Whitney Portal Campground Inyo National Forest California
Whitney Portal Overview
Whitney Portal Campground (also known as Mt. Whitney Family Campground) has 43 campsites scattered along the banks of Lone Pine Creek in the eastern Sierra Mountain range. Most campsites are reservable but a few are first-come, first-serve. Three group campsites are also available and can accommodate up to 15 people and 2 vehicles each. The group sites are located just up the road from the family campground.
The popular campground is a base camp for people who hike/climb Mt. Whitney (the tallest mountain in the continental United States at 14,505 feet) and other trails in the John Muir Wilderness.
Each campsite has a table, fire ring, grate and food storage locker. The campsites are great for tents and a few can fit small trailers or RVs. Most sites can accommodate 2 vehicles, but a few sites only have room for one. Overflow parking is also available near the campground. Bears do frequent the area so be sure to store all food in the bear-proof lockers.
Amenities include drinking water, vault toilets and trash collection. Firewood is also available to purchase from the campground host. There is also a camp store and restaurant within a mile (located about a mile away at the trailhead for Mt. Whitney).  Cell service is marginal. Your best chance for a signal is up on Whitney Portal Road.
Whitney Portal – Area Recreation
Outdoor recreation in the area includes fishing, picnicking, hiking/backpacking, horseback riding, stargazing and wildlife viewing.
Lone Pine Campground is just 6 miles down the road from Whitney Portal and 43 campsites. Tuttle Creek Campground is a another option. It’s open year-round and has 83 campsites for tents, trailers and RVs. You might also like Grays Meadow campground.
Make a Reservation for Whitney Portal
Amenities
- BBQ Grills
- Camp Store
- Campfire Center
- Campground Host
- Campsite Tables
- Cell Service Poor
- Drinking Water
- Dumpsters
- Equestrian trail
- Fire Pit
- Fire Rings
- Firewood Available
- Food Storage Locker
- Gift Shop
- Golden Age & Access Passports accepted
- Grills
- Ice
- Overflow Parking
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Recycling Center
- Restrooms (Vault Toilets)
- Showers
- Trash Collection
- Wood
Activities
- Backpacking
- Bird Watching
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Stargazing
- Wilderness Area
- Wildlife Viewing
Lone Pine, California 93545
760 937-6070
Lat / Long:
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Campsite Types
- ADA
- Camper Van
- Group
- Primitive
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
- Walk-To
# of Campsites:
44
Campsite Vehicle Size:
20 feet.
Season:
May – October
Elevation:
8,365
Whitney Portal Comments & Reviews
Visited Whitney Portal Campground lately? We'd love to hear about your adventure. Did you find us useful? Did we forget something? Anything our community should know before heading out to Whitney Portal?
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Just booked reservations at Whitney Portal. First time camper at this site, scheduled for mid-July. I could not find my site #034 on the campground map. Can someone assist me with locating. Please send map of area.
Hi Kendon,
You’re going to love Whitney Portal campground – it’s very nice and in a beautiful area. Campsite #34 is for sure there, but unfortunately we have not found its location on any map. It is either next to or across the road from campsite #33. I’ll see if we can get up there this summer to do a ‘mapping’ job for this campground.
Is the Golden Age pass the same as the Senior America The Beautiful?
Great campground. The best sites must’ve been chosen at random as they include the absolute worst sites at the campground and miss many of the best. It makes me question the premium membership.
Thanks for feedback Michael!
I was actually thinking the same thing . . . it has been several years since we took photos up at Whitney Portal and its time for a redo/review. We’re going to be taking new pictures in late October and will be sure to give each site a careful look (for ‘best sites’). I do think some we’ve chosen (currently) are pretty good though – compared with others in the campground.