Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Wilderness Permit Office Hours

I am planning to start my Whitney climb on Sunday. Looks like the permit offices are not open on weekends anymore? Is that correct?

No, not correct. I just called the Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center where you pick up the Wilderness Permit, and they said they are open 8 am to 6 pm 7 days a week. Starting Nov 2, hours will be 8-5, but still open every day.

Their number is: 760-876-6222
Location: Junction Highway US 395 & SR136 (1 mile south Lone Pine)

<a href=http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/contact/index.shtml>Click this for more</a> Inyo NF contact information

Thanks! This is what I found on the web.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/contact/index.shtml#wilderness

Thanks for the heads up.

Gordon: Those hours on that link you are referring to is for the Wilderness Permit Office in Bishop, not the Inter Agency Visitor Center in Lone Pine.

Gordon,
I second the previous post. The URL you referenced is the Wilderness Permit office for making/canceling reservations.

Did you check out the information that I provided in the orientation notes? See Interagency Visitors Center/Wilderness Permits .

Gordon,
Steve C. is correct. I spoke with the permit office today. The end result was a little confusing, but as far as I can tell, the permit office will no longer be open on the weekends, but the Lone Pine office will still have normal hours. If you expect to come after hours, they will leave the permit in the night box. You need to let them know this during office hours. I too am planning a hike (maybe not a full summit - conditions will dictate) on Sunday. But, may change my Sunday day permit to a Saturday overnight permit. They indicated they had several now due to cancellations. Glad there will some other people on the trail.

Hans and Gordon,
For info on after-hours pickup check on the following link: After Hours Pickup . It is embedded inside the link that I gave in the previous post. There also is the related thread: New Visitors Center for 2006 Permits .

The end result was a little confusing, but as far as I can tell, the permit office will no longer be open on the weekends, but the Lone Pine office will still have normal hours.

The only confusing part is that they moved the people who issue the permits into the same building as the people who handle the tourists. That way they can streamline their operations with one set of hours for both sets of customers.