Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Hikes from portal campground?

Are there any good hikes you can take from the portal area that don't require a permit? How far if at all can I go up the main trail without a permit?

The Whitney Zone begins just past Lone Pine Lake. About 2.8 miles from the Portal, feels like much more at the end of a Whitney dayhike.

Past the cabins and up onto the Meysan Lakes Trail...

It gets warm (I don't do well in warm situations), so you may want to start up early. It's a lot of work, and some cross-crounty, to get all the way up to Meysan, but it is gorgeous up there.

The national recreational trail, which runs from the portal down to Lone Pine Campground, 4 miles 3120 feet elevation loss, one way top to bottom. First part in forest along stream, second part more open.

or up the north fork and e-ledges all the way to lower boy scout...

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5130080.pdf