Some may be reserved in advance, but others are only yours on a firstcome, firstserved basis. The hike is about 22 mi 35 km round trip, with an elevation gain of over. Whitney portal is the end of the whitney portal road in inyo county, california. The facility is situated in a thick pine forest at an elevation of 8,000 ft. On the downside, it can get busy and loud with kids running around. Whitney the tallest mountain in the continental united states. Book whitney portal campground, lone pine on tripadvisor. Many who visit the campground come with plans to climb to the summit of 14,505foot mt. Lone pine creek campground is just 6 miles down the road from whitney portal and 43 campsites. Whatever you are, theres a spot for you at whitney portal family campground. The whitney portal campground doesnt just have hikers.
Bears do frequent the area so be sure to store all food in the bearproof lockers. Horseshoe meadow campgrounds in california camping by tom stienstra. At 10,000 feet in elevation, cottonwood lakes trailhead campground makes a good place to spend a night before setting off into the john muir wilderness and sequoia national park. Jun 03, 2016 outstanding views of mount whitney the highest peak in the continental united states and the eastern sierra escarpment, lone pine creek, the alabama hills, and the white and inyo mountains are the key features of the whitney portal national recreation trail. Acclimatization day arrive at whitney portal campground around 3 p.
The mount whitney trail is a trail that climbs mount whitney. Its likely to be windy and cold at this elevation so hopefully you wore layers. Its the highest summit in the contiguous united states with an elevation of 4. Mt whitney trail condition reports from the folks who live and work on the mountain. Camping is allowed along most of the trail, more than 100 ft 30 m from water, but level ground that. Whitey portal campground is located up the road, about 6 miles away. When entering the parking area, pay close attention to the signs.
At an elevation of 14,495 feet, whitney looms high above death valley, the lowest point in north america at 262 feet below sea level, less than 100 miles to the east. Whitney portal campground sierra nevada campgrounds. The whitney portal campground is also a convenient base camp, although it is often full. Whitney portal campground rests in the shadow of mt. Whitney portal formerly, hunter flat and hunters camp is the end of the whitney portal road in inyo county, california. Whitney and the john muir wilderness less than a mile away, the campground is a popular home base for hikers, as well as family, rv and tent. Whitney portal campground is in a prime location within the eastern sierra nevada mountains at the base of mt. Whitney portal national recreation trail california. Most overnighters use this camp as the stopping point before going on to the summit in the morning. Whitney and the john muir wilderness less than a mile away, the campground is a popular home base for hikers, as well as family, rv, and tent campers who wish to explore the areas activities and. Oct 17, 2019 the whitney portal store is a great place to stock up on gear and souvenirs and to get an outstanding view of mount whitney trail and peak. Round trip miles 8 miles elevation gain 3120 trailhead elevation 5,640, west end of lone pine campground on whitney portal road difficulty moderate with a.
The campground is 24 miles southwest of the town of lone pine. Trail and campground status page for the mount whitney ranger district of inyo national forest. Theres a general store that has food, drinks, beers, gifts, and limited gear. Whitney and lone pine campgrounds whitney portal rd, lone pine, california 93545 rated 4. There is a turn out just above the campground on whitney portal road signed meysan lake trail head. The mt whitney trailhead is actually better known as the whitney portal, and outside of a few main starting points in yosemite and sequoia national parks, it is probably the busiest trailhead in all the sierra nevada. Outdoor recreation in the area includes fishing, picnicking, hikingbackpacking, horseback riding, stargazing and wildlife viewing. The whitney portal store, located miles west of lone pine, lies next to the mount whitney trail head and has operated by permit from the inyo national forest since 1987.
You can acclimatize better if you can camp above 9,000 feet elevation. Beyond this third and final campground is the staging area for the mt. Tents and rvs are allowed, and some spots can be reserved in advance. All sites include a fire pit, picnic table and a lantern holder. Inyo national forest has online information on campgrounds available. It is a graded, wellmaintained trail that uses hundreds and hundreds of switchbacks to gain the crest of the sierra a mile or so south of the summit, and then winds along behind the craggy pinnacles of the crest to. Whitney portal campgrounds recreation resource management. The trail begins in the lone pine campground at 5,900 feet elevation in the great basin desert and climbs four miles along the south. Whitney portal campground, lone pine, california rei. Horseshoe meadows to mount whitney and whitney portal trailhead via new army pass is a 60. The ultimate guide to backpacking from onion valley to.
