$93 / night

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Nature

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Facilities

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People

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Roads

Established Camping

Whitney Portal

27 Reviews

About

National Forest

Inyo National Forest

Overview

Whitney Portal Campground is in a prime location within the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains - at the base of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States. With hiking trails to Mt. Whitney and the John Muir Wilderness less than a mile away, the campground is a popular home base for hikers, as well as family, RV and tent campers who wish to explore the area's activities and enjoy unparalleled scenery.

Recreation

Hikers are drawn to the majestic scenery and challenging trails of the Whitney Portal recreation area. Nearby trails lead into the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. The campground is only 0.5 miles from trailheads to Mt. Whitney, Meysan Lake and other popular destinations. Visitors should be aware that hiking in this area may require a permit. Visitors can also hike, fish and picnic in the area around the campground. There are numerous lakes, streams and a small pond in the area for trout fishing.

Facilities

Natural Features

The facility is situated in a thick pine forest at an elevation of 8,000 ft. Campers can see striking views of the rugged granite peaks surrounding it. The area is home to abundant wildlife, including black bear, mountain lions, mule deer, pine martin, pika and many species of fish and birds. This campground is especially prone to bear activity.

contact_info

For facility specific information, please call (602) 726-1102.

Nearby Attractions

Campers can enter the John Muir Wilderness, a land of lofty snow-capped mountains, deep canyons and vast expanses of glacially carved terrain, via nearby trails. Mt. Whitney is within the wilderness area and entry is available by lottery for experienced hikers. John Muir Wilderness

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Location

Whitney Portal is located in California

Directions

From U.S. Highway 395 in California, travel to the town of Lone Pine. The campground is 13 miles west of Lone Pine on Whitney Portal Road.

Address

INYO NATIONAL FOREST
Lone pine, CA

Coordinates

36.5898611 N
118.2297778 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Features

For Campers

Market
Trash
Firewood Available
Phone Service
WiFi
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Big Rig Friendly

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$93

/ night

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Candice M.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 25, 2023

Near whits

Nice spot near mount Whitney’s trailhead. Decent bathrooms. Some what of a watching destination from the portal. Small sites

Site38

Month of VisitSeptember

(4) View All

Katie T.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 24, 2022

Magical spot, Gorgeous

The trees against the rocks and blue sky is gorgeous every time you look up. Very cool campsites nestled into the raw nature. We loved it. Didn’t see any bears, used the bear locker and trash cans on site.

Site26

Month of VisitJuly

Gabby G.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2021

Amazing

By far the best campground I've been too.

I was on campsite 044. Really secluded surrounded by trees, close to bathroom and water faucet. The bathrooms are clean and have toilet paper. Right next to a river, where the sound relaxes you. Flat ground for the tent and in no sight of other campers. Close (walking distance) to Mt Whitney Trailhead

Site044

Month of VisitAugust

(9) View All

Esther Y.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 26, 2021

Great access

Camped here in spring when it first opened for the season. COLD and snow flurries, but still such a memorable and great experience. Most sites seem to be well spaced out and good amount of privacy. Lots of sites are along the stream. Great access to Mt Whitney trailhead. Hiked to Lone Pine Lake with my pup (no permits needed and dogs allowed up to here). Lots of snow, spikes were handy.

Site9

Month of VisitMay

Jeremy C.

Scout

Reviewed May. 18, 2021

Camp Site 39

Beautiful area but if your using campsite 39 beware you will need to pack everything in as there is no direct access to the site and hills on both side that provide seclusion but also a rough pack in and out.

Site39

Month of VisitJune

Esther Y.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2020

Trailhead Camping

Great camping spot right next to the trailhead! Come early as many backpackers will camp overnight here before starting their multi day hiking trip. There’s a small store/ cafe here.

C N.

Ranger

Reviewed Dec. 11, 2019

Quaint Little Spot

We explored this in completely unprepared clothing but it was so worth it. Camp spots are right in the middle of the forest, it feels like every campsite is it’s own little mountain. It’s so desolate and quiet here, definitely for those that want to be completely submersed in nature. Fishing is allowed at the portal and there’s a gorgeous waterfall that you can hike throughout, the water is so ice cold its refreshing. There’s a visitors center with additional information, no food but maps and small trinkets to buy. The folks there have been there for decades they say and know the area very well, along with the bears that are regularly seen roaming. Its $24 a night, you can stay up to 7days and the campsite is open from May-Oct. We’ve gone through the months of Sept/Oct and there are some major snow storms that come through during this time! There’s no restrooms, trash dump, or cell service and for the most part people are hard to come by. This is a place that’s far away from most folks, if you want a true get away.

