Stored figure · 2026
Mount Whitney permit cost 2026
Statutory figures as stored on this record, in the issuer's currency. This is not a live tariff and not a booking page.
Last verified 2026-09-23 vs U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest
Cite this record
The Hiking World, Mount Whitney permit, verified 2026-09-23, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/mount-whitney/permit
How we verify · last checked 2026-09-23
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
We don't sell treks. We cite the issuer.
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.
Permits and fees
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 | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application feeOfficial source | $6 USD | — | Not recorded | Issuer page | Verified 2026-09-23 vs Not recorded |
| Recreation feeOfficial source | $15 USD (on award) | — | Not recorded | Issuer page | Verified 2026-09-23 vs Not recorded |
How to book / the process
Mount Whitney lists a permit as required: Mount Whitney Trail permit. The legacy issuer field names U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Inyo National Forest. Reservation on the record is “required”. The fee table above is the whole tariff this desk holds. Each row keeps its own issuer, source link, status, and the date that source was checked.
What the government or park issues is the row whose status is official and whose issuer is a public body. What an operator adds — a package day rate, a guide wage, a lodge deposit, a jeep — is not in that row unless the notes say so. These notes do not describe an operator add-on. Do not read a blank as permission to skip a local rule.
The stored best season for the trail is unverified. Typical duration on the record is 1 days. A season window is not a permit quota. If the quota line names a lottery, a solo ban, or a closed month, that line is the restriction; the season string is only when the trail record says walking is usual.
Via Recreation.gov (Permit 445860); quota season May 1 – Nov 1. Unlimited non-quota permits Nov 2 – Apr 30.
Read the cost in the currency printed on the row. A muted dollar line, when present, is this desk's dated snapshot for the first amount in that string. It is not the price the issuer charges, and it is omitted when this snapshot has no rate for that currency. Confirm the live tariff on the issuer page linked from the row before you pay anyone.
- Application fee: $6 USD. Issuer: Not recorded. Status: verified-official. Checked 2026-09-23. Source: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445860.
- Recreation fee: $15 USD (on award). Issuer: Not recorded. Status: verified-official. Checked 2026-09-23. Source: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445860.
Questions this record can answer
- Do I need a permit for Mount Whitney?
- A permit is listed as required for Mount Whitney: Mount Whitney Trail permit. Status on this record is an official source.
- How much is the Mount Whitney permit?
- Application fee: $6 USD, issued by Not recorded, checked 2026-09-23. Status on this record: verified-official. Recreation fee: $15 USD (on award), issued by Not recorded, checked 2026-09-23. Status on this record: verified-official.
- Is a guide required for Mount Whitney?
- This record does not state that a guide is required for Mount Whitney. Absence here is not a ruling that independent travel is allowed.
- When should the Mount Whitney permit be booked?
- Reservation on this record is "required". The best season stored for the trail is unverified. This page does not publish a booking window that the issuer page did not supply.
- Can the Mount Whitney permit be refunded or transferred?
- This record does not store a refund or transfer rule. Only the issuer named on the fee row can answer that.