The campground at whitney portal is only at 8,000 feet elevation. Whitney portal campground in inyo, california were fans of that old saying the more the merrier, especially when it comes to group camping. Whitney and the john muir wilderness less than a mile away, the campground is a popular home base for hikers, as well as family, rv and tent campers who wish to explore the areas. Whitney portal campground, california whitney portal campground is a locale located in inyo county, ca at n36. The whitney portal store is a great place to stock up on gear and souvenirs and to get an outstanding view of mount whitney trail and peak. At the store, we keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors. The main attraction is that it is the jumping off point for hiking mt. Whitney and opening up much of the area to tourism, as well as high altitude scientific research based at the 107year old stone hut on the summit of mt. Its located miles from the town of lone pine off of whitney portal road. By far the easiset route is the mount whitney trail from the whitney portal campground at the end of a paved road from lone pine. If you walk all the way to the eastern most point of the summit, you can see the road leading up to the whitney portal and the remaining portion of the hike, along with the owens valley. The hike is about 22 mi 35 km round trip, with an elevation gain of over 6,100 feet 1,860 m. Horseshoe meadows to mount whitney and whitney portal.
The campground is located off whitney portal road, about 7 miles from the mt. Whitney portal road, a mountain drive in the sierra nevada. Whitney and the john muir wilderness less than a mile away, the campground is a popular home base for hikers, as well as family, rv. Cottonwood lakes trailhead campground is located at the end of horseshoe meadow road in the inyo national forest. Campgrounds, parking lots, bearproof food storage facilities, a store and a. Beyond the physical superlatives, hiking the mount whitney trail is a beautiful experience in and of itself, and its very doable for southern californians. At an elevation of 14,501 feet, mount whitney is the tallest mountain in california and the tallest peak in the lower 48. Also, make sure to sign the summit registry located outside the whitney hut. Campers can see striking views of the rugged granite peaks surrounding it.
Mt whitney trail camp or high camp shown above is one crowded location during peak season. Whitney portal group campground topo map, inyo county ca. Park on the side of the road next to the whitney portal campground. This is not necessary for mt whitney but some acclimatization is recommended. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, ice climbing, and backpacking and is best used from april until october. Ive also stayed at the whitney portal campground and its an attractive option, since its right at the trailhead. It starts at whitney portal, miles 21 km west of the town of lone pine, california.
For example, for a saturday summit, arrive thursday afternoon. To find out more about campgrounds in the inyo national forest, go to the inyo nf campground page. If you have visited whitney portal group campground before, please tell us about it with a comment below. The whitney portal campground is located at the 8,000foot elevation in the eastern sierra mountain range. Beyond forester pass the trail continues over towards trail crest with nearby access to the summit of mt. Orientation notes for whitney first timers reference.
At the store, we try to keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors. Whitney portal message board hiking conditions, reports. For a oneday hike a reasonable plan is to arrive at the whitney portal campground 8600 feet two days before the hike. Meysan lake is a great location to camp, although the short fourmile hike can be arduous because of the 3,600 feet elevation gain. Outstanding views of mount whitney the highest peak in the continental united states and the eastern sierra escarpment, lone pine creek, the alabama hills, and the white and inyo mountains are the key features of the whitney portal national recreation trail. Whitney portal is the gateway to mount whitney, the highest point in the contiguous united states. Mt whitney trailhead hiking, backpacking, and climbing. The mount whitney trail requires a pass to hike due to the over excessive use so there are. The latitude and longitude coordinates of whitney portal group campground are 36.
Overviewwhitney portal campground is in a prime location within the eastern sierra nevada mountains at the base of mt. Things nobody tells you about hiking mt whitney upon 2020. It is an extremely popular trail, and its access is restricted by quotas from may to october. Cottonwood lakes trailhead campground inyo national forest. So if the reservable campground is full when you want camp at the portal, dont panic. From the parking area, hike across the campground along a series of paved driveways and follow the signs through a summer home area. Acclimatization day day hike around the whitney portal area. Many who visit the campground come with plans to climb. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental united states. Whitney the tallest mountain in the continental united states at 14,505 feet and other trails in the john muir wilderness.
Tuttle creek campground offers 83 rvtent sites, with ten pullthrough trailer spaces, maximum recommended rv length is 30 feet. Whitney portal road campgrounds interstellar orchard. The trail we hiked the whitney portal national recreation trail was constructed from the town of lone pine to whitney portal in 1904, providing access to the peak of mt. The other two are walkinonly campgrounds, so you cannot make reservations, and thats probably why recreation. Each day is full on and at high altitudes, but it affords you amazing views along the john muir trail plus you get to cross over 3 diffe. Always camp at least 100 feet from any water source. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, rises like the phoenix from the western rim of the great basin desert of california. Like a welcoming relative, whitney portal provides firewood, fire grates, restrooms, and piped water.
The views of the sierras are incredible here and theres an abundance of fishing and hiking opportunities nearby. Whitney trailhead and 6 miles from the town of lone pine. Whitney portal family campground in inyo, california tent dweller. Part of the whitney portal recreation area located miles from the town of lone pine, california. Horseshoe meadow campgrounds golden trout wilderness. Some areas are for day use, and others are for overnight backpackers. At an elevation of 8,000 feet youll have the opportunity to relax in the shadow of snow capped peaks and aside quiet lakes. Start the hike by cutting through the campground, and passing some seasonal cabin style residences. The trail cuts through the gummy warmups and kicks off quick with immediate elevation 3365ft in total. Whitney is considered an easy summit, relatively speaking of course.
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