Landmark
Trail Camp
MI 6.13 · 12,000 ft
The highest camp and the last reliable water on the east side. Base of the 100 switchbacks.
This season's lottery is done · cancellations are the way in
Mount Whitney Permit (Overnight)
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks · California
Multi-day permits for Mount Whitney, popular for acclimatization.
Get an alert when Mt. Whitney Overnight opens on your dates.
Yes. You need a permit to backpack Mount Whitney Overnight in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. It is the Mount Whitney Overnight Permit, and it comes back two ways: canceled permits return to the booking system through the season, and the rest are awarded by lottery.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Mt. Whitney Overnight were gone within 30 minutes.
Mount Whitney Overnight dates: cancellations and the lottery
We alert you to cancellations. The lottery runs February 1 to March 1.
- CancellationsWe alert you the moment one opens.We alert you the moment one opens.
- Apply for 2026 season Mt Whitney LotteryFeb 1–Mar 1
- Quota seasonMay 1–Nov 1
Who issues Mt. Whitney Overnight permits. Source: USDA Forest Service: Inyo National Forest. Read the official permit page. “February 1 - March 1 | Apply for Mt. Whitney lottery on https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445860”
- route distance, out and back
- 21.4mi
- elevation gain
- 6,200ft
- daily quota
- 60people
- max group size
- 15people
Mount Whitney has several separate permits for different routes and trip lengths. See the Mt. Whitney permit page.
How to get a Mount Whitney Overnight permit
As of October 2026, Mt. Whitney Overnight in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, California requires a permit issued via lottery. Mt. Whitney Overnight is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 9/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Canceled Mt. Whitney Overnight permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The Mt. Whitney Overnight lottery opens February 1 and closes March 1, with results announced March 15. The permit season for Mt. Whitney Overnight runs May 1 through November 1. The Mt. Whitney Overnight route covers 21.4 miles with 6,200 feet of elevation gain, rated strenuous.
- Type
- Overnight
- Location
- Sierra Nevada, CA
Step 1: Check for cancellations
Permits get canceled daily. Peak cancellation times are 24-48 hours before the trip date.
Step 2: Set up PermitSnag alerts
Get notified when cancellations happen. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.
Step 3: Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Verify your email and add payment info ahead of time.
Step 4: Apply during the lottery window
Submit your application between February 1 and March 1. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.
Step 5: Wait for lottery results
Results are announced March 15. Check your email and your Recreation.gov account.
Mt. Whitney Overnight pro tips
- Apply to Inyo National Forest, not the park, if you are starting at Whitney Portal. That is NPS's own instruction
- Camp at Outpost Camp or Trail Camp rather than pushing from the road; the acclimatization night is the point of this permit
- Carry summit-day water from Trail Camp: nothing above it is reliable
- Watch the group-size drop at the park boundary: 15 on trail, 8 off trail on Mt. Whitney
- Print the permit before 10 am on the entry date, the overnight no-show deadline
- If you are coming from the west, the High Sierra Trail is the SEKI-issued route NPS names, on a 30-person quota with no lottery
- If you want the Mountaineer's Route, reserve the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek permit instead. This one will not cover it
- Give the exit location and itinerary at reservation time if you plan to walk on to the John Muir Trail
- Set a cancellation alert for April 22 at 7 am Pacific: every unclaimed lottery date goes on general sale then
More on Mt. Whitney Overnight: Live availability activityWhen Mt. Whitney Overnight permits open upChance of an openingMount Whitney Overnight permit itineraryMount Whitney Overnight lottery datesDo I need a Mount Whitney Overnight permit?Mt. Whitney Overnight lottery odds
Guides: Mt. Whitney Overnight permit guideRae Lakes Loop permit guideHigh Sierra Trail permit guide
Mount Whitney Overnight lottery odds
Inyo National Forest runs one Mt. Whitney lottery a year, opening February 1 and closing March 1. The Forest Service publishes no success rate for it; what it does publish is the quota, which caps the trail at 100 people per day for day use and 60 per day for overnight.
Source: Inyo National Forest — Mount Whitney · Recreation.gov Mt. Whitney lottery.
Apply these for the best odds
- Apply inside the February 1 - March 1 window. Inyo runs a single lottery each year, so there is no second draw to fall back on.
- Put April 22 on your calendar. Lottery winners must pay the per-person fee by April 21, and every unclaimed and forfeited date opens for web reservation the next day.
