It is an extremely popular trail, and its access is restricted by quotas from may to october. Whitney portal national recreation trail california. Not only did it effect the trail and campgrounds up at mt. I really do mean the worst case here, since the transit situation is pretty grim. Some areas are for day use, and others are for overnight backpackers. Those camped at whitney portal campground may enjoy visiting some of these places. I think people doing whitney summit can park overnight, but definitely not jmters. Find the parking on the south side of the road just above a gated access road that drops into the campground. We took friday off to drive up to whitney portal and stayed at the backpackers overnight campground for an early start on saturday.
Whitney the tallest mountain in the continental united states at 14,505 feet and other trails in the john muir. If you want to camp in the forest this location provides that chance. However, a valid wilderness permit is required for backpackers to stay at the campground. Little yosemite valley backpackers campground, yosemite duration.
Whitney via cottonwood pass june 8th june 11th this will be a 3day backpack to mt. Question about long term parking for whitney portal. If you didnt get your permit for the main trail this is a less traveled alternative route. At the store, we keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors.
Sunny and clear for the next seven days on mt whitney. A halfmile below there is the whitney portal family campground, so it is full of rvs and. Paul reserved our campsites at the whitney portal campground mt. Id planned to camp overnight at the campground there before my whitney day hike, but then i realized my station wagon has enough room in back for two people to sleep if i fold down the rear seats. Backpackers interested in summiting mount whitney must apply for an overnight permit, which allows the users to camp within the mount whitney zone for one night. From the lowest spot in north america 280 ft below sea level to the highest point in the contiguous united states 14,495 ft. John muir and pacific crest trails yosemite national park. Campgrounds located near lone pine, ca, in a prime location within the eastern sierra nevada mountains at the base of mt. Half dome day hiker permit holders may not stay at backpackers campgrounds. Backpacker magazine your backpacking, hiking, camping. 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 family campground lone pine, california rv.
Whitney, is by far much quieter than the masses at the portal. Backpackers campgrounds are available for wilderness permit holders to spend one night before and one night after a wilderness trip. Cottonwood campground is located in the inyo national forest, this area is just south of mt. Whitney portal store, campsites, fishing lake, waterfalls, and the trailhead for the mt. We are less than 14 mile off the trail, just follow the wellmarked path. The nearest town to whitney portal is lone pine, 11 miles away. You can make resrvations for the whitney portal campground here.
The ultimate guide to backpacking from onion valley to. In the southern eastern sierra campers find an array of great places to visit. Whitney portal road, 12 miles west of lone pine on highway 395. Only 100 dayhikers and 60 backpackers are allowed on the mt whitney trail from whitney portal per day, from may 1st to november 1st. Camping on the mount whitney trail itself is all firstcome, firstserved and requires the appropriate permits. From lone pine, head west on whitney portal road for 11 miles to the roadside trailhead parking for the meysan lakes just before the entrance to whitney portal campground. Watch for marmots make sure there are no accessible crumbs in your bag. Whitney, tallest mountain in the 48 contiguous united states. I stayed there once and never wanted to stay there again.
Whitney posted by alicia owen on october 08, 2019 sometimes all it takes is a few pictures and some details to get us inspired for our next epic adventure, whether it be a short jaunt through the woods or a grueling peak climb. Whitney portal family campground located up a narrow road west of lone pine, california duration. Whitney portal message board hiking conditions, reports. Oct 18, 2017 the biggest draw to whitney portal is the hiking, and to make the trek to the summit of mt. Whatever you are, theres a spot for you at whitney portal family campground. How to get from whitney portal to yosemite educated. The nearest trailhead to whitney is at whitney portal, which is basically just a parking lot, campground, and store in the middle of nowhere. What are the chances that we can get one of these campsites if.
Located in the horseshoe meadow recreation area this trailhead campground has 18 walkin sites suitable for backpackers and hikers to use the night before they are going to hike into golden trout wilderness via the cottonwood pass trail. I agree that getting from whitney portal is a very easy hitch. The backpackers campground is crowded into a hillside with sporadically placed picnic tables and bear boxes. According to reserve america its fully booked for the night i need. Whitney portal campground also has 3 tentsonly group campsites.
Anyone have experience with the walk in campsites at whitney portal. At the whitney portal hostel we strive to accommodate the needs of hikers, fisherman, and enthusiasts alike that have their eyes set on mt. The vast majority of jmt hikers make guitar lake their final campsite prior to ascending mount whitney and exiting at whitney portal. Mt whitney trail condition reports from the folks who live and work on the mountain. Whitney portal campground is the closest reservable site, although there are several walkin campgrounds nearby as well. Latest trail conditions as of january 2nd the mt whitney trail is snow filled from top to bottom. The camp is intended for those who are setting out into the wilderness the following day. 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. Whitney trailhead campground is your basecamp before you venture deeper into the wilderness. The whitney portal trail heads elevation is at 8,360 feet, this is a good point for day hikers and backpackers to acclimate.
This is a land of,000foot and 14,000foot peaks, of lakes in the thousands, and of canyons and granite cliffs. Mt whitney trailhead hiking, backpacking, and climbing. Follow photographer kennan harveys lead and take the kids on the wapta traverse, a tour of the best that a rocky mountain winter has to offer. Quick summary of mt whitney weather and road access. In 2016, there is major construction planned for whitney portal road, and there will be daily closureslimited parking. Looking for a family vacation no one will ever forget. The road ends at the whitney portal campground, which includes a wellstocked store and a fishing pond at the foot of the highest peak in the lower 48. Most backpackers will take some water and snacks and leave their packs for the final push to the mt whitney summit. That could be packaging from a trash can or from the store at whitney portal and drawn on with a sharpie. Most sites seem to require a bit of leveling but the extra few minutes are worth the morning sunrises on the mountains. The john muir trail passes through what many backpackers say is the finest mountain scenery in the united states.
