Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Aclimatization

Hi,

4 of us are hiking up Mt. Whitney in one day on the 4th. We are staying at a hotel in Lone Pine, but will have all day the day before to aclimatize and are looking for suggestions on where to spend the day. We don't plan to hike, just read and relax. Do we need another permit if we want to spend time at the Whitney Portal? Is there a picnic area there?

You don't need a permit to hang out at the portal, only once you get a few miles up the trail. There is a nice pond, waterfall and some picnic tables outside near the portal store.

As noted in <A href="http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002363">FAQ</A> and other posts, you do not need a permit to day hike up to Lone Pine Lake or to Meysan Lake from the Portal. It is a good idea to day hike up the lower part of the main trail (up to Lone Pine Lake) before your big hike, to get familiar with the trail in daylight conditions.

You can also go up to Horseshoe Meadow and day hile up Cottonewood Pass to Chicken Springs Lake, or just hang out at altitude in the campground, then drive over to the Portal for the world's best cheeseburgwer.