How much a Mount Whitney Overnight permit costs
Mt. Whitney Overnight permit fee: $6 per reservation + $15 per person.
The Mount Whitney Overnight hike
- Distance
- 21.4 miles
- Elevation Gain
- 6,200 ft
- Route Type
- Out & Back
- Duration
- 2-4 days
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Elevation Range
- 8,360 - 14,505 ft
Mt. Whitney Overnight elevation profile
Whitney Portal to Mount Whitney summit, one way6,200 ft of descent · 11% average grade
Landmark
Whitney Portal
Trailhead at the end of Whitney Portal Road, about 13 miles west of Lone Pine.
Mile 0 of 10.7
0 Whitney Portal10.7 Mount Whitney summit
- Mile
- 0
- Elevation
- 8,400 ft
Mt. Whitney Overnight landmarks
Map of the Mount Whitney Overnight, Whitney Portal to Mount Whitney summit
6 of 6 places in this section
Loading the map
Terrain USGS 3DEP · Water USGS NHD · Trail © OpenStreetMap contributors
6,200 ft of descent · 11% average grade
Whitney over two or three days instead of one, which is what Inyo National Forest actually recommends: camp a night or two "allowing more time to adapt to high elevation."
About this permit
Mount Whitney's summit is inside Sequoia National Park, but the overnight permit for the standard route is not a park permit. NPS routes hikers by starting point: begin at Whitney Portal on the east side and you apply to Inyo National Forest, cross the Sierra from the west and you apply to Sequoia & Kings Canyon.
The Inyo overnight permit is capped at 60 people per entry day during quota season, May 1 to November 1. Set a cancellation alert for April 22 at 7 am Pacific, when unclaimed dates go on general sale, and for the cancellations after that. Every date first goes through the Mt Whitney Lottery: applications February 1 to March 1, results March 15, claim by April 21.
Camping a night on the way up is Inyo's own advice rather than a workaround. The forest names Lone Pine Lake, Outpost Camp, Consultation Lake and Trail Camp as the usual choices for backpackers who want more time to adapt to the elevation.
The route
The route is the same 10.7-mile trail NPS describes from Whitney Portal at 8,360 feet to the summit at 14,505 feet, gaining over 6,200 feet. Inyo names the camps that break it up: Lone Pine Lake at 9,900 feet, Outpost Camp at 10,400, Consultation Lake at 11,600 and Trail Camp at 12,000.
Above Trail Camp come the switchbacks (NPS counts 100 of them) to Trail Crest at 13,600 feet, which is where the trail crosses into Sequoia National Park about two miles from the top. From there the summit spur runs 2.4 miles along the west side of the crest, starting a hundred yards below Trail Crest. There is no reliable water between Guitar Lake on the west and Trail Camp on the east.
Park rules take over at the crest and they are stricter than the forest's: no camping in the Mt. Whitney shelter, a two-night limit in the Crabtree and Whitney Creek area and at Guitar Lake, no camping at Timberline Lake, and a maximum party size of 8 rather than 15 in the off-trail areas of Mt. Whitney and Whitney and Crabtree Creeks.
Why it matters
The summit belongs to Sequoia National Park, but the permit almost never does. NPS is clear that hikers starting at Whitney Portal apply to Inyo National Forest, and only people crossing the Sierra from the west apply to Sequoia & Kings Canyon. So the overnight permit most people actually need is the Inyo Mt Whitney Trail overnight permit, capped at 60 people per entry day. The February lottery hands out the first round, and unclaimed and canceled dates go back on Recreation.gov after that.
The feeling
The difference a night makes is not romantic, it is physiological. You get to Trail Camp at 12,000 feet in the afternoon with the switchbacks stacked above you, eat, sleep badly, and wake up already at altitude instead of climbing 4,000 feet into it before breakfast. The people passing you at 3 am left the car at midnight and have another six hours in them before they see the sun.
Mt. Whitney Overnight hike highlights
- 60 people per entry day, a separate quota from the 100 day-use permits at the same trailhead
- Camps at 9,900, 10,400, 11,600 and 12,000 feet, named by Inyo National Forest
- 100 switchbacks between Trail Camp and Trail Crest at 13,600 feet
- A rule change at the crest, where Sequoia National Park restrictions replace forest ones
- No reliable water between Guitar Lake and Trail Camp
- The option to keep going onto the John Muir Trail on the same permit
How hard the Mount Whitney Overnight hike is
- Physical DemandFitness and endurance required4/5
- Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills2/5
- Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential4/5
- NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity2/5
- CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route4/5
Best for: Backpackers who want the summit with a night at altitude built in, and John Muir Trail hikers finishing or starting at Whitney Portal.
