Mt Whitney Day Hike Guide

Mt Whitney is the highest peak in California and the lower 48 of the United States. This extremely popular mountain is typically done in multiple days but can easily be done in one day for the right hiker. There are two main routes up this 14er: The standard or “Soft and Succulent” route which is much longer and the mountaineer’s route. For this guide, I cover both trails as my trek took me up Mountaineer’s and down the standard Mt Whitney trail. 

Mt Whitney Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Whitney Day Hike

Mt Whitney Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 22 Miles RT (Standard Route) 12 Miles RT (Mountaineers Route)

Elevation Start: 8,337ft

High Point: 14,505ft 

Total Elevation Gain: 6,400ft 

Estimated Time to Complete: 10-16 Hours (One Day) / Multiple Days

Difficulty: Difficult to Strenuous  What does this mean?

Class: Class 3/4+ Mountaineer’s Route/ Class 1 Standard Route –  What does this mean? 

Season: June – October (Expect Snow Outside of These Months)

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Mt Whitney

Trailhead: Mt Whitney Portal

Getting Here: Mt Whitney has one road in and one road out to the trailhead so getting there is pretty easy. Take Mt Whitney portal road for 12 miles from the town of Lone Pine, California. The road is paved the entire time but does close down during winter months due to snow. 

Parking: There are PLENTY of spaces to park at the TH. Bathrooms and a small campground store that serves burgers and sandwiches. 

Fee: $15 through the reservation system – visit this page for more information. 

Reservations: Mt Whitney utilizes a permit and reservation system for both day and overnight hikes. May 1st – November 1st – permits are limited to 100 per day. November 1st – April 30th permits are still required but reservations are UNCAPPED. AKA – no limit to the number of visitors. A lottery is launched at the start of the year for the upcoming season but throughout the year, spots do become available as people drop out, change their plans etc. If you DO NOT get a spot through the lottery, do not give up. I was able to snag a reservation without much problem about a week before I wanted to hike. I do recommend refreshing the system frequently as the inventory changes quite frequently. Read more about the entire process here.

Summary

Dogs: Dogs are not allowed on Mt Whitney.

Camping: You can read this page for more information about camping on and near Mt Whitney. There are several areas you can camp but permits and reservations are required. Please, please, please pick up after yourself and follow all practices of Leave No Trace. The hiking areas on this trail were really disgusting unfortunately. 

Hike Xfactor(s): Snow Level 

Depending on your route, the snow on the slopes of Mt Whitney can have a big effect on your day. Typically snow will be on the mountain from November – early July depending on the winter’s snowfall. 

1. Traveling on snow can make things much more direct but also slow you down significantly. Snow, even on the standard route, requires additional gear and much more time. 
2. If your plan is to take the Mountaineer’s route up Mt Whitney, I would HIGHLY recommend traveling this when there is still snow. The gully and final slope of this trail without snow is just not super fun and much more dangerous. Having the snow or ice to dig your crampons and mountain ax into would be a much more enjoyable and likely faster day. 

Hike Tip(s): If you plan on taking the Mountaineer’s route up Mt Whitney, especially if traveling for a day trip, I would highly recommend a GPS. There were several sections, even with daylight, that caused me to reference my track and I am very glad that I had it. When exiting the gully just before the summit – you will likely hear a lot about the final 400ft. There are plenty of options to go up here, some above Class 3, even into low Class 5. My advice here: pick a line that suits your conditions and ability. Without snow, there is a lot of loose rock and rockfall here and in the gully below, can be very dangerous. WEAR A HELMET and call out all falling rocks to parties below. 

If heading up the standard trail be sure to bring a reliable source of light and start early. I have seen reports of this trail taking some 20-24 hours which seems a bit insane to me but has obviously happened. I feel that a hiker in good shape should be on the mountain no longer than 13-15 hours at the most but everyone is different so tailor your start time accordingly. 

For both routes, there are fairly reliable water sources so having something to filter your water would be helpful as well. 

Best Views: I have very little experience (when this guide was posted) in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Perhaps, the novelty of a new range boosted the memories for me, but I found the hike up Mt Whitney to be incredibly beautiful. The granite towers, beautiful high alpine lakes and views from the summit rival any single day hike I have done in the US. In some ways, I actually enjoyed the views on the Mt Whitney trail more than the Mountaineer’s route but both were beautiful. 

Mt Whitney Hike Route

Starts with the Mountaineer’s route and ends on the standard Mt Whitney trail.