How to Get a Permit to Hike Mt. Whitney

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Because hiking to Mt. Whitney–-the tallest peak in the lower 48 states–-is so popular, a permit is required during the busy good-weather months: May 1 to November 1. You conceivably could hike to the peak in other months, but be advised, it snows A LOT up on Whitney, at 14, 497 feet. In fact, it can snow ANY month up there and it has. But if you’d like to hike when your chances of good weather are better, here are the steps.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

The application from http://fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/whitneylottery.shtml
Your check book, a money order or a credit card number.
An envelope
A self-addressed stamped postcard
Your calendar
A designated leader
The number of the folks in your hiking group

Step1

Fill out the application ACCURATELY AND LEGIBLY. Once you put it in the mail, there is no Mr. Nice Guy at the U.S. Forest Service to intercept YOUR envelope among dozens to fill in what you left out. Have someone else proof the application.

Step2

Figure out possible dates you can do the hike. Your permit begins on the day you START hiking--not the days you’re camping at Whitney Portal the nights before.

Step3

Maximum group size is 15 hikers–-but a smaller group can increase your chances of getting in if reservations are getting tight, so weigh this.

Step4

Make your check or money order out to USDA Forest Service–-it’s $15 per hiker. Credit cards are also accepted. The fee is due when the reservation is received not AFTER your application is "pulled out of the hat."

Step5

Mail it in February. February 1 is when the “postmark” date opens. You cannot mail it BEFORE then. Express mail is fine–-as long as it has the February postmark. All applications coming in before February 15 will be “stirred together” to be considered equally, so no, you don’t have to drive to Lone Pine to mail your application from there to guarantee it arrives on February. 2.

Step6

Include either a “receipt requested” from the post office or a self-addressed, stamped postcard so you know your application arrived safely.

Step7

Applications that come in after February 15 are still considered if there is space. They are “stirred together” into the ongoing lottery at the end of each business day. Even if your application arrives in March, if it was post marked in February, it could still be in the running.

Step8

Response is via mail by early April. If you didn’t nab a permit, your unsuccessful application will be returned to you.

Tips & Warnings

Send only one application per hiking group. DO NOT send multiple applications to try and “increase your chance” of getting a hiking spot. If all of your applications are picked, you are liable for all of them–-you can’t sell them to someone else or get a refund by backing out.
Include alternate dates–as many as you can–-this increases your shot at getting a permit.
Specify entry dates in a time period rather than just a single date(s).
Have alternate leaders in mind in case the leader can’t do the hike.
If you’ve missed the lottery and April has rolled around, check the Mt. Whitney availability calendar.
If your trip starts on another trail in the Inyo National Forest, you can reserve six months in advance of your entry date (hooray!). Be aware, those hikes are very difficult.
For those trips that start elsewhere but will end on the main Mt. Whitney Trail, you’ll need a Trail Crest Exit permit. These can be issued six months in advance (hooray!) but there IS a quota and you’re limited to one night or less in the Mt. Whitney Zone. If you’re starting in Yosemite or Sequoia / Kings Canyon, the Trail Crest exit space does not apply.
If you want to hike November 2 through April 20, try the standard Inyo National Forest Wilderness Permit Application.
Check out the info for these alternatives at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/howto.shtml
Do not fax or phone to get in the Whitney lottery.
Day hike permits cannot be used for overnight trips and vice versa.
There is no such thing as a rain check due to bad weather (or in the case of Whitney, snow or ice check). Be ready to hike no matter what the weather-–but if it turns dangerous-–blizzard conditions or a thunder and lightning storm-–TURN AROUND AND COME BACK DOWN.