Do I need a permit to backpack Mount Whitney Overnight?

What the Mount Whitney Overnight permit costs and covers

Fee

$6 per reservation + $15 per person

Group size limit

15 people

Issued per day

60 people

Applications open

February 1

Applications close

March 1

Results

March 15

Season starts

May 1

Season ends

November 1

What the rules require

• A permit is required year-round for entry to the Mount Whitney Zone, including day use
• Starting at Whitney Portal means applying to Inyo National Forest; approaching from the west across the Sierra means applying to Sequoia & Kings Canyon
• Bear-resistant containers are required for overnight trips
• Maximum 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
• No 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
• All Mt. Whitney hikers are expected to pack out solid human waste
• Campfires are prohibited in the Mt Whitney Zone, and above 10,000 feet in the Kern River drainage of Sequoia National Park
• Pets are prohibited beyond Trail Crest, where the trail enters the park
• The 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
• SEKI permits are valid for continuous travel into Inyo National Forest and vice versa, subject to each agency's conditions

Published rules for the Mount Whitney Overnight Permit, quoted as written.

Getting one

Lottery winners cancel and miss payment deadlines, and those dates go back into the booking system through the season. PermitSnag watches Mount Whitney Overnight Permit and sends you an alert the moment one reappears.

Common questions about the Mount Whitney Overnight permit