Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board single day permit 7/14

anyone have an extra permit for 7/14?

Just walk into the Visitor Center in Lone Pine on Monday (7/13) and I there should be plenty of no-show day hike permits available for Tuesday.

Check last years numbers ...looks like mid-week in mid-July last year was the ONLY time all the day hike permits were taken. Be there by 2 PM and get into the lottery (if there are more people there than available permits), and your chances are very good.

  Unused Whitney Permits - 2008

  Unused Whitney Permits - 2009   (only up-to-date thru June 25)

normally I would agree except that this is during Badwater race and lots of people head up trail during that week

So, if I want to hike let's say, on a Wednesday, I can get to the Ranger Station on Tuesday afternoon and pick up a day permit for the next day?
Is it better to get there early in AM or PM?

Ok, I talked with Judy at the IAVC (visitor center in Lone Pine). As people with reservations come in and pick up their permits for the following day, if they release any reserved but unused slots, THOSE slots become available at 11 AM and after.

During the day as more people trickle in to pick up there permits for which they have reservations for the next day, as unused slots are released, they also become immediately available (if it is after 11 AM).

No-shows for the next day (reservations where nobody comes in at all, and they have not called the IAVC to say they are coming) are made available at 2 PM.

So bottom line: Go in no earlier than 11. You should be able to pick up a permit for the next day after that. If there are none available, hang around, and you will probably get one.

I also learned that July 4 was the first day this year that ALL the day hike slots were filled.

I have 8 for that day! Email me Jas0n883@yahoo.com - That's a zero ;]