## 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

 The campground is adjacent to Whitney Creek and just down the road from Trailhead Campground. Numerous campsites are arranged on either side of the creek, including three group camping areas and several tent-only sites. Paved roads, vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Bears frequent the area, and campers are required to use the bear-proof food storage lockers provided in the facility (all supplies must fit; dimensions are 18 inches high, 18 inches deep and 50 inches long). Firewood is available for purchase on-site, and a small convenience store with showers is nearby.
## 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. 
## 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][1] 
## contact\_info

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

[1]: http://sierrawild.gov/wilderness/john-muir

Whitney Portal

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!

Camp underneath the tallest peak in the lower 48

*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. 


Mt. Whitney - 12,000' Camp

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.

Trail Camp via Whitney Portal trail

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 

MT. Whitney 

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. 

Awe Inspiring

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.  

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

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. 

Whitney Portal great way to beat the valley heat

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.

A passing fancy

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!

Great Spot

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. 

Gobsmacked

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. 

The beauty above!

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

Whitney Portal in March

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.

Great if you are hiking Whitney as a base camp!

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!

Best campground for climbing Mt Whitney in a day!

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!

Great spot for the night before Whitney

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! 

Great pre-hike 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.

Quaint Little Spot

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. 

Trailhead Camping 

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.

Great access

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

Amazing 

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.  

Magical spot, Gorgeous 

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