The whitney portal access road is now closed two and a half miles before the trailhead making the approach a total of 5 miles longer. For those that are not interested in hiking whitney, there is still much to take pleasure in, and campers can enjoy the john muir wilderness. The 211mile john muir trail is a worldfamous trail stretching from yosemite valley to mount whitney, the highest point in the contiguous united states. Some may be reserved in advance, but others are only yours on a firstcome, firstserved basis. Whitney portal campground is in a prime location within the eastern sierra nevada mountains at the base of mt. Each airconditioned room at this accommodations features a tv. Is there any prohibition against sleeping in your car at whitney portal, or other nearby locations.
Whitney portal campground has 43 campsites scattered along the banks of lone pine creek and among a beautiful pine forest in the eastern sierra mountain range. What are the chances that we can get one of these campsites if we arrive around 2 pm. The campground makes a spot to camp for several days to acclimatize before whitney hike. 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. Whitney is tough to beat and the campground views by far are the main selling point of the campground. My 2016 nobo planning spreadsheet campsites, miles.
Permit is for sunday entry into the whitney zone in july. Book whitney portal campground, lone pine on tripadvisor. The ultimate guide to backpacking from onion valley to whitney portal imagine yourself the evening of your second to last day backpacking in the high sierra nevada mountains, 34 miles in, sitting in your tent to avoid the snow and wind, wearing all the clothes you brought with you because you hadnt anticipated it being this cold. Located on the eastside of californias beautiful sierra nevada mountains, the mt whitney trail starts in inyo national forest at whitney portal, 8,300 feet above sea level. Whitney,but it flooded the whitney portal road leading down to lone pinea popular fishing spot called red dog bridge,3 miles west of lone pine,going up whitney portal road has been all but wiped out by the flood waters,and surely lots of flood damage to the leased cabins along the creek,and the dirt roads leading to them. Snowshoeing to whitney portal on january 26, 2019, my friend, jenny, and i hiked up from the closure on whitney portal road to to the portal.
The mount whitney trail is a trail that climbs mount whitney. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental united states. The brainchild of brett blisterfree tucker creator of the grand enchantment trail, the approximately 5 mile journey t. Whitney portal family campground in lone pine california is a campground or rv park located within the us forest service territory. The mount whitney trail contains two official campsites. Whitney and lone pine campgrounds, lone pine, california.
In 2019, 84,000 hikers wanted to hike or backpack to the summit from whitney portal between may and november. My party of three or four intend to camp there 716 the night before out dayhike up the mountaineers route. The 24 campsites in the walkin campground have a one night stay limit. Sep 19, 2015 whitney portal campground trail hike duration. Small resupply from tuolume and breakfast from grill. Among them are sabrina lake, south lake, big pine, onion valley, and horseshoe meadow. When you drive up to whitney portal to park, youll see the mt. From highway 395, the campground is miles west of the town of lone pine, on whitney portal road. Popular backpacking camping areas are lone pine lake 10,000 feet, outpost camp 10,500 feet. The trail gains over 6,200 feet of elevation before reaching the summit in sequoia national park. 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. Whitney family campground through the same website. East side sierra shuttle the most reasonably priced. Whitney trailhead campground is located at whitney portal, miles west of the town of lone pine.
For the backpacker attempting to go up and back on the mt. My question is do people know if they hold back a certain percentage of sites for drive ups. Tuolumne backpackers campground thousland island lake on pct 21. Sites include food stroage boxes, tent pads, tables, fire grates, piped water, and toilet facilities. Because the john muir trail overlaps the pacific crest trail for most of its length, the pacific crest trail association also provides details about the john muir trail. Having a buck calmly blocking the trail and eating as we were just starting our backpacking trip.
At the store, we try to keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors. It starts at whitney portal, miles 21 km west of the town of lone pine, california. Its located miles from the town of lone pine off of whitney portal road. I didnt spend much of my time here at the start of the hike but i enjoyed a welldeserved. When entering the parking area, pay close attention to the signs. So, ideally, wed camp at whitney portal on saturday night. Whitney portal hostel and hotel is located in lone pine 12 mi from the whitney portal store and the mt. This walkin campground is buzzing with backpackers in the summer months hoping to make it to the top of the seriously majestic mt. At whitney portal, across the street and across the parking lot from the trailhead, there is a small walkin campground just for backpackers. See the largest bobcat either of us has ever seen walking down the same trail we are and having him sit on a log and watch us less than ten feet away. Cottonwood pass walk in campground, lone pine, california. If youre planning an extended trip or having difficulty acclimatizing to the high altitude, you may choose to stay at the outpost camp at 3. The popular campground is a base camp for people who hikeclimb mt. Sleeping in your car at whitney portal general discussion.
The campground or rv park may be operated by the us forest service, a concessionaire, or private entity. Cottonwood pass trail to whitney portal hiking trail, lone. Whitney portal walkin campsites general discussion. All those hikers and backpackers can relate to another hiker and want to help out. 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. The hike is about 22 mi 35 km round trip, with an elevation gain of over 6,100 feet 1,860 m.
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