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Vanessa H.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 6, 2019

Great pre-hike spot

Stayed here before our hike to Whitney. Great spot to get acclimated. Next time, I would try to stay here at least 2 days before the hike. I booked the site a week before but in the midst of the season, I’d probably book weeks, if not months in advance for prime availability. Was here the last weekend of September and it was COLD. Great site, friendly camp host, vault toilets, not service for t-mobile but Verizon has some signal. There’s a store for last minute items you might have forgotten. My brother and I hiked the next morning and summited Mt. Whitney. Would definitely stay here again!

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Megan S.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 23, 2019

Great spot for the night before Whitney

This campground is well maintained, there's a store that sells everything you could want, including alcohol. The high elevation makes it a great place to spend the night before hiking Mt. Whitney to get acclimated. There's a waterfall only a couple hundred meters from the sites. Even if you don't have Whitney permits, the hike up to Lone Pine Lake is stunning, just be prepared for snow well into June!

Alan B.

Legend

Reviewed Jun. 30, 2019

Best campground for climbing Mt Whitney in a day!

This campground is right at the trailhead for Mt. Whitney! Because of this the campgrounds do fill up insanely quick! Be sure to book at least 2-3 months out especially during the "climbing" season for Whitney June-Sept. There are all the basic amenities here with the added bonus of a snack bar at the Whitney Portal Store!

Month of VisitJuly

(8) View All

1942overlanders V.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 18, 2018

Love this Place

Visit for the day or stay overnight this is a gorgeous place to visit. At the base if the mountain you’re camping amongst tall pines and a running river falling from above. Visit the store for a souvenir or a breakfast for the hike. Campground is set on a winding amongst the trees with developed sites. Bathroom areas etc Gets busy and is a first come first serve so have a backup plan in the summer.

Andy H.

Ranger

Reviewed Oct. 11, 2018

Great if you are hiking Whitney as a base camp!

this is a great campground to use as a base camp before you summit Whitney. The staff is friendly and helpful and the portal is just a few minutes away with the store and small restaurant. Lone Pine is close about a 10 minute drive away.

Leslie R.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2018

Camp underneath the tallest peak in the lower 48

The Whitney Zone has an other-worldly feel to it. You can start your adventures to this unique place in the High Sierras by camping at the end of the road, just before the trailhead. The elevation is high enough to make it substantially cooler than Lone Pine, and it also has plenty of shade. The drastic climate difference here should acclimate you for even colder weather and altitude, if you're hiking up into the Whitney Zone!

There are plenty of bearboxes, sufficient pit toilets, and it tends to be quiet. Most people who stay here use it as a launch pad to hike into the backcountry early in the day. So, in my experience, you won't run into boisterous parties, and the campground is fairly spread out.

Just a reminder to obtain permits before you head into the Whitney Portal!

Month of VisitJuly

Beau B.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 12, 2018

Whitney Portal in March

Great camp ground. no running water that time of year. Toilets were clean and bear boxes were easily accessible.

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Marissa B.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 17, 2018

Peaceful retreat at the base of the beast

This is a great place to stay a couple of nights if your looking to acclimate a bit before going Mt. Whitney. It's also just a beautiful campground in general. There are hiking trails from the campground itself, a gorgeous river flowing through it and the camp sites are spacious. It is a short drive from the Whitney Portal Store which has the biggest pancakes I've ever seen and if you go the other way, you can easily get to the Alabama Hills or the cute town of Lone Pine. The sites are shaded and there are pit toilets. It's a terrific campground for families or people just looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

Month of VisitAugust

Kathryn C.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 15, 2018

The campground at the base ofba great mountain.

