Where to camp night before - WhitneyZone Message Board

I was trying to find a good place to camp that wasn't at the Whitney Portal, since that is already taken for the night I am going. Is there any other places to camp that are close to whitney portal but are at a decent elevation so that I can start to get acclimatized the night before my hike?

Also where is the list of approved bear canisters at as I havent been able to find it? Or is it better to just rent one there.

I tried to find the answers to these questions via search but was unsuccessful so I hope I am not reposting something that has been answered many times. If so I apologize and just point me in the direction of the thread that would answer for me.

Thanks!

Josh, when you can't find an answer, be sure to check the Orientation Notes (see the link on the left below the webcam pictures) But it is just fine to ask where to find stuff regardless.

For the canister, I just checked the Orientation notes and found this: (here's a link)

Quote:

Bear Canisters/Other Equip.

Day hikers are not required to carry bear canisters as long as they always keep their food with them. Canisters are required for overnight trips and can be rented at either the Visitors Center or the Whitney Portal Store. If you need other hiking gear, the Whitney Portal Store sells some last minute items, and there are four sporting goods stores in downtown Lone Pine. Also check out stove fuel and alcohol for discussions on buying fuel. Elevation and Lone Pine Sporting Goods also have a limited supply of mountaineering gear available for rental.

I hope others will suggest the Portal walk-in camp sites. If that doesn't work, spend a night at Horseshoe Meadows.

I've used the walk-in campsite at the Portal 3 times. I haven't had a problem finding a spot to pitch my tent, but I can see where it could get filled up on a July/August weekend.

Reservations are not allowed and it's first come/ first served. There is no campground host. You will need to find an empty 'pad' to set up your tent and then fill in the self-registration. Last year the fee was $10/night. It's not the most quite of locations, but it is right across from the TH.

I'll have to search for the post that had the plans for additional walk-in sites at the overflow lot. If I recall correctly, they were planning on having them open by July.

And I'll second Steve's recommendation of Horseshoe meadow. There are 3 different campgrounds, all walk-in, no reservations. And 10k elevation.

I've never had a problem getting a hiker-in sites...legal, semi-legal or illegal. They all exist within the that camping area.

Thanks a lot for the info. I am going the last weekend of June so I will plan on just walking up to the portal campground then, hopefully it will not be to crazy, just want to get my body up to 8000 feet before starting the hike. Thanks for the info, I will look for the overflow thread you are talking about as well just incase

The overflow parking lot is below the hiker-in campground. There are campsites within the Hiker-in Campground that are legal...pads, semi-legal...no pad but numbered and illegal...used a lot but not numbered.

This will get you to 8,300' and stroll up either the Meysan Lake Trail or MMWT the day before will get you higher.