Mount Whitney
Mountain Peak · Lone Pine, California
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States at about 14,500 feet, rising above the town of Lone Pine on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada. The standard Whitney Portal trail is about 21 to 22 miles round trip with about 6,000 feet of gain, and most people do it in one very long day or with an overnight camp. It is not a technical climb in summer, but altitude, length and weather make it serious, and many hikers turn back. Access is controlled by a permit lottery, with a day-use and an overnight system, and the Whitney Zone regulations apply to the whole trail. The Mountaineer's Route is a steeper, more technical alternative. Snow and ice can remain into early summer. This place is for fit, well-prepared hikers; others can enjoy the Portal, Lone Pine Lake and the Alabama Hills. Confirm permits, fees, bear and waste rules and current trail conditions with the ranger station before you plan, because they change by year.
Whitney Portal Road, Lone Pine, California, 93545, United States
The mountain is open year-round in principle, but the trail is practical for ordinary hikers only in the snow-free window, roughly early summer to early autumn, and conditions vary by year. A permit is required for the trail past Lone Pine Lake, for both day hikes and overnight trips, and permits are issued mainly through a spring lottery, with leftovers sometimes released later - confirm dates and fees. Most hikers start well before dawn to be off the summit by early afternoon, since thunderstorms build in the afternoons. The Whitney Portal road can close in winter, and the Portal Store and campground are seasonal.