Mount Whitney Trail: A Summit Hiking Itinerary
One trail, the highest summit in the lower 48.
A 2 to 3 day plan for hiking Mount Whitney on the Mount Whitney Trail: acclimatize near Lone Pine, then climb the ~22-mile round trip past the 99 switchbacks and Trail Crest to the 14,505-foot summit.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
11 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Every stop is a real pin, in order.
Lone Pine, Whitney Portal & the Sierra crest · Eastern California
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
4 of the stops on these 3 days.
Plan and book your 3 days in Mount Whitney, one step at a time
How 3 days in Mount Whitney split up
Mount Whitney rises to 14,505 feet, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, on the crest of the Eastern Sierra above the town of Lone Pine, California. The Mount Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal is the standard, non-technical route in summer: roughly 22 miles round trip with about 6,100 feet of gain, the famous 99 switchbacks, and Trail Crest before the final push to the summit.
Day 1: Arrive in Lone Pine & acclimatize
4 stops · Day one
Day 2: The climb · Whitney Portal, the 99 switchbacks & the summit
4 stops · Day two
Day 3: Overnight option, recovery & getting home
3 stops · Day three
Arrive in Lone Pine & acclimatize
Get to the Eastern Sierra and give your body time at altitude before you climb. Lone Pine, California sits at about 3,700 feet, and it is the classic base for the Mount Whitney Trail. From here it is roughly 3.5 to 4 hours from Reno (RNO) or Las Vegas (LAS), or a shorter drive from Mammoth Yosemite (MMH). Pick up your permit details, top off food and fuel, and rent or buy a bear canister if you do not have one.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Drive from
~3.5 to 4 hr · base town · fuel up · DriveLone Pine, California, at about 3,700 feet, is the classic base for the Mount Whitney Trail. It is roughly 3.5 to 4 hours from Reno (RNO) or Las Vegas (LAS), or a shorter drive from Mammoth Yosemite (MMH). Top off food and fuel, sort out your permit, and rent or buy a bear canister if you need one.
Whitney Portal trailhead8,360 ft · trailhead · scout it · ViewpointDrive up the winding road to Whitney Portal at 8,360 feet, the Mount Whitney Trail trailhead. Scout the start, check the message board for conditions, and note where you will park for an early-morning alpine start. Gaining elevation here also helps you acclimatize before the big climb.
Acclimatization hike to Lone Pine LakeEasy leg · gain elevation gently · HikeWalk the lower Mount Whitney Trail toward Lone Pine Lake as an easy acclimatization leg, or head north to Bishop for higher trailheads. The goal is to gain elevation gently and sleep as high as you comfortably can the night before summit day. Hydrate hard and eat well.
mjhbower / CC BY-SA 2.0Stay in Lone PineClassic Whitney base · book ahead · lodgeBase in Lone Pine, the classic gateway at the foot of the road up to Whitney Portal. Rooms fill fast in summer once permits are awarded, so book ahead. Bishop, about an hour north, is a larger alternative with more lodging and higher acclimatization trailheads nearby.
The climb · Whitney Portal, the 99 switchbacks & the summit
This is summit day. Begin with an alpine start well before dawn from Whitney Portal (8,360 ft) to put time in the bank and be off the high ridges before afternoon thunderstorms build. The trail climbs steadily past Lone Pine Lake, Mirror Lake, and Trailside Meadow up to Trail Camp (about 6 miles, ~12,000 ft), the last reliable water and the staging point for the big climb.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Alpine start from Whitney Portal
8,360 ft · before dawn · HikeBegin your alpine start well before dawn from Whitney Portal at 8,360 feet to put time in the bank and be off the high ridges before afternoon thunderstorms build. The trail climbs steadily past Lone Pine Lake and Mirror Lake toward the high country.
- Mirror Lake & Trail Camp
~6 mi · ~12,000 ft · last water · ViewpointClimb past Mirror Lake and Trailside Meadow up to Trail Camp at about 6 miles and roughly 12,000 feet, the last reliable water on the route and the staging point for the big climb. Filter and carry everything you need here, because there is no water above on the switchbacks.
- The 99 switchbacks to Trail Crest
~13,600 ft · into Sequoia NP · HikeAbove Trail Camp come the legendary 99 switchbacks, a relentless set of turns climbing to Trail Crest at about 13,600 feet, where you cross into Sequoia National Park near the John Muir Trail junction. This is the crux of the climb and where the altitude is felt most, so pace yourself and drink steadily.
- Mount Whitney summit
14,505 ft · highest in the lower 48 · ViewpointFrom Trail Crest a rocky traverse leads to the 14,505-foot summit of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous US, with its stone shelter hut. Soak it in, then turn around with plenty of daylight: the descent of the full ~22-mile round trip is long, and most of the day's risk is on the way down when you are tired.
Overnight option, recovery & getting home
If you split the climb into a 2-day overnight rather than one big day, this is where it pays off. With an overnight permit you camp partway up, most commonly at Outpost Camp (about 3.8 miles in) or Trail Camp (about 6 miles in), summit on a fresh pair of legs the next morning, and walk the rest of the way out. Splitting the elevation also gives your body more time to adjust, which helps with altitude on the highest peak in the lower 48.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Mark and Jan Rice / CC BY-SA 3.0Overnight camp option · Outpost or Trail Camp~3.8 mi or ~6 mi · overnight permit · lodgeIf you split the climb into a 2-day overnight, camp partway up with an overnight permit, most commonly at Outpost Camp (about 3.8 miles in) or Trail Camp (about 6 miles in). You summit fresh the next morning and the extra night high helps your body acclimatize. A bear canister is required and campfires are not allowed.
