Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national. A backcountry ranger station is located at rae lakes, as are bear boxes and lots of bears. Onion valley to whitney portal tag mount whitney, the lower 48s highest peak, during this 42mile trek into sequoia national park where theres more acreage of wilderness than youll know what to do with. Immerse yourself in the natural history of the sierra nevada. Turn onto the trail to whitney, following whitney creek and passing the ranger station before joining the john muir trail in 1. Upon approach to lone pine, named for a towering pine that stood over the town in the 1800s, views of mt. Eastern sierra interagency visitor center sierra nevada. Youll come to a wooden fence that looks like youre not supposed to pass, but we do. The white mountain ranger station visitor center is open mondayfriday, 8. For more information see deciphering the inyo national forest permit system.
The ultimate guide to backpacking from onion valley to. Mono county shares that they will be starting to clear the rock creek road to the pack station in the next week. When planning out our high sierra trail logistics, on our sixth day we initially aimed on hiking nearly 12 miles all the way through from junction meadow to guitar lake at the western base of mt whitney. If its really important to you to start from whitney portal then yes, a midweek start date will have better odds than a weekend one. Inyo county reports that they are starting to clear roads. Nancy muleadymecham for a once in a lifetime chance to learn all about these mountains and the nature within them. Bishop ca 93514 760873 2500 mammoth ranger station p. Home forums campfire posttrip reports horseshoe meadow to whitney portal 820 to 824. On my jmt hike, my friend brad and i took 22 days to hike the trail, and we resupplied three times, including stops at reds meadow, muir trail ranch, and onion valley. And finally, if all else fails or youre just spontaneous, you have the option of a walk up permit.
The walkin permit process is pretty straightforward. Whitney from the west side and explore the sequoiakings canyon national parks and the golden trout wilderness. Mount whitney ranger station is a cultural feature building in inyo county. Inyo national forest inyo county sheriffs office major rockfall. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national forest, sequioa national forest, mammoth lakes city concierge, a guide to the mammoth mountain resort, skiing, fishing, hiking and all sports, travel, lodging and real estate information for active vacations. We drove first to parchers resort at south lake, near bishop. It takes around 21 to reach lone pine to whitney portal. John muir and pacific crest trails yosemite national park. Whitney portal, whitney portal trailhead, cottonwood lakes pass trailhead, horseshoe meadow equestrian. Crescent meadow to whitney portal is a 59 mile heavily trafficked pointtopoint trail located near three rivers, california that features a lake and is rated as difficult.
If you begin at whitney portal, in inyo national forest on the east side of the sierra nevada, you should apply for a mt. Eventually, you make it to the uphill part which consists of a series of switchbacks over a pass near mount guyot. We are closely monitoring the situation and working with our participating agencies to respond to current conditions. They are doing a lot of construction on the portal road so i wouldnt bet on being able to park on the curb. Updates on road and campground openings in inyo national. Whitney traveling west to east and exiting at whitney portal. There is a ranger station there across the river, and we thought it would be a good idea to stop in and. Deciphering the inyo national forest permit system ingas. All five of us hiked together, which was the first day my wife and i had company on our hiking day. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national forest.
The eastern sierra interagency visitor center is located at the junction of us highway 395 and state route 6, one mile south of lone pine. Mt whitney trail condition reports from the folks who live and work on the mountain. During other times, a selfissued wilderness permit is required which can be made at the mount whitney ranger station in lone pine, not at whitney portal see mountain conditions section below for the ranger station address. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree. Cottonwood pass trail to whitney portal hiking trail, lone. The whitney portal road, a turn west at lone pines only stop light, will take you up to 8300 feet to the portal where there is a store and restaurant, a pond and a magnificent waterfall tumbling out of the sierra nevada mountains.