Recommended experience: Multi-day backpacking and previous nights at altitude. The trail is non-technical when snow-free; the elevation and the weather are the difficulty.
Not recommended for: Climbers heading for the Mountaineer's Route or East Face, which the Whitney Trail permit does not cover, and anyone who has not slept above 10,000 feet before.
Trailhead information
Whitney Portal
Primary8,360 ft elevation
The east-side trailhead for the Mt. Whitney Trail, at the end of Whitney Portal Road. Permits for trips starting here come from Inyo National Forest, not the park.
- Restrooms
- No water
Parking
Parking is limited; Inyo asks people to carpool. Bear activity is high, so all food and scented items must be removed from vehicles and secured in the bear-proof lockers in the parking areas.
Getting There
Highway 395 to Lone Pine, west on Whitney Portal Road at the town's only traffic signal, about 13 miles to the trailhead.
Nearest Services
Lone Pine. The Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center sits 2 miles south of town at Highway 395 and State Route 136. NPS also calls it the best place from which to see the mountain.
Trailhead information
Crescent Meadow (High Sierra Trail, west approach)
AlternateThe west-side approach NPS names for reaching Whitney from Sequoia National Park, on a SEKI wilderness permit rather than an Inyo one.
- No restrooms
- No water
Parking
Parking is available at Crescent Meadow or Wolverton. Backpackers with a wilderness permit may access the Crescent Meadow trailhead 24 hours a day.
Getting There
From Visalia, CA-198 east to the Ash Mountain entrance and on 16 miles to Giant Forest. Vehicles over 22 ft are not advised; in summer approach via Grant Grove and the Generals Highway.
Nearest Services
Permits for this entry point are issued at the Lodgepole Visitor Center.
When to hike Mount Whitney Overnight
Best time to visit
Quota season is May 1 to November 1. Inyo says the trail is usually snow-free from July to late September, and NPS puts the non-technical window at mid-July to early October. Two nights inside that stretch is the most reliable summit plan. Outside quota season permits are unlimited and bookable two weeks ahead, but the route becomes a winter climb.
- Peak
- July-September
- Shoulder
- Late June and October
Spring
Quota season opens May 1, but NPS says ice axes and crampons are needed in spring and early summer.
Crowd level · low
- Advantage: Empty camps
- Advantage: Firm snow for parties with the skills
- Challenge: Winter mountaineering equipment required
- Challenge: Severe cold at a 12,000-foot camp
- Challenge: Route-finding on snow-covered switchbacks
Summer
Trail usually snow-free from July to late September, with the full 60-person quota in use daily.
Crowd level · high
- Advantage: Non-technical trail conditions
- Advantage: Water at the camps
- Advantage: Long days for the summit push
- Challenge: Afternoon thunderstorms above Trail Camp with nowhere to shelter
- Challenge: Busy camps and a pre-dawn stream of day hikers
- Challenge: Bears at the Portal, marmots higher up
Fall
Stable and cold through to the November 1 close of quota season.
Crowd level · moderate
- Advantage: The clearest weather of the year
- Advantage: Quiet camps
- Advantage: Better odds on cancellations
- Challenge: Hard freezes at Trail Camp
- Challenge: Short days
- Challenge: Early snow can end the season abruptly
Winter
November 2 to April 30 is non-quota season with unlimited permits bookable two weeks ahead, but the route is a winter climb.
Crowd level · low
- Advantage: No lottery and no quota
- Advantage: Late booking possible
- Advantage: Solitude
- Challenge: Full winter conditions
- Challenge: A permit is still required year-round
- Challenge: Ice and avalanche hazard on the switchbacks
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (8,400 ft)
⚠️
Backcountry Tips
- Today: Expect 21°F colder at summit. Layer up.
- Tomorrow: Expect 21°F colder at summit. Layer up.
- Day 3: Expect 21°F colder at summit. Layer up.
