Proceed cautiously on this 21.2-mile out-and-back trail near Lone Pine, California. Generally considered a highly challenging route, it should only be attempted by experienced adventurers. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are April through October. You'll need to leave pups at home — dogs aren't allowed on this trail.
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Whitney is incredible. Plan accordingly, plan early, and do not underestimate the strength of yourself or your group. To anyone that may read this, I lost a very sentimental article of clothing on Whitney. Brown ball cap, beat to hell. Fell out of my pack around the switchbacks. If someone has it, or finds it, I will gladly pay a reward. Good luck on your path, it’s worth it.
Jan 19-20: Whitney Portal road is “closed”, but gates are open, meaning your insurance won’t cover damage to your car, you may not get towing service, etc. Regardless I was able to drive up to the portal parking, there were a rocks in the road and few very slick spots toward the top that I had to ride the rumble strips for more sure traction. This may change with any new storms. The trail was pretty easy to navigate and mostly hardpacked enough for snowshoes through trail camp. Much caution is warranted at the ridge before trail camp - use of crampons, ice axe, helmet required. The ridge is largely covered by snow so I did snow shoe the lower angled section below the ridge coming back down which seemed ok, but was cautious about potential avalanche from above, though the angle was lower. After trail camp, I planned to traverse the snow/ice chute up to trail crest then saw the cable section and had the idea that taking the trail might be safer, in my naivety. WRONG. I scarcely made it to the cables section barely gripping the corners of slick rock on the way up. After seeing the section after the cables I didn’t understand what the cable hype was all about- the next section sure could have used some given what looked like a 200 ft cliff of unforgiving exposure and hardly any trail uncovered by snow. I followed the trail until the top straight section where I decided to take the ice route up to Discovery Pinacle which seemed more forgiving & grippy than the trail at that point. It was shortly after nightfall by then and the winds were really picking up (30-40 mph est) so I cowboy camped the night at the top with ambitions to summit Whitney in the morning. The forecast did show there would be about 4 inches of snowfall that night & Saturday and 10 mph of wind which I was ok with. It ended up being about that much snow, 10F and about 50+mph winds on the ridge in random directions, so -17F wind chill and not much visibility in the morning. Considering the difficulty of navigating in those conditions still ongoing in the morning, and not wanting to get blown off a ridge seen or unseen, I decided it best to descend, this time down the chute. The snow was wind loaded on the far side, and fortunately the southern side nearest me had a nice textured ice path the whole way down. I felt manageably secure with my G12s and axe, mostly shuffle walking down, sometimes getting on my toes. The rest of the way to the trailhead was fairly straight forward with some spots covered by the fresh snow that I had to navigate. Challenging, a bit nerve racking at times, and still rewarding
Jan 11: Couldn’t make it to the top Trail camp was pretty doable provided you have all the appropriate gear (snowshoes a must) but once there, I couldn’t make out any trail leading further due to the snow. Road leading up wasn’t too bad either, some light snow and ice with falling rocks starting to gather.
DNF, January 4th, a day after a hard snow. Snow was up to our chest at times, decided to push through and made it all the way to mirror lake had to turn back due to vibes being down and overall unprepared for the deep snow. If you’re as nuts as we are and still send it would recommend gators as a need and to spend a day or two in lone pine or to get used to the elevation. I gave two stars for the condition of the trail only cause of the snow almost all of the trial inside the Whitney zone was covered with snow without all trails downloaded you would probably get lost. All and all one of the most beautiful trails and place ever been. Doing this hike in January is for a special kind of savage which we will be back to claim the title. It’s almost not as satisfying climbing in summer.
Honestly not too bad of a hike as long as conditions haven't changed too much since Wednesday 12/13. I solo hiked it starting around 3am and finished around 4pm with an hour spent on the summit. I used spikes for maybe a mile total on the entire hike probably not even that. The trail is still easy enough to follow until the last .25 miles to the summit where it disappears into a sheet of ice. I did fine with microspikes but I'd definitely recommend cramp ons for that section. It was pretty clear skys and a beautiful view. Didn't run into anybody else on the trail.
PHEW! What a hike. We did not plan on hiking this and just stopped in Lone Pine on our trip to the coast. We heard about Mt. Whitney and within a few hours had decided to hike it! After reading through the reviews, we were honestly very intimidated about the entire hike. Almost didn’t do it because of how scary parts of it sounded but SO HAPPY we did it anyway. All we brought along on the journey were warm clothes, some snacks, water, poles & hikes (did not need helmet, ropes, or anything more intense in our opinion). We started a little before 5am and finished that day around 6pm. We stopped to make some lunch on the way up and it was amazing! Caught a beautiful sunrise & sunset, the best! We do hike often, but have never done anything higher than about 11,000ft elevation. We used our spikes less than half of the hike but there was a bit of snow and for sure some slick areas! Honestly, the way down felt much worse than heading up because it never ended HAHA. My phone did die about 4 miles from the end, so it did not record the entire hike which was a bummer. Highly recommend this hike!! Challenging but worth every mile. Follow our instagram to see more of our Skoolie travels & hikes! Happy summit!! @thelestersadventures
Summited solo Nov 21, left 4AM back 4PM. Definitely still fair conditions, but it's getting icier and snowier up there. Above 12k feet, you've got fresh snow in many spots and up to 3 feet of snow in places. Some minor postholing before and after the Trail Crest. Would highly recommend small spikes and poles for most of the trail, and crampons above 12k feet. I also had to use an ice axe to get up the final ice field, but I saw other folks finding routes around it on the rocks so not required.