This camp ground is at the base of a very magestic mountain. Because Whitney is the tallest peak in the lower 48, this is a busy area. But it is still very relaxing and beautiful. And the camp host, Bill, is amazing. Very friendly, helpful and patient. The camp ground,itself has a beautiful stream running,through it, which ia stocked periodically with trout. It is close to Whitney portal, alabama hills, onion valley, and many other hiking/backpacking destinations. We took out 7 and 9 year old boys and they had a blast.

I have two issues with the camp ground is the site are small. It took some creativity to get out tent to fit.

George B.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 21, 2018

The beauty above!

There are two camp grounds in the portal. One about half way up and the other at the end of the road before you start your ascent up to one of the tallest mountains on the northern hemisphere!

The camp site that’s half way up has a stream running through it with hand made fire pits and bear cages per camp site. This site is truly stunning while star gazing and watching the sun just kiss the peak of Whitney in the early morning. Truly inspirational to get your day going.

The camp site above is immersed in the tall pine trees that sit right before the rocks take its place because of the lack of oxygen due to the elevation.

A fun area to day hike but if you are planning on going up you will need a permit.

J. S. W.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 2, 2018

Gobsmacked

We parked our rig and looked around and were speechless. Whitney Creek runs through the campground, and the Sierra Nevada mountains rise up all around it. For those hardy souls who want to hike up Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Sierra Nevada range, this is the place to start. For the rest of us, it was just an amazingly beautiful place to spend a couple of nights, do a little fishing and a little hiking. One caveat is that it is at 8,600 feet and the road up from Lone Pine is pretty scary.

Kim N.

Guide

Reviewed May. 21, 2018

Great Spot

One of my favorite campsites that I have been to. I stayed at the Backpackers spots near the entrance of the Portal and the spots were perfect for what I needed before and after I climbed Mt. Whitney. There are plenty of spots for a reasonable $10-15 with plenty of shade and coverage. The surroundings are gorgeous and you could have a great time staying here and just walking around looking at the river and waterfall at the campground. The store at the Portal has great options in terms of food if you do not feel like cooking or if you forget anything. The people inside are also very friendly and willingly to assist you in any way you may need. There are only vault toilets and I did have to filter all my water while there because of E.Coli threat but that just happens sometimes. When there isn't an E.Coli threat they also have showers available for use! For the price however, you can't find a more enjoyable and gorgeous site to camp at. I was a solo female and I felt extremely safe and comfortable. Bonus for the bear lockers by your car!

Month of VisitSeptember

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Cade H.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 23, 2017

A passing fancy

My visit was very brief. This was one campground I visited just to try and find an opening for one night. Just by driving through and cruising the sites, I would stay here for sure, especially during the summer months. This site sees quite a lot of shade and the river is really a sight to see. Just uphill from the campground is the Mt. Whitney trailhead, a small restaurant, a day use area with grills, a small fishing pond, and a very beautiful waterfall.

Wirhout staying here I can tell you to do your reasearch before staying here. The sites are mostly surrounded by large boulders and there isn't much room to park more than one vehicle and maybe one camper. Some sites have barely enough space for one tent so plan accordingly. Some driveways are narrow too because of the boulders. The campground is nestled within the trees so there should be plenty of shade.

I sure will keep this site in my list of places to camp in the future for summer getaways.

Month of VisitJune

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Dave M.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 9, 2017

Whitney Portal great way to beat the valley heat

Had a wonderful time exploring the area of the Alabama Hills below and was a wonderful campsite to beat the heat of the valley, at that time was over 100 degrees. The stream was flowing and had just been load with fish, the campground was open and as well as the store/restaurant. The Burger and Beer was a welcome site after a week in the sierras, the big surprise was breakfast, the single pancake was big enough to feed three people. Do not order the short stack unless you have an army of people to feed. The campsite was kept very clean and well organized, firewood for campfires and an abundance of information about the hike to the top and surrounding areas.

Amber D.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 28, 2016

Take it Easy and Enjoy the Beauty

We aren't big hikers, so our reasons for coming had little to do with the trailheads to the mountain. When my brothers and I were little, we went to Whitney Portal every summer to camp and fish. My father used to get us all set up with hooks and poles early in the morning, just at the perfect time to meet the stock truck. The back of the truck would open and a river of hungry trout would come rushing out, and three little nippers pulling fish out as fast as dad could get the hooks out of them. Camping at Whitney Portal has become much more regulated now, but it's even more beautiful than I remember. The altitude still makes me tired at first, but after a day or so, it wears off and it's easier to enjoy fishing and watching the chipmunks and seeing the stars twinkle in the crisp night air.