Today
☁️
23°
14°
Thu
☁️
22°
11°
Fri
❄️
20°
10°
Sat
❄️
23°
10°
74%
Sun
☁️
27°
14°
74%
Mon
☁️
35°
17°
Tue
☁️
38°
20°
View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.
Mt. Whitney Overnight photography guide
Golden Hour
Evening at Trail Camp, after the sun drops behind the crest and only the Inyo Mountains across the valley are still lit.
Best Light
First light from the switchbacks, with the Owens Valley 8,000 feet below still in shadow.
Beat the Crowds
The overnight permit is the crowd strategy. Day hikers leave Whitney Portal between midnight and 4 am and pass the camps in the dark; leave camp at first light and you follow them up and meet them coming down while you still have the summit.
Classic Shots
- Tents at Trail Camp under the switchback wall
- The tarns at Trail Camp holding the reflection of the crest at dawn
- Trail Crest at 13,600 feet looking west toward the Great Western Divide
- The summit plateau and the 1909 stone hut
- Guitar Lake from the climb toward Trail Crest, for parties coming from the west
Mount Whitney Overnight rules, gear and safety
Gear checklist
Required- A bear-resistant container for the overnight
- A pack-out kit for solid human waste
- A stove; campfires are banned in the Whitney Zone
- Sleeping gear rated for a camp at 12,000 feet
- Capacity to carry summit-day water from Trail Camp or Guitar Lake
Recommended gear
- Trekking poles for the switchbacks under a pack
- Printed SEKI terms and conditions, required by Inyo for travel into Sequoia and Kings Canyon
- A California Campfire Permit, required to operate a stove
- Downloaded maps: cell coverage is limited and SEKI warns not to rely on phones
- Wind protection for Trail Camp, which has nothing to hide behind
Rules & regulations
- 01A permit is required year-round for entry to the Mount Whitney Zone, including day use
- 02Starting at Whitney Portal means applying to Inyo National Forest; approaching from the west across the Sierra means applying to Sequoia & Kings Canyon
- 03Bear-resistant containers are required for overnight trips
- 04Maximum group size is 15 people on trail, but Sequoia caps off-trail parties at 8 in the Mt. Whitney and Whitney and Crabtree Creeks areas
- 05No camping in the Mt. Whitney shelter, none at Timberline Lake, and a two-night limit in the Crabtree and Whitney Creek area and at Guitar Lake
- 06All Mt. Whitney hikers are expected to pack out solid human waste
- 07Campfires are prohibited in the Mt Whitney Zone, and above 10,000 feet in the Kern River drainage of Sequoia National Park
- 08Pets are prohibited beyond Trail Crest, where the trail enters the park
- 09The Inyo permit does not cover the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek approach to the Mountaineer's Route, East Face, East Buttress or Mt Russell
- 10SEKI permits are valid for continuous travel into Inyo National Forest and vice versa, subject to each agency's conditions
Hazards & considerations
- Altitude sickness, which is the main reason to take the overnight rather than the day permit
- Lightning above Trail Camp, with no shelter; the summit hut's metal roof conducts strikes and SEKI says not to use it in a storm
- Snow and ice outside roughly mid-July to early October
- No reliable water between Guitar Lake and Trail Camp
- Very active bears at Whitney Portal, and marmots at the pack-cache spot below the summit spur
- Discretionary search and rescue: SEKI states that rescuer safety comes first and that you should be self-reliant
Safety & planning
Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Mt. Whitney Overnight.
Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Mt. Whitney Overnight · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides
Some links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.
Mt. Whitney Overnight FAQ
Which agency issues the Mount Whitney overnight permit?
It depends where you start, and NPS spells it out. "If you begin at Whitney Portal, in Inyo National Forest on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, you should apply for a Mt. Whitney permit from Inyo National Forest." Only if you begin in Sequoia National Park and cross the range from the west do you apply to Sequoia & Kings Canyon. The summit is in the park; the permit usually is not.
How many overnight Mount Whitney permits are issued per day?
60. Inyo National Forest states "60 people per entry day for Mt Whitney Trail Overnight permits," separate from the 100 day-use permits at the same trailhead. Overnight trips approaching by other routes fall under different quotas.
Why take the overnight permit instead of day use?
Altitude. Inyo's own description of the overnight permit is that backpackers "often choose to camp one or two nights, allowing more time to adapt to high elevation." A day hike means climbing over 6,200 feet in 12 to 14 hours starting in the dark. The overnight permit also extends onto the John Muir Trail, which the day use permit cannot do.
