Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Training Hikes on Main Trail -- Permit Required?

I'm embarrassed to ask this, but after doing a few searches on the board I've come across several different answers to this question: How far up the Main Trail can one hike without a permit? Some postings say Lone Pine Lake, and others say Outpost Camp. Doug's terrific guide book says the "Whitney Zone", but I don't know exactly where that begins. While acclimatizing at the Portal, we'd like to do one or more warm-up hikes prior to the big day hike, and thought it may be beneficial to get familiar with the trail. Thanks.

Lone Pine Lake is as far as you can go without a permit. If you are camping at the campground you could start your hike to the lake from there to add some distance and elevation gain. What day are you hiking? How many days/nights will you be staying at the campground? I'll be hiking on Tue Aug 16th.

What USCdad said. It's very well signed, at least it was the last time I was there and there wasn't a lot of snow ;-).

If you are looking for some extra distance and gain and don't want to leave the Portal head over to the Meysan Lake Trailhead. Just start early because there is a lot of shade in that canyon either.

Unfortunately you cannot set foot on the Whitney trail without a permit. The quotas are strictly regulated to both day use and overnight use.

You can hike on the Whitney Trail without a permit. What you can't do is enter the Whitney Zone (on the Main Trail) without a permit. As others stated, that starts just beyond the fork to Lone Pine Lake, and it is well marked (if not still buried in snow).

<img src=http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/photos/2791495-S.jpg>

Matthew Deadrick on the descent of the Main Trail after having climbed the Mountaineer's Route. We spent the night in Lone Pine celebrating before heading back up to Iceberg Lake to retrieve our gear.

(Edited to add the photo.)

The sign that states that you are entering the Mount Whitney zone is on the trail after the left fork to Lone Pine Lake. You can hike up to Lone Pine Lake without a permit. I would highly recommend hiking up to Lone Pine Lake before you take your main hike (especially if you may be coming down in the dark). See <A href="http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002363">first timers</A> and
<A href="http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001826">more advice</A>.

As has been mentioned, the Whitney zone starts just after the turnoff to Lone Pine Lake. That means Bighorn Park, Outpost Camp and Mirror lake are in the Whitney Zone.

Here is a link to the Whitney Zone.

<a href="http://www.scaruffi.com/travel/whitney.gif">Whitney Zone Map</a>

If you are backpacking you always need a permit, even if you camp at Lone Pine Lake. However day hikers can hike to the edge of Whitney Zone just past Lone Pine Lake without a permit.

Craig,

You are absolutely wrong. You can day hike to the Whitney Zone sign without a permit.

looking at heaters link to the map - shows upper boy scout lake & east face lake in whitney zone - this is not correct

Here is the <A href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/mtwhitney.shtml">USFS web page</A> where it says,"If you are entering this zone at any point during your trip, regardless of whether you are traveling on the Main Mt. Whitney Trail, the $15 per person reservation fee applies." You see a small version of the map and can click on it to see an <A href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/zonelarge.shtml">enlarged map</A>.

Of course, that statement is made in the context of advance reservations for permits, and the day hike permit quotas are for the Main Trail. Nonetheless, the map of the Mount Whitney Zone is correct.

It turns out the Whitney Zone includes much of the North Fork including most of the area west of Lower Boy scout lake (like Upper Boy Scout and Iceberg Lake). If you make an advanced reservation to camp in that area you still get a permit with a Whitney zone sticker, even if your destination is not Mt. Whitney. Like Cal-T mentions, the $15 reservation fee is to process the paper work...the actual permit is free.

On day hikes up the Nork Fork/ Mountaineers route no permit fee or whitney zone sticker is required to be in that portion of the Whitney Zone. This means you can day hike Thor peak, Mt Russell, Mt. Carillon, or Gamblers peak whithout a permit. The Whitney Zone did not originally include this area. A few years ago they enlarged the area, making it part of the Whitney zone also.

Bear in mind that the $15 fee is not a permit fee; it is a permit *reservation* fee -- paid only if you need to reserve *in advance* a permit for a trip into the Whtiney Zone.

Well, after reading everyone's responses to this query, I don't feel so embarrassed in asking the question to begin with, as there were several differing answers. Based upon the responses, it looks like someone could hike up the Main Trail as far as Lone Pine Lake without a permit. Richard Piotrowski, thanks for your photo -- and VersitileFred, thanks for your advice on getting familiar with the Trail ... we will indeed be hiking it in the dark, at least on the way up. Thanks again for your help.