Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Camping at Whitney Portal

My group will be day-hiking this weekend and I'd like to camp Whitney Portal Friday & Saturday night. Do I have a good chance at getting one of the walk-in sites or are they difficult to get? Can I use one of the walk-in sites for more than one night? Thanks.

I haven't been to the WP walk-in sites for a couple of years, and in that time a 2nd area was built with more sites near the overflow parking. However, the few times I stayed, it didn't appear to be any strict enforcement of the length of stay. And I always found a spot, even on weekends.

I would say mid-morning to mid-afternoon would give the best chance of finding an open spot. Be a good neighbor, be careful with the food to minimize bear encounters, and be sure to bring ear plugs if you are a light sleeper. While the location of the walk-in sites are great for being so close to the TH and the portal store, it is not a place I would recommend for peace and quiet. Dayhikers leaving the campsites at all hours of the early morning, along with other dayhikers driving up, there is lots of activity.

There are sixteen to twenty authorized sites within the hiker-in area. There are also some stealth site that people use when the campground is full.

There is usually a big turn over at the WP Hiker-in area, so if you do not get a site the first night, you will get one the second.

Also, the family campground holds back sites for walk-ins. See the campground manager for one of those. This is your best option for a multi-night stay.