Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Meysan Lake, Lone Pine Lake,LBC Permits?

Are permits needed to dayhike to Meysan Lake; or to camp overnight at Lone Pine Lake? Inyo Forest Service site indicates a quota on Meysan lake/trail; however I haven't read of any mention of a permit needed.
Lone Pine Lake is at the Whitney area boundry; so is a permit needed to camp overnight? Lower Boy Scout Lake seems to fall into the same grey area. One can day hike to LBS w/o a Whitney permit; but can one camp there? Its an option on the NF overnight permit on recreation.gov; so I'm confused.

I'm looking to do familiarization hikes or options if I can't get walk-in permits in late July or August; and these three destinations work great.

Lone Pine Lake - If you dayhike to LPL, no permit is needed. If you spend the night, you must have a permit

Lower Boyscout Lake - same as LPL. If you spend the night, you need a permit.

Meysan Lake - Permit is required. But they are very easy to get. Even in the height of the season, you'll have plenty of alone time on the trail.

tdtz is correct on the permits. On Meysan Lake, dayhike permits are not required, but overnight is.

No matter where you go in Inyo National Forest, whether inside Whitney Zone or not, you ALWAYS need a permit to camp overnight.

You only need a day hike permit if you hike within the Whitney Zone (and of course Half Dome in Yosemite). All other trails and areas may be day hiked without a permit.

Steve & TDTZ- Thanks for the response.
Just can't figure out how to bring LBSL and Lone Pine up on Rec.gov other than the "Overnight then Visiting Whitney"- which goes to lottery/permit status.

It looks like the best bet is to do a walk-up for the next day, or do these sights fill up as camping overflow from Whitney Portal for Main and MR?

> ...which goes to lottery/permit status.

Lone Pine Lake is on the Main Mt Whitney Trail, which of course IS in the lottery. An overnight permit for Lone Pine Lake is also good for camping anywhere along the Main Trail. And those are the most sought after permits, and therefore in the lottery.

Lower Boy Scout Lake is on the Mountaineers Route (or some would say the approach to the Mountaineers Route). First of all, make sure you know, it is NOT a trail -- contrary to the Rec.gov description. Getting there requires you to know the way through the Ebersbacher Ledges. To camp at LBSL, you need an overnight permit for the "North Fork of Lone Pine Creek JM34" (Set the "Looking for" to "Overnight Visiting Mt Whitney" designation).

That NFLPC JM34 route is outside the lottery, and has a 10 per day quota, with 4 held back for walk-ins.

Thanks again Steve. I had hoped the permits for NF started above LBSL; oh well. I'll set up a week in Aug and try for walk-ins. Worse case day hike up to LBSL, so I can appreciate the Ledges before my trip up the MR in Sept.

Just to make sure I understand what I've been reading- I have an overnight on the NF of the Pine (JM34)in Sept. I can summit via the MR; and return JM34 -on just that permit?

> I can summit via the MR; and return JM34 -on just that permit?

Yes!