Summited 11/9. Started at 2, back to the car at 2. Epic conditions. No wind, a little cold, but righteously conducive to rapid walking. A little bit of ice on the switchbacks above trail camp, but those sections are positively navigable if you possess trekking poles, microspikes, or robust fortitude/risk tolerance. Happy walking homies.
Summitted on 11/3/23. Epic day on a bucket list hike. Was the first to summit this morning, hit the trail head around 3:45 and topped out around 9:30 AM; approximately 5 1/2 hours. Was on the switchbacks when the sun rose, practically no wind and not a cloud in the sky. Epic views from Trail crest and of course the summit. Stood on top for nearly 30 minutes before the next person arrived. An unforgettable day on the trail.
Hiked on 11/3/2023. Though the scenery is amazing, the hike is annoyingly very long. It feels as it never ends! I hiked the Grand Canyon, RTR, and Half Dome as a day trip, but this is at a whole new level. I just wouldn't recommend it for those under prepared, like me! I planned my trip two days before the hike. It took me 9 hours , starting at 0030. Cold and windy night , then 6 hours back, with knee started to swell going downhill. Dress in layers and have enough water , if you drink a lot. Otherwise, the water might be an extra load on your back (like me again). I just wouldn't do it again for its length. I would prefer doing Mt. Everest base hike!
Summited on 11/4. Started the hike at 4am and came back to the parking lot at 4pm. Summited at 11 am. Conditions were fantastic. Good amount of ice on the 99 switchbacks I would recommend micro spikes and poles to keep your balance. On the final push from the ridge to the summit the main trail is covered in snow and ice so follow the rock cairns to the right of the trail and the will lead you up to the summit. Plenty of water sources from trail camp down so pack a filter to refill your bottles. Loved the presence of Inyo County search and rescue at the trail head the whole day. 10/10 would recommend!
trail conditions for the most part below switch backs were awesome. There were two very icy sections of the switchback where microspikes barely help -- I ended up getting across with the help of an ice axe. Above trail crest, the wind was hammering all day nonstop. Me+my backpack prob weigh close to 200lb, near the notches I was getting blown around. The normal route to the summit is covered by ice field. Follow the rock Cairns before the ice field to go up. Remember where to turn on the way down, following the obvious path will lead to the ice field (not fun). I did that and had to head back up to backtrack to the correct path.
Summited 11/4 with mild temps ~40F and mild wind. Started at 3:30am and took 13.5 hours. Highly recommend starting the hike with headlamps off to take in the stars and Mountain View’s. This was the first time I did that and there’s no going back. Big AMS. Make sure to take aspirin. I would also bring water filter bc I finished my gallon of water and was miserable on the way down. Micro spikes were awesome but not used by all. Totally worth it and easier than some of the reviews made it out to be. Be prepared for a slog.
Hiked today, Nov 4. Started at 4 and was back at the car at 6 (14hrs) Beautiful sunny day. A little icy in spots on the 99 switchbacks so micro spikes will make your life easier. I took them and was glad I had them. That said, I did see people without them.
Summited 11/4/23. Started at 1:30 am, peak at 9:30 am, stayed until 10 am, back to car a little before 4:30 pm. Approximately 15 ish hours total. Excellent hike, would highly recommend for anyone up for a challenge. Spikes aren’t completely necessary as there are only 2 snow/ice crossings. (1. 3/4 of the way up the switchbacks, 2. Last of the 99 switchbacks). Can get by without them if necessary. Weather is no joke, do not underestimate people’s warnings. Thankfully the shed at the peak provided much needed protection. Bring layers, gloves, and something to cover your face. Altitude wasn’t much of a problem for myself but my friend hadn’t trained as much at altitude so it was a little bit tougher for him, so be weary. Overall, glad to have checked it off the list. Amazing experience, memories, and feeling of accomplishment. Good luck to anyone else attempting a summit for the rest of the year before snowfall.
Summited on Sunday, 10/29. Insanely cold, but epic trip. Camped at the portal on Friday night, hiked to Outpost (3.5 miles) on Saturday and camped there. Summited and hiked back to Outpost on Sunday (14 miles). Hiked out from Outpost to the portal on Monday (3.5 miles). A few notes: - Lots of people/groups bailed during the weekend after camping at Trailcamp. It was just far too cold (single digits at night) and windy. The difference between Outpost (10,000 ft) and Trailcamp (12,000 ft) was at least 10 degrees. - Spikes were definitely necessary during our weather window. Lots of ice at the cables and a large snow/ice field at the top of the switchbacks before Trailcrest. Big snowfield at the summit but carins guide you around it. - Tons of water sources were available, but our filters kept freezing (20ish for most of the time we were there). Boiled water as our main source instead. - Wind was going nuts near Trailcrest and at the summit. Super super cold. Overall epic trip. Incredible mountain, beautiful views, a bucket-list hike and a real adventure. Will do this one again…but in the summer!
Began at 3:30, back to car at 10 pm. Definitely took our time with breaks for food, water, and taking in the scenery. Would’ve started earlier if I did this hike again, the last 7 miles back to the car in the dark were not fun. The hardest and most rewarding hike I have ever done! Definitely bring spikes and water filters!!
Frequently asked questions about Mount Whitney Trail
What are some of the facilities available for Mount Whitney Trail?
How to get to Mount Whitney Trail?
What is the expected weather this week for Mount Whitney Trail?
- Fri, April 26 - 54 degrees/partly cloudy/wind
- Sat, April 27 - 61 degrees/sunny
- Sun, April 28 - 66 degrees/sunny
- Mon, April 29 - 70 degrees/sunny
- Tue, April 30 - 70 degrees/sunny
