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8.3 miles
Distance
5,350 ft
Climb
-223 ft
Descent
05:11:46
Avg time
5,118 ft
Altitude change
8,332 ft
Altitude min
13,658 ft
Altitude max
8,332 ft
Altitude start
13,451 ft
Altitude end
11.7%
Grade
-45.2%
Grade max
65.1%
Grade min
8 miles
Distance climb
1,768 ft
Distance down
1,854 ft
Distance flat
05:11:46
Avg time
Mount Whitney Details
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Activities
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaJohn Muir Wilderness
Whitney Portal, California -
Ref Number#3404
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Difficulty Rating
-
Local Popularity100 in Hiking [+]
- 100 in Trail Running
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Global Ranking
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Hiking SAC ScaleT2 Mountain Hiking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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DirectionBoth Directions
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Climb DifficultyBlue
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Physical RatingHard
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Dogs AllowedYes
The shortest and most popular route to climb Mt. Whitney is a 10.7 mile (17.1 km) trail from Whitney Portal, 13 miles (21 km) west of the town of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierra. Ice axes and crampons are needed in spring and early summer, but technical climbing equipment is not usually necessary between mid-July and early October. The elevation at the trailhead is 8360' (2550 meters). The elevation at the summit is 14,494' (4418 meters).
There are other routes besides Whitney Portal that lead to Mt. Whitney. They begin at less heavily-used trailheads, but require a much longer hike to reach the summit. The High Sierra Trail leaves from Giant Forest on the west side of Sequoia National Park, and is about 60 miles (100 km) one-way. It takes a minimum of 6 days (one way) or 10 days (round trip) to complete
source: https://www.nps.gov/
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 6 rides
- 15 miles average
6 Months
- 11 rides
- 14 miles avg distance
All
- 95 rides
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Mount Whitney Trail Reports
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- Prevalent Mud
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Directions to mount-whitney trailhead
(36.586860, -118.240130)
Photos
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Articles
These Hikers Brought 150 Pounds of Gear to Hike Mt. Whitney. It Didn’t Go Well.
Nov 8, 2024 from backpacker.com
After SAR rescued two heavily-laden, inexperienced hikers from the Lower 48's highest peak, they had some strong advice to share with anyone...
The 10 Most Memorable 10-Mile Hikes in North America
Nov 5, 2021 from backpacker.com
Ten trails. Ten unmatched miles each. Get maximum bang for each boot step on hikes that our most-traveled contributors call their all-time favorites.
Routes with this trail
★ 5.0 • 219 miles • 47,256 ft • 10 • Point to Point •
The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of...
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Nearby Trails
- Old Whitney Trail 948 ft
- North Fork Lone Pine Creek 2,385 ft
- Meysan Lakes 5,151 ft
- Nflpc (mountaineers Route) 4 miles
- Whitney Portal Nrt 5 miles
John Muir Wilderness
- By wisemtnbkr
& contributors - #178891 - 4,895 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mount Whitney
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Where is Mount Whitney located?
Mount Whitney is located in John Muir Wilderness, Whitney Portal, California, United States. It is part of the John Muir Wilderness trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 36.58686, -118.24013.
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How hard is Mount Whitney?
Mount Whitney is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 11.7%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
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What is the elevation gain for Mount Whitney?
Mount Whitney has 5,350 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 223 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 8,332 ft to 13,658 ft.
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Is Mount Whitney a point to point trail?
Mount Whitney is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
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