Where can you camp on an overnight Whitney trip?
Inyo names Lone Pine Lake at 9,900 feet, Outpost Camp at 10,400, Consultation Lake at 11,600 and Trail Camp at 12,000 on the east side. Past Trail Crest you are in Sequoia National Park, which prohibits camping in the Mt. Whitney shelter and at Timberline Lake, and limits the Crabtree and Whitney Creek area and Guitar Lake to two nights.
What group size is allowed on Mount Whitney?
15 on trail under both agencies. But Sequoia & Kings Canyon cuts it to 8 in the off-trail areas of Mt. Whitney, Whitney and Crabtree Creeks, Upper Rock Creek and Mt. Langley, where off trail means half a mile from a trail in overnight areas. Affiliated groups may not travel or camp within half a mile of each other if the combined size exceeds the limit.
Is there water on the upper part of the Whitney trail?
Not reliably. NPS says to fill up before the climb from Guitar Lake because "there is no reliable water supply between Guitar Lake and Trail Camp on the east side." Trail Camp at 12,000 feet is the last dependable source coming up from Whitney Portal.
Can you continue onto the John Muir Trail from Whitney?
Yes, on the Inyo overnight permit. The forest states it "can also be extended to continue onto the John Muir Trail" if you provide the exit location, exit date and itinerary. One permit covers continuous wilderness travel through adjacent parks and forests, and you follow each agency's rules as you cross boundaries.
What are the odds of getting an overnight Whitney permit?
The quota is 60 people per entry day. The lottery calendar: apply February 1 to March 1, results March 15, claim and pay by April 21, unclaimed dates released to everyone at 7 am Pacific on April 22.
Mount Whitney Overnight trail conditions and trip reports
Trail Conditions(5)
Alternatives to a Mount Whitney Overnight permit
- Similar ExperiencePermit required
Mount Whitney Day Hike Permit
The same summit in a single 12 to 14 hour push, on a 100-person daily quota instead of 60.
Tradeoffs
A bigger quota in the same lottery, but no acclimatization night and no ability to combine it with anything else.
- Similar ExperiencePermit required
High Sierra Trail
The west-side approach NPS names: Crescent Meadow to the John Muir Trail in 49 miles, then 13 more to the summit, on a SEKI permit with no lottery.
Tradeoffs
A 30-person daily quota with 20 reservable, on a rolling six-month-to-one-week window. NPS gives a minimum of 6 days one way or 10 days round trip.
- Easier AlternativePermit required
Mount Langley
A neighboring 14,000-foot peak from the Cottonwood Lakes side, outside the Whitney Zone and outside the Whitney lottery.
Tradeoffs
You lose the highest-point claim and gain a permit you can realistically get. SEKI caps off-trail parties on Mt. Langley at 8 people.
Where to stay near Mt. Whitney Overnight
- Whitney Portal campgroundInyo National Forest
- Lone Pine campgroundInyo National Forest
- Tuttle Creek CampgroundAlabama Hills
- All California campgrounds
Trip planning
Articles that plan a trip around this permit.
Plan the full trip, not just the permit
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Plan a trip here
No permit needed to start
Two ways to land it
Track cancellations or run a lottery pool
Core feature
Fast Lane tracking
We check Mt. Whitney Overnight for cancellations 24/7 and alert you when a spot opens so you can book before it's gone.
Set a free cancellation alertPro or $19 alert
Lottery pool
Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds (solo ~60 people/day, no published rate). We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.
See plans to start a poolMost crews do both: get alerts for cancellations, and pool for the lottery.
Lottery concierge
Your next shot at Mt. Whitney Overnight
Missed the draw or skipped it? Set an alert and we tell you the moment a Mt. Whitney Overnight cancellation opens. We remind you about the lottery dates too.
Better odds with a crew
Mt. Whitney Overnight permits are drawn by lottery. Every friend who applies adds another entry, so a crew gets more shots at the same permit than any one of you alone.
One of you runs the pool (Pro or a $19 alert). Everyone else joins free.
Know the moment you win
Auto win-detection tells you the moment your Mt. Whitney Overnight application wins, so you never have to check Recreation.gov. It reads the result email you forward us, so it takes a one-time setup in your inbox (about two minutes, and we walk you through it). Auto win-detection is on Pro or a $19 permit alert.
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