Summiting Mt Whitney in California
Kraig AdamsApr 2021 · Solo
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Out and back on the Mount Whitney Trail
- Cost
- See his costs
- Lodging
- Tent
North America · United States
Mount Whitney
Sierra Nevada, California
- Distance
- 20.8 mi33.5 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 6,499 ft1,981 m
- High point
- 14,505 ft4,421 m
- Season
- July to September, when the trail is…
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / North America / Mount Whitney
In April 2021 I hiked Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, 14,505 ft (4,421 m), on the Mount Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal. I flew from New York to Las Vegas, drove through Death Valley to the small town of Lone Pine, and did it in two days: up to Trail Camp, about 12,000 ft, on the first day, where I slept to get used to the altitude, then up the switchbacks to Trail Crest, along the back of the ridge to the summit, and all the way back down to my car on the second. About 20.8 miles by my GPS: 7.3 on the first day and 13.6 on the second. It's the trip from my film Summiting Mt Whitney in California.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Very hard · about 10 mi (17 km) and 3,250 ft (991 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 14,505 ft (4,421 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation8,268–14,478 ft20.4 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
Download GPX322 KB · free
The film
Watch it first
Summiting Mt Whitney in California
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Whitney Portal, 8,360 ft (2,550 m), 13 miles up the road from Lone Pine
- Finish
- Whitney Portal, 8,360 ft (2,550 m), 13 miles up the road from Lone Pine
- Direction
- Out and back on the Mount Whitney Trail
- Usual difficulty
- A long, steady climb on a good trail, then thin air, the 99 switchbacks and a rocky ridge. Snow and ice turn it into a mountaineering route
- Best time
- July to September, when the trail is usually snow-free and most people go. I went April 22 and 23, 2021, with snow above Lone Pine Lake
- Permits
- Required all year. Lottery for May 1 to November 1; $15 per person plus a $6 reservation fee
- Getting there
- My way in, 2021. I flew from New York all the way to Las Vegas, the biggest airport close to Lone Pine. It was still a four-hour drive through the desert, through Death Valley National Park, over to Lone Pine. In town I got dinner at the Mt. Whitney Restaurant, which has good burgers, stayed at the Mt. Whitney Motel, two stars, less than $100 a night, very cheap and easy, and went to Elevation, a store for hikers that has everything you might need, including bear can rentals.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
Bookings and permits
When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.
Mount Whitney permit lottery (May 1 to November 1)
Apply February 1 to March 1; results March 15; leftover dates go on sale at 7 a.m. Pacific on April 22. From November 2 to April 30 there's no quota and permits open two weeks before your trip.
Next: Feb 1, 2027 to Mar 1, 2027
Book on recreation.gov, permit 445860.
Source: Kraig Adams's Mount Whitney guide: Permits and the rules (checked on Inyo National Forest and recreation.gov Oct 2, 2026). Checked October 2026.
Alert me when bookings open
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911 · visitor center (760) 876-6200.
Phone signal
- Not reliably.
- Reports say there's some on the summit and parts of the switchbacks, best on Verizon, and none to count on at Trail Camp.
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, and some hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit.
- Make sure your travel health insurance covers medical treatment and repatriation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Whitney Portal to Trail Camp. The only way off is back down the way you came. From Outpost Camp the Portal is about 4 miles and 2,000 ft down. Turn back if the altitude is hitting you badly (a headache that gets worse, vomiting, confusion), if a storm is coming, or if the snow is more than your gear and experience can handle. The trail is in shadow and refreezes in the afternoon, so don't start the climb above Outpost Camp late in a snowy season.
- Day 2, Trail Camp to the summit and down to Whitney Portal. The way off is back the way you came. Set a turnaround time before you leave camp and keep it; I found no official one, but the common practice is to be on top by noon or 1 p.m. and to turn around at the first thunder. Turn back below the switchbacks if they're icy and you don't have crampons, an ice axe and the skill to use them, and turn back anywhere if the altitude is getting worse: descent is the only treatment.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, tent.
Summiting Mt Whitney in California
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Mount Whitney, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Mount Whitney?
Two is what I did: up to Trail Camp on the first day, the summit and all the way down on the second. With a day permit you do it all in one long day. With the drive, I spent four days: in on the first, hike for two, out on the fourth.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Mount Whitney cost?
The permit is $15 per person plus $6. Waste kits are free, a bear can rents for about $5 a day in Lone Pine, and Whitney Portal Campground is $34 a night. A three-night trip from Las Vegas by car comes to roughly $550 to $950 for one person before food, flights not included.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Mount Whitney?
July to September, when the trail is usually snow-free and most people go. I went April 22 and 23, 2021, with snow above Lone Pine Lake.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Mount Whitney?
Yes, for day hikes and overnight trips, all year. From May 1 to November 1 permits go by a lottery on recreation.gov (apply February 1 to March 1; leftover dates from April 22). From November 2 to April 30 there's no quota and you book two weeks ahead. $15 per person plus a $6 reservation fee.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is Mount Whitney open?
Yes, in October 2026: the Inyo National Forest listed no trail closure and Whitney Portal Road was open all the way up. The road is gated below the trailhead in winter, and outside about late June to mid-October there's snow and ice above Trail Camp.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is the Mount Whitney hike?
Officially 10.7 miles each way from Whitney Portal, 21.4 round trip, with over 6,000 ft of climbing. My GPS recorded 20.8 miles over two days: 7.3 to Trail Camp, then 13.6 to the summit and back down to the Portal.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need crampons for Mount Whitney?
It depends on the month. From about late June to mid-October you usually need neither crampons nor an ice axe. In spring, early summer and late autumn the Forest Service and the national park say ice axe and crampons; I wore microspikes in late April 2021 in a light snow year.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you hike Mount Whitney in one day?
Yes: most permits are day permits. It's about 21 to 22 miles round trip with over 6,000 ft up and down, and day hikers take about 12 to 16 hours. Spend a night or two at around 8,000 ft first for the altitude.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.