Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board high altitude campsite recommendations?

Just got my permit reservation TODAY for a late July Monday date

But... Whitney Portal campground sites are *already* full (the reservable ones). I'm not a fan of doing the walk-in campsite thing. Are there other sites not too far from Whitney at a high altitude that can be reserved? I planned on two nights pre-hike at high altitude. I can get into Whitney Portal for Sun night, but need a Sat night location.

The usual go-to for acclimatizing is Horseshoe Meadows. Camping and dayhikes over 10K, but, first come first served also. Ive never had a problem finding a site!

The problem is finding a bear locker with enough room to put your stuff in.

Congratulations on your permit and have fun!

I ended up reserving a group site at Whitney Portal since there's likely to be 10 of us anyway...

Try Onion Valley campground or Big Pine Creek. But then you'll have a bit of a drive to get back to Whitney Portal. There are also other equally challenging climbs in the Eastern Sierra, with more campgrounds near the trailhead. (Okay, I know, this is a Whitney forum...)