Beyond lone pines city center is the whitney portal trail that leads to the summit of mt. Main street bishop, ca 93514 7608732500 open 85 dailyclosed winter weekends holidays mammoth lakes welcome center 2500 main street mammoth lakes, ca 93546 760 9245500 open 85 daily. Whitney ranger district is the southernmost district in the inyo. Leaving from independence on the eastern sierra, the onion valley trailhead is a popular alternative to whitney portal as a means to get to the summit of whitney. There are two trails that begin here that can connect you to the jmt near mt. Substantial snowfall from an atmospheric river event in midjanuary has led to a major rock fall on whitney portal road, causing significant damage to an approximately 100foot stretch of road. At the eastern sierra visitor center you can view mt. The increased number of jmt hikers has made it difficult for nonjmt hikers to get wilderness permits for other trails within yosemite national park. Devils postpile ranger station is closed for the season. The uphill is relentless for a while and feels like it will never end. Then there will be a short time enjoying the view and i will enjoy the walk back down, making it back to whitney portal about an hour after dark. The sierra nevada is a mountain range in the western united states, between the central valley of california and the great basin. There is a ranger station in lone pine you should stop by and get a parking permit. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger station sequoia national park, california.
This is a good place to have a resupply, as it is only 8 miles to reach the jmt from onion valley. To find the driving direction from lone pine to whitney portal which is 18 by road, click on show directions after entering start and end locations in the calculator control. Box 148 mammoth lakes, ca 93546 7609245500 mono lake ranger station p. Whitney allowing you to hike the entire jmt, cottonwood lakes trail and cottonwood pass. Looking at the map and calculating, i knew it was a relatively short distance, only the elevation gain was considerable. Mineral king to whitney portal, july 2014 day 6 7 day 6 was my big climb to discovery pinnacle from crabtree lakes.
Went on past the lower meadow and to the ranger station. October 17, 2019 lone pine, ca on our way to death valley. Cottonwood lakes to whitney portal mount langley, mount muir, and mount whitney. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, ice climbing, and backpacking and is best used from april until october. The day before my hike i relaxed, hung out at whitney portal and reserved my energy.
Whitney ranger district us forest service lone pine. The eastern sierra visitor center in lone pine is open daily from 8. Most jmt hikers will make the full push from guitar lake down to whitney portal, but there is the option to camp at trail camp or outpost camp on the way down. Whitney day use permit overnight permit for the mt. The lot does fill up pretty quick, so the earlier you get up there the more likely you are to get a spot. In contrast, from the front, whitney portal, side, the summit is 11.
We enjoyed an extremely leisurely breakfast at crabtree before breaking camp around 10 a. If you continue north on this loop you will tun off the jmt at piute creek and head to north lake. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Keep in mind that it can get very cold and windy as you ascend, so be prepared for that and also for the possible weather changes. At the store, we keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors. Mount whitney ranger station cultural feature building in inyo county. It is all geared to protect the forest while allowing as much traffic as it can take before they deteriorate. This unique facility is operated by federal, state and local governmental agencies. I have gotten a last minute overnight permit from whitney portal on a thursday to hike it on saturday. Crabtree ranger station map tulare county, california. We planned a trip from bishop pass to whitney portal, so the first day of our vacation was logistical. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental u.
Once you pass sandy meadow, you will find the trail to crabtree meadow and the crabtree ranger station. You can also check the whitney portal store message board for people who have extra openings on their permits. The whitney portal area is not part of the wilderness and contains developed campgrounds, a store, a fishing pond, and picnic area. Whitney pack trains, offers riding and hiking trips originating at cottonwood pack station. Lone pine ranger station lone pine, california local. Usfs campgrounds listed here are within the mt whitney ranger station district. They are building a new ranger station and they have a temporary one set up just past a pit toilet a quarter mile from the trail. The mt whitney permit process for backpackers campsite vibes. May 18, 2017 new campground openings in inyo for the weekend. Others just like to camp at the trailhead to acclimate, as it is at 9200. Lone pine, ca 93545 7608766200 white mountain ranger station 798 n. Turn up canyon toward mount whitney, passing out of the trees at timberline lake and finally stopping at our camp above guitar lake.
Forest service inyo national forest and inyo county sheriffs office major rockfall on whitney portal road spring reopening may be delayed. Box 749 lone pine, california 93545 760 8764444 eastern sierra interagency visitors center 760 8766222. Your permit does not cover overnight stays in this area. Whitney ranger district, po box 8, lone pine, ca 93545, 7608766200, for additional information about this trailhead. The ranger even listed the camp sites for me on the application. I think a better option would be to start from horseshoe meadow, hike to crabtree ranger station near the jmtpct junction via cottonwood pass or cottonwood lakes trail.
