Mount Whitney
Schematic Whitney Portal to the summit. Not a GPS track. Cited round trip about 35 km is editorial. DEM high 4,399 m governs; 14,505 ft is a landmark.
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Distance 35 km provisional (round figure) · Ascent provisional (DEM sample) · High point provisional (DEM sample) · 1d · SAC T3 · Ungraded (schematic ingest)
Cite this record
The Hiking World, Mount Whitney, read 2026-11-02, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/mount-whitney
How we verify · last checked 2026-11-02
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial team · author
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Forecast at page generation, 2026-11-07T10:57:38.398Z
Representative point on Mount Whitney: 36.579°, -118.292°, about 4399 m. A forecast, not a trail-surface reading.
At generation: -10°C, Clear.
- 2026-11-07 Overcast, -11–-2°C
- 2026-11-08 Overcast, -9–-2°C
- 2026-11-09 Overcast, -7–1°C
Source Open-Meteo. Mountain weather changes with elevation and aspect.
Life-safety notices on this page come from the issuer.
Sourced record
Verified and reported stay in separate blocks. A section with no source is left out. How we verify.
Reported
Named secondary source, including OpenStreetMap. Not a verified official figure.
Maps
No complete walking relation was confirmed. The stored line uses OpenStreetMap pins only: Whitney Portal node 150933529 and the summit node 944865772. It is a schematic, not a GPS track, and the return is not doubled.
OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), nodes 150933529 and 944865772 · source · checked 2026-09-23
Permits and fees are shown once, from the permit record.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Altitude weather delta
High 4,399 m minus low 2,390 m is 2,009 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 13.1 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.
That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.
derived:lapse-rate · read 2026-09-10 · provisionalISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10
Map loads when this section is on screen.
GeoJSONThis line is a schematic. The files are not a GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
Cumulative ascent not published — stored line geometry is too coarse for a reliable DEM figure.
Catalog entry
- SAC T3
- Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
- YDS Class 2
- Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.
Stored distance is 35 km. The chart axis follows the DEM sample (5.93 km), not the published line length.
OpenStreetMap pins only (ODbL): Whitney Portal node 150933529, Mount Whitney summit node 944865772 (Wikidata Q235539). No single complete route relation was confirmed. Return is not doubled.
Cited round trip about 35 km (~22 mi) is editorial. Pin spacing is not that walk.
DEM high 4,399 m. Cited 14,505 ft / 4,419.6 m OSM ele is a landmark and does not replace the DEM. Ascent is high minus low. The return is not doubled, so descent is not computed.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Permits & fees
Conditions, fees and rules change. Confirm with the issuer and local authorities before you go. This is a reference, not a substitute for local advice. Terms
- Permit
- Mount Whitney Trail permit
- Booking
- required
- Issuer
- U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest
Permits and fees for this year · Permit cost
Permits and fees
We are not the issuer. Fees and rules change — confirm with the issuer before you pay. Issuer page.
Quota / restriction: Quota-season daily caps (~100 day-use / ~60 overnight); annual lottery Feb 1 – Mar 1; unlimited non-quota permits Nov 2 – Apr 30.
| Permit | Cost | Quota / restriction | Issuer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation.gov application feeVerified | $6 USD | Quota-season daily caps (~100 day-use / ~60 overnight); annual lottery Feb 1 – Mar 1; unlimited non-quota permits Nov 2 – Apr 30. | U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest | Issuer page | Verified 2026-11-02 vs U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest |
| Recreation feeVerified | $15 USD (on award) | Quota-season daily caps (~100 day-use / ~60 overnight); annual lottery Feb 1 – Mar 1; unlimited non-quota permits Nov 2 – Apr 30. | U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest | Issuer page | Verified 2026-11-02 vs U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest |
Hazards
- DEM high 4,399 m. This two-pin line is not the Mount Whitney Trail tread.
Getting there
No sourced gateway chain yet.
Getting there car-free
- Whitney Portal: car-free flag unknown.
- Mount Whitney summit: car-free flag unknown.
Trailheads
- Whitney Portal car-free: unknown
- Mount Whitney summit car-free: unknown
Questions
Do I need a permit for Mount Whitney?
A permit is listed as required for Mount Whitney: Mount Whitney Trail permit. Status: Verified.
How much is the Mount Whitney permit?
Recreation.gov application fee: $6 USD (U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest, verified 2026-11-02). Status: Verified. Recreation fee: $15 USD (on award) (U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest, verified 2026-11-02). Status: Verified.
Mount Whitney permit quota and booking
Quota-season daily caps (~100 day-use / ~60 overnight); annual lottery Feb 1 – Mar 1; unlimited non-quota permits Nov 2 – Apr 30.
How difficult is Mount Whitney?
Mount Whitney is graded SAC T3 · YDS 2. A sourced hazard on this record: DEM high 4,399 m. This two-pin line is not the Mount Whitney Trail tread.
How long is Mount Whitney?
This figure is 35 km (provisional): a schematic straight-line estimate between waypoints — not a measured walking distance; published figures are the better guide. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
Related trails
- John Muir Trail · Sierra Nevada
- The Enchantments · United States
Featured in
- Permit & season calendar
- Permit lotteries: Whitney, Half Dome, JMT, Inca & more
- Difficulty scales and surface
- Seasonality on the catalog
- Water sources on the catalog
- How permit systems work
- How to read an elevation profile
- Car-free and transit access
- Government fees and operator markup
- Walk-up & trekker summits