Overview
Mount Whitney is 14,505 feet and, on the standard Whitney Portal route, entirely walkable — no ropes, no technical climbing. That combination is exactly why it needs a lottery: from May 1 to November 1 the Mt Whitney Trail is capped at 100 day hikers and 60 overnight hikers a day.
The permit splits into two pools, day use and overnight, and the lottery runs once a year through recreation.gov. The only calendar on the official page is the 2023 one: applications from February 1 to March 1, results on March 15, unclaimed dates released on April 22. A wilderness permit is required year-round; outside the quota season there is simply no limit on numbers.
At a glance
| Do you need a permit or reservation? | Quota permit (day-use or overnight lottery) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $6 reservation fee (non-refundable) + $15 per person |
| How to get it | Apply during the annual window on recreation.gov; in the last calendar published there (2023) it ran February 1 to March 1. |
| When it opens | Hard to get · February lottery · 2027 dates not published |
| All-inclusive alternative | None we can recommend: no tour we checked includes this access, so the official channel is the way in. |
| Official rules | recreation.gov |
How the permit works
- 1Apply during the annual window on recreation.gov; in the last calendar published there (2023) it ran February 1 to March 1.
- 2Rank several date choices and pick your pool: day-use for a single push, overnight to camp at Outpost or Trail Camp.
- 3Results come in March (March 15 in 2023); winners pay the US$15 per-person recreation fee to confirm.
- 4Pick up or download the permit before you start, and check the current food-storage and human-waste rules.
- 5Dates left unclaimed after the lottery go on sale on recreation.gov (April 22 in the 2023 calendar).
Required documents
- recreation.gov account (one application per person, per lottery)
- Photo ID matching the permit holder
- Confirmed permit for the exact date and entry trail
Insider tips
- List several dates in your application; unclaimed dates go back on sale after the confirmation deadline.
- Overnight permits give you a second summit morning if weather turns — often a smarter ask than day-use.
- The US$6 reservation fee is non-refundable; the US$15 per-person recreation fee is paid only to claim a permit you won.
Sold-out alternatives
If your dates are gone, these get you a comparable experience.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Mount Whitney lottery open?
The last calendar published on recreation.gov is 2023’s: February 1 to March 1, results on March 15. The 2027 dates are not out yet, so confirm them there before you plan around them.
Do I need a permit to hike Mount Whitney at all?
Yes. recreation.gov says a wilderness permit is required year-round to visit Mt. Whitney; the daily limit applies from May 1 to November 1.
What if I don’t get drawn?
Dates left unclaimed after the lottery go on sale on recreation.gov after the confirmation deadline; check there for your dates.