (a WAG bag), available at the visitor center and at the trailhead. Carry the used kit down and drop it in the disposal box by the trailhead restrooms.

  • Water. No water is promised on the trail, so carry what you need. Giardia may be present in lakes and rivers, so treat water by filter, iodine or a boil of at least 3 minutes. Do not swim in the cold high lakes: cold water brings hypothermia and drowning.

  • Rules that matter on this trail. No campfires. Camping is allowed no closer than 100 feet (30 m) to lakes, streams and the trail where the terrain permits, and never within 50 feet (15 m); none at Mirror Lake or Trailside Meadow. No stock between Whitney Portal and Trail Crest. Pets are not allowed in Sequoia National Park, which starts at Trail Crest.

Mount Whitney Trail: FAQ

Do you need a permit to hike Mount Whitney?

Yes, all year. Anyone entering the Mount Whitney Zone needs one, day hikers included. From Whitney Portal it is an Inyo National Forest permit reserved on Recreation.gov. Quota and lottery apply from May 1 to November 1, and there is no walk-up permit.

How does the Mount Whitney lottery work?

You apply once per group or household with your preferred dates, group size and trip type, plus up to 10 alternates. In 2026 applications ran February 1 to March 1, results came March 15, and unclaimed dates went on sale April 22 at 7 a.m. Pacific. The next season's dates are posted on the permit page.

How much does a Mount Whitney permit cost?

A 6 USD non-refundable reservation fee per reservation, plus 15 USD per person for trips that enter the Whitney Zone. There are no refunds or credits, a date change depends on quota, and children count in the fee and the quota.

Can you hike Mount Whitney in one day?

Yes, with a Day Use permit. The round trip from Whitney Portal is 22 miles (35.4 km), and expect 12 to 14 hours and be ready to hike in the dark. A Day Use permit cannot be used for an overnight trip.

How far is Mount Whitney from Whitney Portal?

It is 10.7 miles (17.1 km) one way, from 8,360 feet (2,548 m) to the 14,505-foot (4,421 m) summit, a gain of more than 6,200 feet (1,890 m).

Where do you camp on the Mount Whitney Trail?

The common camps are Lone Pine Lake, Outpost Camp, Consultation Lake and Trail Camp as the common camps. Trail Camp, at 12,000 feet (3,658 m), is the highest. Mirror Lake and Trailside Meadow are closed to camping.

Do you need a bear canister on Mount Whitney?

Yes for overnight trips: a bear-resistant container is required for food and trash. Day hikers keep their packs with them, and everyone leaves food in the lockers at the trailhead, not in the car. The visitor center rents canisters.

Is Mount Whitney the end of the John Muir Trail?

Yes. The summit is the southern end of the John Muir Trail, which runs more than 200 miles (322 km) north to Yosemite Valley. A Mt. Whitney Trail overnight permit can be extended onto it if you give your exit point and dates. See the John Muir Trail page.

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