Mount Whitney Trail is a 13 mile out and back trail located near Lone Pine, California that offers scenic views and is only recommended for very experienced outdoorsmen. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible from May until September.
Directions from Whitney Portal: Whitney Portal is 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierras.
California Travel and Tourism Commision, P.O. Box 1499 , Sacramento, CA, 95812-1499, Phone: 800-862-2543
Denise Collar (356)
9 months ago
N/A:
11 Completed 11 Reviews
Almost made in 1994 would like to give another shot sometime.
Christophe Le Rouzo (477)
11 months ago
N/A:
16 Completed 12 Reviews
Mountaineer Route, camping at Upper Boy Scout Lake
Daniel Best (3171)
over 1 year ago
N/A:
82 Completed 48 Reviews
I was only 13 and my father and I went at the worst time!!! Be prepared if you go during Thanksgiving and in the 70's cold weather gear was what you made see my pictures. Still will NEVER forget the climb absolutely breathtaking! To think I grew up to be a Forest Ranger.
Crystal Pekarsky (235)
over 1 year ago
N/A:
0 Completed 5 Reviews
Absolutely fantastic views. Didn't get to make it to the top. Got to the cables and had to turn back thanks to the blizzard that hit us. Planning on hitting it again in 2011. Anyone looking to do it, You'll never forget it!
Brittanie Kuhns (197)
over 1 year ago
N/A:
0 Completed 5 Reviews
I had a blast! I started at sheppheards pass i liked going that route not as many people and its really quite. make a longer and a little hard journey gettin gup to the pass but i would totally do this hike again!
Jim Allardyce
almost 2 years ago
N/A:
3 Completed 1 Reviews
This was a two day trip for our group. Spent the night just below the swtchbacks. It was 100 plus degrees in the valley but it hailed on our tents at the 11,000 elevation. I thought the 96 switchbacks was the easy part of the hike as we were just using a daypack at this point of the hike. Many hikers can do the full 22 miles in one day. Add 13,000 feet of elevation gain and decent to the day hike and this can be a very long day. I would not want to spend much time in the wood hut on the summit if an afternoon lighting storm was due.
Lonny Smith (936)
almost 2 years ago
N/A:
22 Completed 18 Reviews
The most amazing hike I have ever taken, 22 miles round trip from the Portal to the top of Mt Whitney and back in one day. watch out for the Marmets the will take your backpack if you lay it down. Get an early start.
Robert Murray (95)
about 2 years ago
N/A:
1 Completed 2 Reviews
Hiked to the top of Mount Whitney. It took two days. Camped by the lake at 11000 feet. Temp dropped after sun went down by 20 degrees in 30 minutes. Views are excellent
Bob M.
over 3 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
Went up to Whitney Portals on 9/1/2008 for altitude adaption. Stayed there all day and watched the maddening labor day crowd exit. As soon as the sun went behind the mountains it got "COLD". Slept in the SUV and arose at 0100 on 9/2 and couldn't get dressed fast enough (It was even COLDER now). Took the main trail to the summit and encountered a Ranger along the way actually checking for permits !!!! All in all it was a good day hike. I went to the new Mt. Whitney Hostel in Lone Pine and showered before driving home. The hostess gave me the "penny tour" of the facility. REALLY NICE for $20.00 a night !!!!
Bob M.
almost 4 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
Went up to Lone Pine on Monday 7/15 with my permit application in hand only to learn that no permits were being issued for 7/16 (My climbing date) due to adverse weather on the mountain and hazardous road conditions on the portals trail road. :( Photos posted online illustrated huge boulders on the road and flash floods. Headlines said "Worst flooding in 21 years!!!" Needless to say Caltrans stepped up to the plate, cleared the road and permits were issued late that day. OUTSTANDING weather for the next day, took tons of photos and made it to the top in 4:46. It hurt but I'm going back for more. Overall well worth it...
The Mad Hiker
over 4 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
I took the Mountaineer Route when I did this one. If you are not in shape, don't even think about doing it. It wasn't that bad for me. Got to the chute and had to turn around; the rest of my party was demolished. I will do it again in the spring. I highly recommend the Mountaineer Route over the Trail for those who like to get a good workout and can really move. This was the first hike I've done in a couple of years and the altitude still did not affect me. If you use your head, acclimatize...and you'll be alright.
0li
over 4 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
my friend and I just hiked this on 8-17-2007. started out very early at 1:30 am at the portal. we hiked in the dark until the sun started rising while we were on the first few switch backs. i started feeling the altitude at around 12,500 or 13,000 feet. once past trail crest is where i had the most difficulty. once at the top i took a break and laid down on a rock and elevated my feet and put on a new pair of socks and ate some food and drank lots of water. the way down was hardest for me until i passed trail crest, from there on it was easy. it was my first time and we did it in 17 hours
jk
almost 5 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
my 15 yr. old son and I completed an up and back in 11 hours and 50 minutes. It was awesome, like walking in an Ansel Adams painting! Really was not that difficult until the switchbacks but we got through them and to the top! Even in July it was very cold (about 30* and very windy at the top). Try to get above them before 10 or 11 when the sun starts baking them! We were very prepared and went with the following:
2 bananas,6 gatorade, a survival kit, parkas, 172* of water in Camelbacks, raisins, 4 sandwiches, oranges, apples, tons o fruit roll ups.
We met a lot of people who had run out of water and a few who were actually lost or separated from their parties.If we were to do it again we WOULD stay at one of the two camps overnight.
Pete
over 8 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
My sixteen year old son, his friend and I just completed Mt. Whitney in one day. This was the third time I have been to the Summit but the first time in one day. We made the trip in 14 hrs. Although difficult it was probably the best trip. The weather closed in within minutes of reaching the summit. We got about 4-6 inches of snow from the summit to trail camp. This just added to the adventure. 8-20-03
Bob C
almost 9 years ago
N/A:
Completed Reviews
To help with acclimization, we've camped first day just west of the town of Lone Pine, next morning up to the Whitney Portal, there all day and evening. We start out the next morning about 4:30. It's a long day, but with only day pack or fanny pack, it is easier than making the hike an overnighter with all the extra gear needed. And, doing it in 1 day you are only adding about 5 miles. Those doing an ON usually camp at the lake at 12,000, next morning go on up to the summit with day packs, back to the lake to pick up rest of their gear and back down to the Portal. Thus, they are doing 3/4 of the hike in one day, with much more equipment. Take along aspirin or other pain reliever for headaches AND ginger root tablets for nausea, they do he
Tobias Brown (103)
8 months ago
6 Completed 6 Reviews
One of my favorites. Made it up four times. Leave a 4am and you should make it to the top by lunch time. Pole Pole!