Cottonwood lakes to whitney portal mount langley, mount muir, and mount whitney. High sierra trail day 6 crabtree ranger station to guitar. The trail drops you right at the ranger station in beautiful le conte canyon. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from may until october. Whitney pack trains, offers riding and hiking trips originating at cottonwood pack station. Main street bishop, ca 93514 7608732500 open 85 dailyclosed winter weekends holidays mammoth lakes welcome center 2500 main street mammoth lakes, ca 93546 760 9245500 open 85 daily. Immerse yourself in the natural history of the sierra nevada. Beyond lone pines city center is the whitney portal trail that leads to the summit of mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental u. Mono county shares that they will be starting to clear the rock creek road to the pack station in the next week.
At the eastern sierra visitor center you can view mt. Inyo national forest inyo county sheriffs office major rockfall. Trail camp out whitney portal about 8 miles follow the mount whitney trail east from. The eastern sierra interagency visitor center is located at the junction of us highway 395 and state route 6, one mile south of lone pine. Cottonwood pass trail to whitney portal hiking trail, lone. The uphill is relentless for a while and feels like it will never end. The mt whitney permit process for backpackers campsite vibes. This is a good place to have a resupply, as it is only 8 miles to reach the jmt from onion valley. So we decided to chance it and drive up to the eastern sierra death valley ranger station in lone pine for walkin permits. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree.
Whitney ranger district is the southernmost district in the inyo. Oct 30, 2018 high sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger station sequoia national park, california. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states and plan. At the store, we keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors.
Box 148 mammoth lakes, ca 93546 7609245500 mono lake ranger station p. They are doing a lot of construction on the portal road so i wouldnt bet on being able to park on the curb. Onion valley to whitney portal tag mount whitney, the lower 48s highest peak, during this 42mile trek into sequoia national park where theres more acreage of wilderness than youll know what to do with. I think a better option would be to start from horseshoe meadow, hike to crabtree ranger station near the jmtpct junction via cottonwood pass or cottonwood lakes trail. There are two trails that begin here that can connect you to the jmt near mt. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national forest. If its really important to you to start from whitney portal then yes, a midweek start date will have better odds than a weekend one.
During other times, a selfissued wilderness permit is required which can be made at the mount whitney ranger station in lone pine, not at whitney portal see mountain conditions section below for the ranger station address. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger. When planning out our high sierra trail logistics, on our sixth day we initially aimed on hiking nearly 12 miles all the way through from junction meadow to guitar lake at the western base of mt whitney. Lone pine ranger station lone pine, california local.
There is a ranger station there across the river, and we thought it would be a good idea to stop in and. Nov 01, 2018 high sierra trail day 6 crabtree ranger station to guitar lake sequoia national park, california. Bishop ca 93514 760873 2500 mammoth ranger station p. Hiking the high sierra trail junction meadow to crabtree. In contrast, from the front, whitney portal, side, the summit is 11. Crescent meadow to whitney portal is a 59 mile heavily trafficked pointtopoint trail located near three rivers, california that features a lake and is rated as difficult. If you only have one vehicle, youll need to use a shuttle to arrange transportation from the end of the hike at mt. Then there will be a short time enjoying the view and i will enjoy the walk back down, making it back to whitney portal about an hour after dark. Youll come to a wooden fence that looks like youre not supposed to pass, but we do. We drove first to parchers resort at south lake, near bishop.
To reach the trailhead from lone pine, which is the nearest city, turn left on whitney portal rd. Hiking the high sierra trail junction meadow to crabtree meadow. Our sixth day on the high sierra trail was kind of as casual as it gets and as beautiful as it gets. There we checked in and left dennis and mary to enjoy the afternoon. Looking at the map and calculating, i knew it was a relatively short distance, only the elevation gain was considerable. October 17, 2019 lone pine, ca on our way to death valley.
Provides transportation to trailheads including whitney portal, onion valley. A backcountry ranger station is located at rae lakes, as are bear boxes and lots of bears. Sierra nevada is situated 3 miles northeast of crabtree ranger station. The ranger even listed the camp sites for me on the application. Whitney ranger district, po box 8, lone pine, ca 93545, 7608766200, for additional information about this trailhead. Mt whitney trail condition reports from the folks who live and work on the mountain.
