Oh wow! So you are saying, if I showed up on Tuesday, September 20th, and I needed 4 days (just to be sure) to reach the summit, I'm pretty much okay just to show up and go?
Thanks in advance.
Well, you need to "show up" at the Visitor Center, a mile south of Lone Pine on the turn-off to Death Valley, the morning of, or the day before, you want to start your hike. IF they have any no-shows or unused permits, they give those to walk-in people like you. From those Unused Permits numbers I have posted, you can see there are practically ALWAYS some available.
The quotas are used to limit the number of people starting on a particular date. There is no restriction on the number of days you need to complete the hike.
> Can I ask, how far is "Trail Camp" from the summit?Trail Camp is 4,000' higher than the Trail Head, and 2,000' below the summit. It is 6 miles from the trail head, and 5 miles from the summit.
If you are hiking slowly, due to the thinner air the higher you go, I think you should try to start up from Trail Camp about 4 AM. That way you could be well-able to make the summit before noon. That gives you more hours to return to camp, plus a cushion in case you have any trouble.