Recover in Lone Pine & the Alabama HillsRest, refuel & take in the crest · ViewpointWhether you went car-to-car or camped high, plan a recovery morning before the long drive home. Refuel in Lone Pine, soak in the views of the Sierra crest you just stood on, and consider a relaxed Eastern Sierra detour like the Alabama Hills with their granite arches and Whitney backdrop.
Ken Lund from Reno, Ne / CC BY-SA 2.0Getting home: Reno, Las Vegas or MammothRNO or LAS ~3.5 to 4 hr · MMH closer · DriveFrom Lone Pine it is roughly 3.5 to 4 hours back to Reno (RNO) or Las Vegas (LAS), with Mammoth Yosemite (MMH) being a closer regional option. Fuel up and start the long high-desert drive out with daylight to spare. Cell service is patchy in stretches, so keep your route downloaded offline.
Book the 2 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling. We check every booking site, put your points and card perks against the cash price, and email you this plan back with the best room we can find for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookMt. Whitney opens on its own calendar
Day and overnight Mt. Whitney lottery.
| Permit | Required: Mt. Whitney Official page |
|---|---|
| Application window | February 1 to March 1 lottery, results March 15 |
| Odds of drawing | Hard on weekends, easier midweek |
| If your application is denied | Apply for weekday dates, or grab unclaimed walk-up permits at the Lone Pine ranger station. |
| Trip starts from | Lone Pine, CA, flying into Las Vegas (LAS) |
What to pack for Mount Whitney
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Mount Whitney
What we actually learned on the mountain.
You need a permit, and it is competitive
A permit is required for the Mount Whitney Trail, day hike or overnight. It is awarded through the Mount Whitney Lottery on recreation.gov, with the main application window from February to mid-March. Demand far exceeds supply, so be flexible on dates and apply for weekdays and shoulder-season entries to improve your odds.
Acclimatize before you climb
Altitude sickness is the number one reason hikers fail or get hurt on Whitney. Spend a night or two in Lone Pine or Bishop and do a high acclimatization hike beforehand. Ascend gradually, hydrate, and know the warning signs of altitude illness so you can turn around if needed.
Start before dawn, finish before storms
Make an alpine start hours before sunrise so you summit by midday and descend before afternoon thunderstorms build over the crest. Lightning on the exposed summit ridge and Trail Crest is a real danger in summer. Turn around by a set time even if the summit is close.
Carry water and filter at Trail Camp
Trail Camp at about 12,000 feet is the last reliable water on the route. Filter and carry everything you need before the 99 switchbacks. Drink steadily all day, because dehydration at altitude makes altitude sickness worse.
Bear canister required, no campfires
A bear canister is required to store all food and scented items on the Mount Whitney Trail, and campfires are not allowed anywhere on the route. Pack out all trash and use the provided WAG bags for human waste. Rent or buy a canister in Lone Pine or Bishop.
Go July through September
Summer is the only window the trail is a non-technical hike. Outside roughly July to September it holds snow and ice and becomes a mountaineering route requiring an ice axe, crampons, and the skills to use them. Check current conditions with the Inyo National Forest before you go.
Everything you'll actually want to know.
Mount Whitney trail: the questions people ask most.
The Mount Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal is roughly 22 miles round trip with about 6,100 feet of elevation gain, climbing from the 8,360-foot trailhead to the 14,505-foot summit. It passes Lone Pine Lake, Mirror Lake, Trail Camp, the famous 99 switchbacks, and Trail Crest before the final summit traverse.
We'll find the cheapest way to do this trip.
Tell us your dates and we price the plan you just built: every booking site, the hotels direct, and your own points and card perks against the cash price. You get it back by email with a link for each night and what it saved you.
- It is free. The hotel pays us, not you. You pay their normal price.
- Nothing is charged and nothing is held. You decide at the end, or you walk away.
- Beds near trailheads are the part that runs out. Everything else can wait.
The figures below are estimates from local nightly rates, so you know the ballpark before you ask. The real number comes back once we have checked what is free.
- 2 nights, sites along the route
2 × $32$64
- Mt. Whitney permitBooked separately on Recreation.gov, and on its own timeline. The fee is small but the window is the part that matters.
- 2 nights, rooms along the route
from $93 a nightfrom $186
- Mt. Whitney permitBooked separately on Recreation.gov, and on its own timeline. The fee is small but the window is the part that matters.
Yulia, ExplorOFF founder★★★★★5.0 from 20+ guided tripsGoogleAirbnbFrom$2,1402 people, 2 nights- Everything in Glamped, plus a local guide
- Airport pickup, every drive, all the gear
- Weather turns, they rewrite the day
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Booking Mount Whitney
Everything below is booked with the operators direct. We earn a commission on some of them, which is what keeps the itineraries free to read.
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What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
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You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
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How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”