Mount Whitney permits: dates & how to apply

Before you apply

• Choose the right permit type. Day use and overnight permits "are not interchangeable." An overnight permit can't be used for a one-day hike, and a day use permit is "for one day only, from midnight to midnight." Consecutive day use permits are not allowed (USFS Inyo: Mount Whitney).
• Pick dates that match your skills. USFS says the trail is "usually snow-free from July to late September." When snow or ice is on the mountain, winter mountaineering skills and equipment are necessary (USFS).
• Send one application per group or household. Groups or households that submit multiple applications are subject to disqualification. You may list up to 10 alternate choices on the one application (USFS).
• Name the right leader and alternate. "Only the leader or alternate named at the time you apply to the lottery can use the permit." Groups larger than 15 people are prohibited (USFS).

Common mistakes

USFS lists its own "3 Common Mistakes" on the official page. Here they are, plus one more:

• Picking a date beyond your experience. Winter mountaineering skills are necessary when snow or ice is on the mountain (USFS).
• Getting the dates or group size wrong at checkout. Group size includes the leader. "There is no age limit for group size; children count" (USFS).
• Missing the payment deadline. Winners who don't pay the per-person fee by the deadline lose the date (USFS).
• Expecting to change the big things later. After the lottery you can change the exit location, camp location, overnight exit date, or reduce group size. To change the entry date, permit type or alternate leader, or to increase group size, you have to withdraw and reapply. "No rain checks, no rescheduling, no changing leader names" (USFS).

What changed this year

TBA. As of Oct 15, 2026, the official page doesn't announce rule changes for the next lottery. Check USFS Inyo: Mount Whitney.

Tips

• Plan a very long day. USFS calls the Mt. Whitney Trail a "22-mile round-trip" hike and says to expect 12 to 14 hours to the summit and back. It suggests starting before sunrise and being prepared to hike in the dark (USFS).
• Know the quota. During the quota season, USFS limits the trail to 100 people per day for day use and 60 per day for overnight (USFS).
• Climbing routes need a different permit for overnight trips. For routes like the Mountaineers Route, East Face, East Buttress or Mt. Russell, USFS says to request an overnight permit for North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, which is not in the lottery (USFS).
• Going on to the John Muir Trail or Pacific Crest Trail? The overnight permit can be extended. Enter your exit location and exit date when you complete the permit details after the lottery (USFS).
• A funding lapse won't extend the lottery. USFS says that if Recreation.gov is down during the lottery because of a lapse in federal funding, "the application period will not be extended" (USFS).