Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board White Mountain

Can you car camp at White Mountain or after a small hike? I am also looking into Horseshoe Meadow but know they have a limited amount of sites. This would be for Saturday July 2nd.

I have seen several people camping and car camping at the White Mountain trailhead - depending on when you're planning on going, there may still be snow blocking the road there..

Yes, subject to the caveat the other poster noted about road conditions, you can park at the White Mountain trailhead and camp. There is even a pit toilet. If you want to use a campstove, you need an Inyo County campfire permit.

July 4th, is there a limit to camping or does anything go? I can pick up the permit when I get my Whitney permit correct?

thanks for the tips

No permit needed to camp at the White Mountain trailhead, just to use a stove. A California Campfire permit is easy to pick up in a variety of places (including the Interagency Visitor Center in Lone Pine, good for a year I think. More info is here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110504&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003765&navid=160130000000000&pnavid=160000000000000&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Inyo%20National%20Forest-%20Other%20Permits. There's plenty of space at the trailhead, don't worry about getting a space, provided you can navigate the road.... The trailhead is at altitude, so sleeping can be a challenge.

Are you saying I need 4 wheel drive to get to the trail head?

It depends on the condition of the road. You should contact the Rangers in the White Mountain District office for an update. Last year it was passable for most 2 wheel drive vehicles, but the past winter may have left it a little rough. The majority of the road, past the Bristlecone Pines, is dirt/gravel.

KAC49

You have two issues: snow, and the condition of the road.

Snow. I don't know if snow is an issue right now on the road -- the Rangers could tell you.

Road condition. The issue is less 2WD vs 4WD than it is clearance -- the more clearance you have, the better -- although this early in the season there may also be a 4WD issue. The lab has to do work on the road each year before their open house (which is the first Sunday in August). So, if you have an ordinary car, the best time to go is when they have completed that work. Even after they do that work, the road is a tough ride in a low clearance vehicle, although I did it last year in a Volvo station wagon, and we saw a number of little Hondas, Subarus and the like successfully navigating the road. This early, I doubt they have done that work, though the rangers may be able to tell you. So it may not be passable in a low clearance car right now, and there may be 4WD challenges.

Thanks for all the updates!

Same road, different question. I am planning on camping one night at one of the two camping areas along the road up to the Bristlecone area. Is there water available at either/both of those sites or should I bring whatever I will need. I assume the same info applies about getting a permit to use a camp stove. I understand that camping is free, donations requested.

No water available at Grandview Campground. I don't think water is available anywhere in that area.

KAC49

I don't think you need a campfire permit at Grandview, though you may want to confirm with the Forest Service. Generally, if you are at a developed campground, you do not need a campfire permit. The White Mountain trailhead is not a developed campground, so you have to have a permit. I believe that the Forest Service considers Grandview a developed campground, in which case you would not need a permit, but you may want to confirm with them. It is listed as a campground in their webpage, and there are tables and firerings (no water). See http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTSw8jAwgAykeaxcN4jhYG_h4eYX5hPgYwefy6w0H24dcPNgEHcDTQ9_PIz03VL8iNMMgycVQEAIzTHkw!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfME80MEkxVkFCOTBFMktTNUJIMjAwMDAwMDA!/?ss=110504&ttype=recarea&recid=20268&actid=29&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=110130000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&cid=FSE_003705&pname=Inyo+National+Forest+-+Grandview+Campground

The road is kept in good condition because of the White Mountain Research Station but not to say the road can't be bad. I've made it up there in a low slung T-Bird.

There area that always seems to be a problem with the condition of the road just after the Patriarch Grove turn off. It's steep and rough, usually.

Lot'sa marmots up at the Trailhead. You will see some chicken wire that people have used to protect hoses, I've never have had a problem but you can forget AAA sending a tow truck if you do.

Kevin, I know that you probably already climbed the White Mtn. peak but I wanted to let other Whitney climbers in training know about the drive to the White Mtn. Trail head. On July 3rd, our Toyota 2WD made it to the trailhead and we parked next to a rental car sedan.  The road cuts through more snow drifts than this time last year. Also, there weren't any ruts that would leave you high centered. But those conditions can change with the melting snow.  The waddling, yellow bellied marmots seemed contented and aren't chewing engine wires.  The trail at the top is snowed over and a scramble up through 100 yards of scree is required.  

On another note, The Patriarch Grove parking lot is closed due to a snow drift blocking the entrance about a 1/4 mile in.

Hi All! I have a question please. How long does it take to drive from Big Pine to the Parking Area for White Mountain?

I Thank you.

maybe 3 hrs? Seems like it's 2 hrs from the Patriarch Grove down to Big Pine -
the road is paved only to Schulman Grove and rough dirt from there onward - not too bad to Patriarch Grove, 13 miles, but then it gets skinny and not well traveled up and over Sheep Mtn. to the locked gage - figure an hour at least from Schulman to the gate. Drive carefully - lots of sharp rocks, slate, dolomite, etc.

Thank you very much! That helps!