Heather, it will require 4 separate lottery applications to put in 60 different entry dates. The new on-line lottery application screen only allows fifteen specific dates to be entered, with NO date ranges. I sure hope they change that next year!

Each of those 4 lottery applications will cost you a non-refundable $6 service charge.

And then, if more than one of them is successful, you will be charged $15 per hiker, and that is non-refundable. You can see why changing to date ranges is important.

In 2011, there was a 53% success rate. See this post:   Whitney Lottery Progress - as of March 31 2011

I believe in other river-trip lotteries carried by the same reservation service, there is about a 20% success rate.

As for Mt Whitney, there are many no-shows and some cancellations. So lots of people go without permits, show up at the IAVC (Visitor Center 1 mile south of Lone Pine), and ask for those. Most people are successful with those, either for the same day or the next. Since you need to acclimate to the altitude before climbing Whitney, the extra day gives you the time. Here's our Unused Permits information:
    Unused Whitney Permits for 2011

Edit: I have updated the above to reflect that you can enter up to 15 choices rather than 10 on each application.

Also, this is IMPORTANT: If the website pops up a request for your opinion on the site, please take the opportunity to comment. And ALWAYS write something like this:

We need to be able to enter a RANGE OF DATES on every choice in the Mt Whitney Lottery.

Last edited by Steve C; 02/01/12 07:00 AM.