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Oct 31, 2012 · By Wynne Benti. The accepted elevation of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous U.S., has “changed” several times since it was first climbed in 1873. A quick Google search of “Mt. Whitney + Elevation” produces a height of 14,505 feet for the summit whose trailhead begins north of Lone Pine, Calif.
- Choosing The Right Route Up Mt Whitney
- How to Get A Mt Whitney Permit
- Planning Your Stay
- Training For The Mt Whitney Hike
- Gear For The Hike
- Dealing with Altitude
- Weather and Timing
- Other Notes Before You Hike
- Reader Q&A
- How to Get to The Mt Whitney Trailhead
Before you apply for your Mt Whitney permit, you need to decide on your route to the summit. This hiking guide focuses on the popular Mount Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal (by Lone Pine), which allows you to do the hike in a day or overnight camping trip. I highly recommend taking this route as it's the best option for first-timers. But there are...
The hike to Mt Whitney is popular. I mean really popular. Generally 70,000 to 100,000 hikers apply to hike or backpack to the summit from Whitney Portal between May and November. So the parks service enforces a quota system. Only 100 day-hikers and 60 backpackers are allowed on the Mt Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal per day, from May 1st to Novem...
Unless you live close to Mt Whitney, you'll probably end up staying in Lone Pine, CA. If you stay in Lone Pine, it's a 13 mile drive (with 4000 feet of uphill roads) to the trailhead at Whitney Portal. There are a few options: off-brand hotels, chain hotels, AirBnB, campgrounds, and the Whitney Portal campground. My goto hotel has been the Best Wes...
To start, the Mt Whitney hike is very doable. It can also kick your butt. Many of the hikers who try the hike do not make the summit. Training and preparing properly can mean the difference between misery and fun. You have a few challenges to prepare for. First, you need to be used to the distance and effort. If you're lucky enough to live in an ar...
This is a long hike and you need to think carefully about your gear, and also practice with it. Here are my gear tips. 1. You need a good headlamp.If you are going to leave before dawn (see the weather section below), you should do a few hikes with your headlamp before the Mt Whitney hike. Hiking with a headlamp is very different than hiking in day...
I'd say altitude is what stops most people who attempt to hike Mt Whitney and fail. There are two main challenges with altitude, getting enough oxygen to continue and avoiding altitude sickness (also known as acute mountain sickness, or AMS), which can occur in hikers when they go above 8000 feet. If you already live or train at altitude, AMS shoul...
Hopefully, the weather will cooperate with you on your hike to the summit. If the weather is bad, you need to play it safe and do the hike another day. Winter storms can still hit on the fringes of the summer season. If the weather is okay, you still run the risk of a pop-up thunderstorm and lightning on the summit. These storms generally bubble up...
Check out recent trip reportsfor the latest conditions and possible changes.Ask the ranger about the trail condition when you get your permit.Even if you're in great shape and you've done all your prep correctly, this is still a hard hike. It's important that you pace yourself and give yourself some rest breaks. Rest breaks will help you...This may sound obvious, but if you have an acute fear of heights, this hike will be challenging. There are some sections past Trail Crest with sheer drops on either side. The trail is at least 4 fe...Can I use an altitude mask to train for Whitney if I can't train at altitude? The general consensus is that altitude masks don't work, but I can't prove or disprove that myself. If you need to trav...Will a StairMaster help me train for the hike?It can't hurt. If you can do 11 miles on a stair master, I'd say it's going to be decent training, but probably pretty boring.If I climbed a 10,000 foot mountain without problems, should I be fine on Mt Whitney?10,000 feet and 14,500 can be very different. I wouldn't assume that you should be fine. Go through the steps in...Is it safe to hike in the dark with a headlamp?Yes, and many people do.Here's the trailhead GPS address: Mt. Whitney Trailhead, Whitney Portal, CA, 93545, USA. If you're arriving at Whitney Portal for the first time, early in the morning, finding the right place to park and trailhead can be your first challenge. Don't forget to leave your parking permit in the window. Rangers DO give tickets if your permit doesn't mat...
Mount Whitney Is Growing . The exact elevation of Mount Whitney has risen over the years as technology has improved. A brass USGS benchmark on the summit lists the elevation as 14,494 feet (4,418 meters), while a National Park Service summit plaque gives it as 14,494.811 feet.
Jan 10, 2024 · So, climbing Mount Whitney in one day is already iconic and intimidating for being a 14’er, the highest point in California, the highest point in the lower 48, and a hard to obtain permit to hike. Throw in the 21.2 roundtrip miles, the hefty elevation gain of over 6,000 feet, and the dazzling yet unbelievable scenery, and you get a hike that ...
Jun 28, 2021 · Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the lower 48 states at 14,505 feet. Yes, California is home to both the lowest point in the United States (Death Valley), as well as one of the tallest! The mountain has also become one of the most popular hikes in the state — so popular that you need to enter a lottery in order to win a permit to hike ...
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The trail averages 550' of elevation gain per mile and features two designated campsites along the way: the generally uncrowded Outpost Camp (10,360'), situated in a nicely sheltered meadow beside some running streams, and the much more popular Trail Camp (12,039'), an exposed, rocky field at the base of the infamous "97 switchbacks."
Apr 5, 2021 · Existing as the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney is located in California and stands at a whopping 14,505 feet (4421 meters) tall. Featuring a 22.5 mile out-and-back trail involving a 6,656 foot elevation gain, hiking Mount Whitney is on virtually every hiker’s bucket list.
