How to Get a Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use) Permit
One hundred people a day are allowed to try the highest point in the lower 48 and be back at the car by dark. That number is the whole story of this permit.
Check Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use) permit availability100 people/day, no published rate
Lottery Odds
100
People Per Day
$6 per reservation + $15 per person
Permit Cost
12-14 hours
Duration
21.4 miles
Distance
About Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use)
This is the Inyo National Forest permit for day hiking anywhere in the Mt. Whitney Zone — the main Mt. Whitney Trail, the Mountaineer's Route, or any other day approach. Quota season runs May 1 to November 1 and the cap is 100 people per entry day, entirely separate from the 60 per day allowed on overnight Mt. Whitney Trail permits. Every day-use date in quota season goes through the Mt Whitney Lottery. Applications open February 1 and close March 1, results are posted March 15, awarded reservations must be claimed and paid by April 21, and anything unclaimed goes on sale to everyone at 7 am on April 22. The permit is valid for one day only, midnight to midnight. Inyo does not allow consecutive day use permits and will not let a day use permit be used as part of an overnight trip.
The Mt. Whitney Zone day use permit is the single hardest-to-get day hiking permit in California, and Inyo National Forest is unusually blunt about what you are signing up for: "The 22-mile round-trip hike will challenge even very fit hikers. Expect to hike 12 to 14 hours to the summit and back." It covers day hiking anywhere in the Whitney Zone, not just the main trail, so the Mountaineer's Route falls under it too.
The Experience
You leave Whitney Portal in the dark with a headlamp and a WAG bag and a thermos, and by the time the sun clears the Inyo Mountains behind you the switchbacks have started. There are a hundred of them. At Trail Crest, 13,600 feet, the west side opens up and the trail turns north along the ridge for the last two miles, with a drop on your right that does not stop. The hut on top was built in 1909 and you should not shelter in it, because the metal roof draws lightning.
NPS gives the main route as a 10.7-mile trail from Whitney Portal, with the trailhead at 8,360 feet and the summit at 14,505 feet. Inyo's own framing is the round trip: 22 miles, over 6,200 feet of gain, 12 to 14 hours, and a recommendation to start before sunrise and be ready to hike in the dark.
The trail climbs past Lone Pine Lake and Outpost Camp, then Consultation Lake and Trail Camp at 12,000 feet, where the overnight crowd is still asleep in tents. Above Trail Camp the switchbacks begin — NPS counts 100 of them on the descent — and top out at Trail Crest, 13,600 feet, where the Mt. Whitney Trail crosses into Sequoia National Park about two miles from the summit. A hundred yards below the crest, a 2.4-mile spur runs north along the west side of the crest to the top.
There is no water on the upper mountain and no reliable supply between Trail Camp and the summit, no restrooms anywhere on the trail, and no cell service on most of it. The day use permit is valid for one day only, midnight to midnight, cannot be used consecutively, and cannot be combined with other permits to pass through or exit Mt. Whitney.
What to Expect
22 miles round trip and over 6,200 feet of gain, in 12 to 14 hours for most people
A start before sunrise, in the dark, with a headlamp
100 switchbacks between Trail Camp and Trail Crest
Trail Crest at 13,600 feet, then two more miles along the ridge to the summit
No restrooms on the trail and no cell service on most of it
A pack-out kit for solid human waste, provided at the trailhead
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Permit Requirements
A permit is required to day hike anywhere within the Whitney Zone, year-round
The day use permit is valid for one day only, midnight to midnight
Consecutive Mt Whitney day use permits are not allowed
A day use permit cannot be used as part of an overnight trip, and cannot be combined with other permits to pass through or exit Mt. Whitney
Maximum group size is 15 people, applied year-round including day use; groups cannot combine to exceed 15
All Mt. Whitney hikers are expected to pack out their solid human waste; kits are provided at the trailhead and there is a disposal box by the trailhead restroom
Print the permit before noon one day before the entry date or the reservation is cancelled as a no-show
Campfires are prohibited in the Mt Whitney Zone
Pets are prohibited beyond Trail Crest, where the trail enters Sequoia National Park
Only the group leader or a listed alternate may pick up or use the permit; names cannot be changed or added after the application
Stock is prohibited between Whitney Portal and Trail Crest
Wilderness regulations carry maximum penalties of $5,000 and/or six months in jail
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •A pack-out kit for solid human waste — available at the trailhead and at the visitor center
- •Headlamp with spare batteries; the day starts and often ends in the dark
- •Enough water for the stretch above Trail Camp, where there is no reliable supply
- •Warm and windproof layers for 14,505 feet
- •Sun protection — the whole upper mountain is above treeline
Recommended Gear
- •Trekking poles for the switchbacks and the long descent
- •Downloaded maps; Inyo warns most of the trail has no cell service
- •Ice axe and crampons outside the mid-July to early-October window, per NPS
- •High-calorie food and electrolytes for a 12 to 14 hour day
- •A printed permit, since printing it is what prevents the no-show cancellation
Hazards & Safety
Altitude sickness — Inyo's own safety message tells hikers to take time to acclimate and to learn the symptoms
Lightning on an entirely exposed upper mountain; the summit hut's metal roof conducts strikes and is not a shelter
Snow and ice outside mid-July to early October, when NPS says ice axes and crampons are needed
No water above Trail Camp and no restrooms anywhere on the trail
Very active bears at Whitney Portal — remove all food from vehicles and use the lockers
No cell service on most of the trail; Inyo says not to rely on a phone for communication or navigation
Best Time to Visit
Quota season runs May 1 to November 1 and the trail is "usually snow-free from July to late September." NPS puts the non-technical window at mid-July to early October and says ice axes and crampons are needed in spring and early summer. Outside quota season, November 2 to April 30, permits are unlimited and bookable up to two weeks ahead — but that is winter mountaineering, not hiking.
Pro Tips
Apply February 1 to March 1 and list up to 10 alternate trip choices and three alternate leaders on the one application
Submit only one application per group or household — Inyo may reject all of them otherwise
Put April 22 at 7 am Pacific in the calendar; that is when every unclaimed lottery date goes on general sale
Claim and pay by April 21 or the awarded reservation is cancelled outright
Print the permit before noon the day before entry, or the reservation is cancelled as a no-show
Sleep at altitude in the Lone Pine area first — Inyo's own safety message is to take time to acclimate
Take the pack-out kit at the trailhead and use the disposal box by the restroom on the way out
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use) permit?
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Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use) permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use)?
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Quota season runs May 1 to November 1 and the trail is "usually snow-free from July to late September." NPS puts the non-technical window at mid-July to early October and says ice axes and crampons are needed in spring and early summer. Outside quota season, November 2 to April 30, permits are unlimited and bookable up to two weeks ahead — but that is winter mountaineering, not hiking.
How difficult is Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use)?
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Very fit hikers who have acclimatized, want the summit in a single push, and are comfortable moving in the dark at both ends of the day.
What gear do I need for Mt. Whitney Zone (Day Use)?
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Essential gear includes: A pack-out kit for solid human waste — available at the trailhead and at the visitor center, Headlamp with spare batteries; the day starts and often ends in the dark, Enough water for the stretch above Trail Camp, where there is no reliable supply, Warm and windproof layers for 14,505 feet, Sun protection — the whole upper mountain is above treeline.
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