Most jmt hikers will make the full push from guitar lake down to whitney portal, but there is the option to camp at trail camp or outpost camp on the way down. Leaving from independence on the eastern sierra, the onion valley trailhead is a popular alternative to whitney portal as a means to get to the summit of whitney. Eastern sierra interagency visitor center sierra nevada. Certain areas in mono county and the inyo national forest require permits. Mount whitney ranger station cultural feature building in inyo county. The eastern sierra visitor center in lone pine is open daily from 8. This unique facility is operated by federal, state and local governmental agencies.
It takes around 21 to reach lone pine to whitney portal. Whitney allowing you to hike the entire jmt, cottonwood lakes trail and cottonwood pass. Eastern sierra interagency visitor center is the only location issuing the following permits. You go to the ranger station and pick up permits if they have any left over. The day before my hike i relaxed, hung out at whitney portal and reserved my energy. Whitney from the west side and explore the sequoiakings canyon national parks and the golden trout wilderness. Here is the long overdue report on the bishop pass trailhead. Once you pass sandy meadow, you will find the trail to crabtree meadow and the crabtree ranger station. Box 429 lee vining, ca 93541 7606473044 sierra national forest. Nancy muleadymecham for a once in a lifetime chance to learn all about these mountains and the nature within them. The primary coordinates for mount whitney ranger station places it within the ca 93545 zip code delivery area. Went on past the lower meadow and to the ranger station. Turn onto the trail to whitney, following whitney creek and passing the ranger station before joining the john muir trail in 1.
Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Upon approach to lone pine, named for a towering pine that stood over the town in the 1800s, views of mt. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. A light covering of new snow mostly falling on fri afternoontemperatures will be well below freezing max 8c on sat afternoon, min 17c on fri morningwinds decreasing strong winds from the ne on fri night, moderate winds from the nw by sat night. John muir trail resupply and meal planning are some of the most difficult parts about getting ready for your thruhike.
Inyo county reports that they are starting to clear roads. Whitney traveling west to east and exiting at whitney portal. Camping in the lone pine area lone pine chamber of commerce. If you have a reservation at a location that closes, youll receive an email with more. The walkin permit process is pretty straightforward. Eventually, you make it to the uphill part which consists of a series of switchbacks over a pass near mount guyot. 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. There is a ranger station in lone pine you should stop by and get a parking permit. Turn up canyon toward mount whitney, passing out of the trees at timberline lake and finally stopping at our camp above guitar lake. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, ice climbing, and backpacking and is best used from april until october. They are building a new ranger station and they have a temporary one set up just past a pit toilet a quarter mile from the trail. We enjoyed an extremely leisurely breakfast at crabtree before breaking camp around 10 a.
And finally, if all else fails or youre just spontaneous, you have the option of a walk up permit. State of the inyo national forest update sierra wave. Climbing mount whitney via the cottonwood lakes trailhead. We planned a trip from bishop pass to whitney portal, so the first day of our vacation was logistical. The lot does fill up pretty quick, so the earlier you get up there the more likely you are to get a spot.
For more information see deciphering the inyo national forest permit system. Whitney trail is by lottery during the month of february. Cottonwood pack station hiking with pack stock, mt. Forest service inyo national forest and inyo county sheriffs office major rockfall on whitney portal road spring reopening may be delayed. If you begin at whitney portal, in inyo national forest on the east side of the sierra nevada, you should apply for a mt. To find the driving direction from lone pine to whitney portal which is 18 by road, click on show directions after entering start and end locations in the calculator control.
We are closely monitoring the situation and working with our participating agencies to respond to current conditions. Whitney day use permit overnight permit for the mt. Sierra rec magazine national forest access updates may 18, 2017 the sun is out and the weekend ahead looks great in the sierra, so here are the important facts on current openings for camping or exploring in the inyo national forest region. The sierra nevada is a mountain range in the western united states, between the central valley of california and the great basin. Usfs campgrounds listed here are within the mt whitney ranger station district.