It's a bit more primitive than my favorite places to camp, but the beauty makes up for it. Not a fan of vault toilets, but that's how it goes.

Amanda B.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2016

MT Whitney Trail, Lone Pine Lake and Trail Camp, Whitney Portal, CA

We recently backpacked to the summit of MT Whitney. On the way to the summit there are several options for overnight camping. Lone Pine Lake is your first option, about 2.8 miles from the trailhead at Whitney Portal. This is a beautiful little lake, surrounded by pines and imposing granite walls. This is the last place you can camp without a Whitney zone overnight permit. Outpost camp is your next option at mile 3.8. Flat and shady with meandering streams and a waterfall, this is a beautiful place to stop for the night. Trail Camp is located at mile 6.3. Surrounded by tall, jagged granite peaks, and edged by a beautiful alpine lake, Trail Camp is awe inspiring. Trail Camp is about 12,000 ft elevation, so be prepared to camp at high altitude. If you can swing it, taking your time to ascend slowly, and camping along the way for at least a couple of nights will make your MT Whitney experience truly unforgettable.

Tammy H.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 16, 2016

Awe Inspiring

Whitney Portal Campground is located in the Inyo National Forest. It is the access point for anyone to hike / climb Mount Whitney. The campground itself has may RV and tent sites, but reserve plenty in advance as it fills up quick. If you are planning on hiking from the portal they do have one night only campsites for the hikers just outside the parking area at the portal. Just make sure you get a parking pass from the Forest Service office in Lone Pine. On the Trail there are three distinct places to camp. Lone Pine Lake is 2.4 mile is and is a nice unimproved camp area with a beautiful lake. Outpost camp is about another 1.5 miles up and is in a grassy meadow with a stream, also unimproved. The last camp area before summitting is Trail camp. It is 6 miles in from the portal, there is a small lake for a water source (use a filter). This is above tree line and the ground is hard with granite rock, so a tent wont stake. We used rocks instead and tied off with guide lines. This whole area, from the portal campground to the summit is amazing. The portal also has a small store and cafe. Food is awesome, Highly recommend.

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Roberto R.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 29, 2016

MT. Whitney

Out of this world....Started hiking at midnight from the portal making it to 10,000 by 6am....I took my time as it was a beautiful full moon

make sure to get your permit in advance if not go to the ranger station and hope someone cancelled they open at 9 a.m.

You can sleep in your car but they are some basic campgrounds nearby no showers though

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Shannon C.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 25, 2016

Trail Camp via Whitney Portal trail

If you are hiking the highest peak in the conteninal U.S, you have 2 options. You can either hike all 22 grueling miles in one day or break it up into two by camping at Trail Camp. It is located about 6 miles from the Whitney Portal parking area and provides a great base camp for summiting. There is a nice lake to collect water from. Beware of the many marmots that will raid your camp.

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DEREK B.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 31, 2015

Mt. Whitney - 12,000' Camp

Note: This review is for climbing Mt. Whitney and camping at the Outpost Camp @ 12,000' Getting there: From any real city getting to Whitney Portal will take hours and hours on the longest most boring roads in the world. And you better not forget your permit before you get there, because you wont make it through Whitney Portal without it - permits are required to camp or climb Mount Whitney.

Campsites: There are no campsite at the Outpost Camp @ 12,000', you simply pick a spot and set up your tent. Try to find someplace that will be sheltered from the wind and don't set up too close to the water. Have a pre determined place picked out where you want to poop (you MUST have a WAG Bag with you on Whitney - be sure to pick them up before your hike, and carry extra) for going to the bathroom as it is quite rocky and exposed. You don't want to be searching for a spot with a turtle head poking out. Thirsty? Great! The stream has cold delicious water flowing through it, but unless you want to get giardia you better have a filter or iodine tablets. Enjoy!

The Park: It's beautiful, it's treacherous.

What to do: Hike forever and summit Mount Whitney! Try not to die. Look at ALL THE STARS! Try not to freeze to death. Enjoy the view! Try not get Altitude Sickness.