Overview
Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States and sits on the steep eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, above the town of Lone Pine, California.
The Mountain
Mt. Whitney is a granite peak on the Sierra Crest (summit is 14,505 ft.). The east face drops sharply toward the Owens Valley, and its west side slopes more gently into Sequoia National Park. The summit itself is inside the park. The Mt. Whitney Trail starts in Inyo National Forest at Whitney Portal, 8,300 feet above sea level, and gains over 6,200 feet before reaching the summit in Sequoia National Park. Badwater Basin in Death Valley, the lowest point in North America, is less than 90 miles away, so you can see one of the country’s biggest elevation contrasts from the summit.
The History
- The first recorded ascent was in August 1873, by three Lone Pine fishermen. For a while, locals called it “Fisherman’s Peak.”
- John Muir climbed it a few months later by the steep gully now called the Mountaineer’s Route
- The stone summit hut was built in 1909 for scientific observation. It is not a lightning shelter
- The summit is also the southern end of the 211-mile John Muir Trail
Routes Up the Mountain
The Mountaineer’s Route is shorter than the main Mt Whitney Trail, but it’s a Class 3 scramble with exposure, not a hiking trail. Other ways in include the John Muir Trail, the High Sierra Trail, and approaches from Onion Valley or Cottonwood Lakes. For a one-day climb, almost everyone uses the main trail described below.
The one-day trail is approximately 22 miles round trip and about 6,100–6,600 ft of gain. Most people take 12–18 hours. A typical start time is early morning (4AM)
The One-Day Hike: Mt. Whitney Trail
- Whitney Portal (8,360 ft) The trailhead is at the end of the 13-mile Whitney Portal Road from Lone Pine.
- Lone Pine Lake (~2.8 mi, ~10,000 ft) The lake is a short side trip off the main trail. Past this point you enter the Whitney Zone, which requires a permit.
- Outpost Camp / Bighorn Park (~3.8 mi) and Mirror Lake (~4.3 mi) Reliable water at this location. The trail leaves the forest above Mirror Lake.
- Trailside Meadow (~5 mi), then Trail Camp (~6.3 mi, ~12,000 ft). Trail Camp is the main overnight camp. Its small lake is the last dependable water, so filter enough for the rest of the climb.
- The 99 switchbacks. This is about 2.2 miles and roughly 1,600–1,700 ft of steady climbing. Partway up is a cable-railed section that collects ice early and late in the season.
- Trail Crest (~8.5 mi, 13,650 ft). You cross the crest into Sequoia National Park. The trail then drops slightly to the John Muir Trail junction.
- The final ~2 miles. The trail runs along the west side of the crest, past the Needles. Gaps between the pinnacles, called “windows,” look down sheer drops to the east. The last stretch is a broad, rocky climb to the summit plateau and hut.
Early Morning. On the trail and up the mountain.
Looking East. Towards Lone Pine and the Owens Valley
Log Crossing
The Whitney Zone (~2.8 mi, ~10,000 ft). Permits required past this point.
Lower Meadow
Mirror Lake. (~4.3 mi). The trail leaves the forest above Mirror Lake.
Trail Camp (~6.3 mi, ~12,000 ft). Trail Camp is the main overnight camp and the beginning of the 99 switchbacks. This is about 2.2 miles and roughly 1,600–1,700 ft of steady climbing.
Partway up the switchbacks is a cable-railed section that collects ice early and late in the season.
Trail Crest (~8.5 mi, 13,650 ft). You cross the crest into Sequoia National Park. The trail then drops slightly to the John Muir Trail junction. To the left looking West into Sequoia National Park and to the right looking East into the Inyo National Forest and the Owens Valley.
The final ~2 miles. The trail runs along the west side of the crest, past the Needles. Gaps between the pinnacles, called “windows,” look down sheer drops to the east. The last stretch is a broad, rocky climb to the summit plateau.
The Summit of Whitney. Elevation = 14,505 ft. Total distance from Whitney Portal 11 miles.
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