Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board How do I get a map of Whitney?

Do i get it at the ranger station or should I order one ahead of time and where from? Thanks in advance for your help.

I like best the small laminated 7.5 degree map sold at the Whitney Portal store. They also have some maps at the forest service in Lone Pine.

I agree the small map is great. You can find different maps at REI or Sport Shallet. They are waterproof.
I sent you map what I have on my comp, so you can start exploring.
Have fun.

My home printed map from topozone.com has gone up Whitney twice. Just two sheets of priner paper taped together and trimmed.

For the best detail of the trail, you'll want two USGS 7.5-minute quads: Mt. Whitney and Mt. Langley. Those cover everything from Portal to summit.

You can order them direct from the USGS out of Denver by calling (303) 202-4700, or you can call any of several topo map dealers, like Map Express at (800) 627-0039. You'll pay a premium over the $6 per map if you go to a dealer instead of the USGS, but you generally get faster service from the dealer, if you're in a hurry.

The <a href="http://www.topozone.com">topozone</a> alternative is good, especially if you have access to a large-format color printer. You can print out just what you need and tape it together for the trip. Cheaper and faster, but the ink will run if it gets wet. (Unless you're lucky enough to have access to a large-format color laser printer!)

The Portal Store map is great because it is 1:24000 just like the 7.5' quads. The problem with it is that it a small area. If you want to identify distance peaks and lake you are out of luck.

If this is what you want to do then get the two quad mentioned in Alan's post or pick up the Tom Harrison Cartography Whitney High Country Map ~1:63000, not recommend for those of us with bifocals :-).

Whatever you do make sure you study it before you go up the trail. Therefore, you will know where the easy parts are, where the hard parts are and where the water is. No surprises make for a great Mt. Whitney trip.

Bill

Thanks so much for the info. Especially Tomi for emailing me a great map. Marcus