Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Camping outside whitney zone

can you camp anywhere outside the zone without a permit or a reservation at a campground?

All the surrounding wilderness requires an over night permit.

Anyone know if dispersal camping is legal outside the wilderness boundaries without a permit? a ranger in Sequoia National Park told me that almost any where along the road you can walk like 100 yards into the woods and dispersal camp legally.

Yes, you can camp at Whitney Portal at the backpacker camp area. I believe there are ten sites, first come, first serve. I have never heard of it being completely full, and since it is a backpacker area, people will usually welcome another person who needs a spot to throw their bed down.

And down in the Alabama Hills, many people use the area to camp. It's BLM land. But that is mostly in cooler months or winter, because it can get hot in summer.

However, once you are inside Inyo National Forest boundaries, but not in the walk-in campground, wilderness permits are required.

I am curious, Rogue, what you mean by "dispersal" camping. If it just means camping out of sight of anyone, and then removing all traces of your being there, I have done that along Tioga Road in Yosemite several times. (But I know that is not actually legal there.)

I don't know the exact meaning under the law as that was the term the ranger used, she said you can camp any where around there using that method.

I believe it's referring to camping in an unmaintained, unmanaged area (no fence, no facilities, etc.).

I believe that is the way John Muir camped...

Have fun...

Does anyone know if fires are allowed in the Whitney Portak Backpacker campground???

Or if smoke from the Car Campgound is likely to drift to the backpacker campground???

Smoke gives me a migraine and that would be a VERY bad start to my JMT hike.

thanks, Bill

Fires not allowed anywhere on the trail. Stoves only.

Smoke drifts when there is wind...camp upwind.

There's a family campground down the hill from the Portal @ Meysan Lakes TH, and a few private dwellings near that area well. Occasionally you can smell wood smoke from that location, but it isn't too strong.

Hi Bill, Yes, fires are allowed in the backpackers campground. I stayed there twice last year and one night someone did not put out their fire and it was very annoying smelling the last fumes of hot charcoal the entire night. You may want to check before you set out your tent to see how the breeze may blow.....OR....put a bottle of water next to your tent to put out a fire/dregs of a fire that the other camper should have put out before they went to bed. When you have to get up at 2:30 AM, you really don't want smoke in your tent all night.

Thanks for all the replies... even what seems like very little smoke to most people will give me a migraine... and end my trip on the first day... so I'll camp elsewhere and drive in the morning I start hiking...

bill