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. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national forest, sequioa national forest, mammoth lakes city concierge, a guide to the mammoth mountain resort, skiing, fishing, hiking and all sports, travel, lodging and real estate information for active vacations. Permits are required for ascending the trail and are available on line or at the mt. Lone pine, ca 93545 7608766200 white mountain ranger station 798 n. Whitney ranger district us forest service lone pine. If you continue north on this loop you will tun off the jmt at piute creek and head to north lake. Inyo county roads reports that they have made excellent progress on the whitney portal road.
Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national. The whitney portal road, a turn west at lone pines only stop light, will take you up to 8300 feet to the portal where there is a store and restaurant, a pond and a magnificent waterfall tumbling out of the sierra nevada mountains. Getting a permit starting from whitney portal is very. Whitney portal, whitney portal trailhead, cottonwood lakes pass trailhead, horseshoe meadow equestrian. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger station sequoia national park, california. You can also check the whitney portal store message board for people who have extra openings on their permits. Note that camping is restricted to one night between woods creek and glen pass for jmt hikers. From whitneys summit its 11 miles and 6,000 feet of descent to whitney portal via trail crest. John muir and pacific crest trails yosemite national park. Lone pine is the landscape, and the landscape is lone. It is all geared to protect the forest while allowing as much traffic as it can take before they deteriorate. Signed permit must be in group leaders possession during the trip and must be presented to rangers upon request. The ultimate guide to backpacking from onion valley to. They will move the closure uphill to the middle gate for this weekend and estimate that the road will be open on 426 for fishing opener.
Mount whitney ranger station is a cultural feature building in inyo county. This trip is operated by rock creek pack station dba as mt. These trips allow guests the opportunity to climb mt. The white mountain ranger station visitor center is open mondayfriday, 8. Although, id check with the ranger station before setting out. They report snow of course and rockslides that will need to be cleared, so there is substantial work ahead. May 18, 2017 new campground openings in inyo for the weekend. Overnight permit for the north fork of lone pine creek trail. Whitney portal message board hiking conditions, reports. Inyo forest wilderness permits reservations are accepted up to six months in advance of the date of entry for all trails except the main mt. The whitney portal area is not part of the wilderness and contains developed campgrounds, a store, a fishing pond, and picnic area. All five of us hiked together, which was the first day my wife and i had company on our hiking day.
Updates on road and campground openings in inyo national forest, mammoth and whitney portal areas. Updates on road and campground openings in inyo national. I flew in on a wednesday into vegas and rented a car. Inyo national forest eastern sierra visitor center. Keep in mind that it can get very cold and windy as you ascend, so be prepared for that and also for the possible weather changes. Crabtree ranger station map tulare county, california. The increased number of jmt hikers has made it difficult for nonjmt hikers to get wilderness permits for other trails within yosemite national park. Devils postpile ranger station is closed for the season. Deciphering the inyo national forest permit system ingas. The ranger station your ultimate ford ranger resource since. Whitney ranger district inyo nf big pineindependencelone pine area. Join fulbright scholar and retired national park ranger dr. Others just like to camp at the trailhead to acclimate, as it is at 9200.
Whitney approaching from the west and returning to the jmtpct vs exiting mt. Then youll pass a ranger station which is a great spot for a snack. Your permit does not cover overnight stays in this area. The ranger station the ultimate ford ranger resource since 1999. I have gotten a last minute overnight permit from whitney portal on a thursday to hike it on saturday. Box 749 lone pine, california 93545 760 8764444 eastern sierra interagency visitors center 760 8766222. Substantial snowfall from an atmospheric river event in midjanuary has led to a major rock fall on whitney portal road, causing significant damage to an approximately 100foot stretch of road. 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. Over the last several years, yosemite national park has noted a significant increase in demand for permits to hike the john muir trail jmt. Mineral king to whitney portal, july 2014 day 6 7 day 6 was my big climb to discovery pinnacle from crabtree lakes. On my jmt hike, my friend brad and i took 22 days to hike the trail, and we resupplied three times, including stops at reds meadow, muir trail ranch, and onion valley. Went to the ranger station and got a new permit which included a whitney exit permit that afternoon for the next day. Home forums campfire posttrip reports horseshoe meadow to whitney portal 820 to 824.