Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Required end date for HST permit (Trail Crest exit)

Hi, apologies if this is already answered - I did try searching but didn't find an answer to this specific question.

I'm planning to hike from Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park to Whitney Portal in June, and visit the summit of Mt Whitney as a side-trip.

I'll have a High Sierra Trail permit with the "Mt. Whitney (Trail Crest Exit)" exit point.

When reserving the HST permit, it looked like the end date should be the date I reach the boundary between the National Park and Inyo National Forest, i.e. the Trail Crest.

But, depending on how I'm getting on, I might want to also camp for a night at a suitable location between the Trail Crest and the Whitney Portal trailhead.

Would my HST permit still be accepted in Inyo National Forest the day after its end date, or should I extend the HST permit to the last day I might still be in Inyo National Forest?

Take the number of days you expect to be in the wilderness and add 2-3.

They don't care if you come out early, but leaving after the end date could raise questions.

Really, the entry date is the only thing that you have to be exact on.

I think the end date would be the day you get to Whitney Portal. That is how I did mine, with the last night being "Unknown (Inyo NF)"

But like Jim said, I think the most important thing is the entry date. The rest is mostly in case you go missing I think, so best to be as accurate as possible.

So many variables come into play here though if you leave past your end date. Lack of fitness caused a slower hike. Altitude sickness slowed you down. Weather slowed you down. Injury slowed you down. Fatigue due to loss of appetite slowed you down. If you're exiting and DO have a permit, you are obligated to no explanation to anyone as you are descending a few days later than you had planned.