Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney Lottery & Permit Reservations
The Mt. Whitney Trail starts in Inyo National Forest at Whitney Portal, 8,300 feet above sea level. The trail gains over 6,200 feet of elevation before reaching the summit in Sequoia National Park. The summit of Mt. Whitney is the southern end of the John Muir Trail.
Choose your dates wisely. The Mt. Whitney Trail is a non-technical, but strenuous, route to the summit when it is free of snow. However when snow or ice is on the mountain winter mountaineering skills and equipment are necessary for safe travel. The trail is usually snow-free from July to late September
Are You Prepared ?
- View our Leave No Trace (video)
- Planning to Hike Mt. Whitney Trail
- Emergency Planning & Search and Rescue
- Weather, expect ice and snow until the beginning of July
Important Dates
| Dates | Information |
|---|---|
| February 1 - March 1 | Apply for Mt. Whitney lottery on https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445860 |
| March 15 | Lottery results posted, log onto your recreation.gov account and look for your Lottery Application. |
| April 21 Deadline | Lottery Winners must pay the $15 per person fee and complete the reservation details to claim the date won in lottery. You must complete checking out the cart before 9 p.m. Pacific time (midnight Eastern Time) April 21 or your win will be revoked. |
| April 22 | Web reservations open for remaining dates starting at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (no phone sales). Reservations are first come first serve and will stay open for the rest of the season. |
| May 1 - November 1 | Quota season when number of people per day is limited to 100 per day for day use and 60 per day for overnight. |
| November 2 - April 30 | Non-quota season when the number of permits issued is unlimited. Book online up to 2 weeks before trip |
Submit only one application to the lottery. Groups or households that submit multiple applications are subject to disqualification. Additional reservations can be made after the lottery on April 22 if you want more than one trip per year.
You may request up to 10 alternate choices on your application
- If you win one of the dates you list on your application, the permit is only valid for the stated entry date and permit type.
- Groups larger than 15 people are prohibited.
- You must pay the $15 per person reservation fee and complete the acceptance before 9 p.m. Pacific time (midnight Eastern Time) April 21 or you will lose the date.
- Permits cannot be resold or transferred. No rain checks, no rescheduling, no changing leader names.
- Only the leader or alternate named at the time you apply to the lottery can use the permit.
Trips sponsored by organizations or non profit groups may require a special use permit. Different quota or rules may apply to your trip. Please visit our special use permit web page for more information. Inyo National Forest - Event/Commercial Permits (usda.gov)
In the event of a lapse in federal government funding the Recreation.gov website may freeze. If the website is down during the Mt. Whitney Lottery the application period will not be extended.
3 Common Mistakes
- Pick a date suitable for your experience. Winter mountaineering skills are necessary for safe travel when snow or ice is on the mountain. The trail is usually snow free from July to late September.
- Double check your dates and group size before you check out the cart. Group size is the number of people you are requesting, including the leader. There is no age limit for group size; children count.
- Don't miss the deadline to pay the $15 per person fee or your date will be canceled.
Making Changes to Lottery Application
Can be changed after lottery:
- Exit location
- Camp location
- Exit date for overnight permits
- Reduce group size
Withdraw and reapply to change:
- Entry date
- Permit type (day use vs. overnight)
- Alternate leader
- Increase group size
Day use and overnight permits are not interchangeable, you must have a permit for the type of trip you are doing.
Overnight — Mt. Whitney Trail
This permit includes multi-night trips starting on the Mt. Whitney Trail, allows camping along the Mt. Whitney Trail and summiting Mt. Whitney.
For the backpacker attempting to go up and back on the Mt. Whitney Trail, a popular travel plan is to stay one or two nights camping at Lone Pine Lake (10,000ft level), Outpost Camp (10,500ft level), Consultation Lake (11,000ft level) or Trail Camp (12,000ft level). The Mt. Whitney Trail overnight permit can also be extended to continue onto the John Muir Trail or Pacific Crest Trail. To extend your permit indicate your exit location and exit date when completing permit details after the lottery. The permit is valid for one continuous wilderness trip. An interruption in wilderness travel (skipping a section or taking time off from the trip) may require a new permit to re-start.
The overnight permit cannot be used for a one-day hike. An overnight permit to use the Mt. Whitney Trail does not include other routes. If you wish to approach climbing routes like Mountaineers Route, East Face, East Buttress, or Mt. Russell request an overnight permit for North Fork of Lone Pine Creek (not in the lottery).
Day Use – Mt. Whitney Zone Permit
This permit is for one day only, from midnight to midnight and is valid for all routes in the Mt. Whitney Zone. Choose the route appropriate for your group, Mt. Whitney Trail or climbing routes like the Mountaineers Route.
- Map of Mt. Whitney Zone shows where a permit is required for day hikes
- If a trip is more than one calendar date an overnight permit is required instead of day use permit.
- Day Use permit cannot be used to pass through the area as part of an overnight trip.
- Consecutive day use permits are not allowed.
Most day hikers choose the classic Mt. Whitney Trail. The 22-mile round-trip hike will challenge even very fit hikers. Expect to hike 12 to 14 hours to the summit and back. Consider starting before sunrise. Be prepared to hike in the dark.
Any day hikers attempting more technical rock climbing routes should carefully research the difficulty.