CA - Whitney Portal to JMT Terminus

The Whitney Portal to JMT Terminus route climbs to the southern end of the John Muir Trail at the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. This demanding round-trip ascent from Whitney Portal at 8,365 feet represents one of the great single-day hiking achievements in North America, gaining over 6,000 feet of elevation through the spectacular eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada.

The trail passes a series of alpine lakes in the lower canyon before climbing the famous 97 switchbacks that ascend the rocky face below Trail Crest. At the crest, hikers emerge onto the high western slope of the range and follow the summit ridge to the stone summit hut, which dates to 1909. The views from the summit encompass the Owens Valley far below, the vast expanse of the Mojave Desert, and the entire breadth of the southern Sierra Nevada stretching north toward Sequoia National Park. A strict permit lottery limits daily visitors on the Whitney Zone trail. JMT thru-hikers typically reach this point as their triumphant finish, while day hikers experience the same sense of accomplishment in a single long and unforgettable day.