Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Permit Question

Hi there hikers. I am interested in entering the JMT in Mammoth then exit Mt. Whitney. What kind of permit would I require? Would I be able to summit Mt. Whitney? If a permit is needed, when would I need to apply? Thank in advance!

Permits for entering most trails in Inyo National Forest come available online through the recreation.gov website exactly 6 months before your hike start date. If you want to be sure to get one, plan early and get one on that day. The entry permits are by specific trail heads, so decide which one you want.

If you want to exit via Mt Whitney -- Trail Crest down to Whitney Portal, that requires a special "Trail Crest Exit Permit" Those are difficult to get, and you have to get it at the same time you reserve your entry permit. Since they are in such demand, getting one the first day, 7 AM is best. For your exit, you need to get the Permit Type of "Overnight Exiting Mt Whitney". Just checking the site, you can book May start dates now (6 months ahead). The available dates will roll forward, not sure if it is daily or less frequently.

You can summit Mt Whitney even if you don't have the Trail Crest Exit permit. You could climb the trail from the west, then descend again to the west and take another exit. All other exits are open -- no exit permit required.

I miss the good old days when there were no quotas, and permits were free. Thanks to increased traffic in the wilderness, those days are long gone. Recreation.gov can be frustrating, but it works pretty well most of the time. With the exception of permits that use a lottery, you know immediately whether you got the permit or campsite you wanted.

Recreation.gov doesn’t always state the time of day when permits become available. In 2020, Inyo National Forest wilderness permits became available six months in advance at midnight, and they sometimes disappear fast. In one case, I needed a one-person permit for the North Fork of Big Pine Creek. At fifteen seconds after midnight, all the permits were gone, and I had to book a different entry date.

You can create a recreation.gov account, learn your way around the site, and then log in at different times of day to see when the reservations for the trailhead or campground you want become available.

Thank you Steve! Very informative.

Thank you Bob! I will make sure to check in with Recreation.gov!