From whitneys summit its 11 miles and 6,000 feet of descent to whitney portal via trail crest. Whitney ranger district inyo nf big pineindependencelone pine area. The ranger station your ultimate ford ranger resource since. John muir trail resupply and meal planning are some of the most difficult parts about getting ready for your thruhike. You go to the ranger station and pick up permits if they have any left over. There we checked in and left dennis and mary to enjoy the afternoon. Inyo forest wilderness permits reservations are accepted up to six months in advance of the date of entry for all trails except the main mt. Climbing mount whitney via the cottonwood lakes trailhead. Went to the ranger station and got a new permit which included a whitney exit permit that afternoon for the next day. Updates on road and campground openings in inyo national forest, mammoth and whitney portal areas.
Join fulbright scholar and retired national park ranger dr. They report snow of course and rockslides that will need to be cleared, so there is substantial work ahead. Whitney trail is by lottery during the month of february. Hiking the high sierra trail junction meadow to crabtree. Although, id check with the ranger station before setting out. If you have a reservation at a location that closes, youll receive an email with more. State of the inyo national forest update sierra wave. Eastern sierra interagency visitor center is the only location issuing the following permits. I flew in on a wednesday into vegas and rented a car. Located on the eastside of californias beautiful sierra nevada mountains, the mt whitney trail starts in inyo national forest at whitney portal, 8,300 feet above. Each day is full on and at high altitudes, but it affords you amazing views along the john muir trail plus you get to cross over 3 diffe. Here is the long overdue report on the bishop pass trailhead. Inyo county roads reports that they have made excellent progress on the whitney portal road. Note that camping is restricted to one night between woods creek and glen pass for jmt hikers.
Whitney approaching from the west and returning to the jmtpct vs exiting mt. To reach the trailhead from lone pine, which is the nearest city, turn left on whitney portal rd. Hiking the high sierra trail junction meadow to crabtree meadow. Certain areas in mono county and the inyo national forest require permits. Signed permit must be in group leaders possession during the trip and must be presented to rangers upon request. They will move the closure uphill to the middle gate for this weekend and estimate that the road will be open on 426 for fishing opener. Nov 01, 2018 high sierra trail day 6 crabtree ranger station to guitar lake sequoia national park, california. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states and plan. Cottonwood pack station hiking with pack stock, mt. Provides transportation to trailheads including whitney portal, onion valley. Over the last several years, yosemite national park has noted a significant increase in demand for permits to hike the john muir trail jmt. Permits are required for ascending the trail and are available on line or at the mt. If you only have one vehicle, youll need to use a shuttle to arrange transportation from the end of the hike at mt.
Box 429 lee vining, ca 93541 7606473044 sierra national forest. Then youll pass a ranger station which is a great spot for a snack. Oct 30, 2018 high sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger station sequoia national park, california. A light covering of new snow mostly falling on fri afternoontemperatures will be well below freezing max 8c on sat afternoon, min 17c on fri morningwinds decreasing strong winds from the ne on fri night, moderate winds from the nw by sat night. Inyo national forest eastern sierra visitor center. Overnight permit for the north fork of lone pine creek trail. High sierra trail day 6 crabtree ranger station to guitar. Camping in the lone pine area lone pine chamber of commerce. Our sixth day on the high sierra trail was kind of as casual as it gets and as beautiful as it gets. The primary coordinates for mount whitney ranger station places it within the ca 93545 zip code delivery area. Getting a permit starting from whitney portal is very. Sierra nevada is situated 3 miles northeast of crabtree ranger station. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The trail drops you right at the ranger station in beautiful le conte canyon.
Whitney portal message board hiking conditions, reports. Lone pine is the landscape, and the landscape is lone. This trip is operated by rock creek pack station dba as mt. So we decided to chance it and drive up to the eastern sierra death valley ranger station in lone pine for walkin permits. The whitney portal store, located miles west of lone pine, lies next to the mount whitney trail head and has operated by permit from the inyo national forest since 1987. Trail camp out whitney portal about 8 miles follow the mount whitney trail east from. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger.
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