17
Inyo National Forest › Mt. Whitney Ranger District › California
› Inyo County
› Lone Pine
› Whitney Portal Campground
› Campsite #17
Campsite #17 at Whitney Portal Campground, CA
$32
Campsite #17
| Drive-In | 6 people |
| 28 ft | Back-In |
| 2 | weak |
5/29
6/4
Campsite #17 Features: Drive-In access, Back-In parking, 28ft driveway, Fire ring w/ Grill, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (12)
4.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 92% |
| 4 star | | 8% |
| 3 star | | 0% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@JEFFH5417641 · Camped on Oct 8, 2024 at Campsite #17
Great campground - puts you right on the hiking trail to Whitney. Good layout with a beautiful stream running through. Read the campground reviews before picking one as not all of them are level. Host is super nice.
@BruceJ5384338 · Camped on Jun 7, 2024 at Campsite #17
It was sad to see that so many trees died and had to be cut down, but I guess that's what 8 years of extreme drought can do. This is a beautiful area and well maintained campsites. Close to the stream, close to running water and the bathrooms. Can hardly go wrong with any of these campsites. Our preference is to be close to the running water so you can hear the sound all night... and sleep like a baby!
@WILLIAMM503355 · Camped on Oct 27, 2023 at Campsite #17
Great time!
@JustinS6067631 · Camped on Oct 25, 2023 at Campsite #17
This spot is perfect and we already decided to come back and pick #17 again! The tent can be placed way in the back and there is plenty of room. Large bear container then most and not to close to the road.
@JamieF82EA837E · Camped on Sep 9, 2023 at Campsite #17
Really lovely stay at Whitney Portal. We were met by the friendly camp host on arrival. Our pitch was great, very spacious behind the van, no bear activity that we were aware of! Really beautiful surroundings, we walked up to the shop/cafe and had our lunch there. Found ourselves in a bind when we realised our water gauge was broken and our water tank had not been topped up on the van - the camp host was very helpful and lent us his water container to fill some of our tank back up! Sunrise was spectacular!
@HaroldGAC468D1 · Camped on Sep 7, 2023 at Campsite #17
Always a wonderful experience here. Beautiful camp sight and relaxing. Stream is running high this year.
@LarissaB6ADC03 · Camped on Jul 19, 2023 at Campsite #17
Theres never a bad day on Mt. Whitney. The campgrounds are well organized and maintained. Without a doubt, this site has the cleanest bathrooms Ive ever seen anywhere in the US.
@MargaretT668 · Camped on Jul 23, 2021 at Campsite #17
Love love love love this campground! Campground hosts are so sweet and friendly. Make sure to lock all your goods in the bear locker. Protect the food, and protect the bear.
@EricE805 · Camped on Jul 13, 2021 at Campsite #17
Camped here before starting the Mt. Whitney Trail. Nice campsites with fire rings and bathrooms. Bring some ant spray. Otherwise, beautiful place. Mt. Whitney store is closeby and they serve hot food.
@PatrikG609 · Camped on Jul 11, 2021 at Campsite #17
Quiet, no generators running.
@JoAnnD216 · Camped on May 21, 2021 at Campsite #17
Very friendly hosts!
@KristieS676 · Camped on May 6, 2021 at Campsite #17
I'd like to give Whitney Portal one star just so other campers go somewhere else. But I can't. We just returned from our 2nd time camping here, and this trip was just as wonderful as the 1st. Both trips were in May so the weather was cool, but not too cold. We fished in the creek, hiked the trail (almost) to the trailhead, and relaxed in hammocks as much as possible. I hope they're able to repair the trail to the trailhead, because that's one of my favorite things about camping here. It's only 1/2 mile hike to the trailhead store & cafe, and it's fun to watch people embarking on hikes up Mt Whitney Trail. They weigh their packs on a scale and take excited pictures of themselves pre-hike. Kinda inspires me to get in shape to hike it myself :) Please be warned that almost all of the campsites are too small for trailers. Ours is only 16 ft, so it fits in several sites, but not many. Also, the trip up and down the mountain is a bit rough with a trailer... make sure you have a powerful enough engine for the haul up, and good brakes for the ride down. Most campers are in tents or vans or old school cab-over campers. The bird-watching didn't disappoint... Steller's Jays (noisy noisy birds!), black throated-sparrows, and woodpeckers were all around. Down in Lone Pine we saw yellow-headed blackbirds and ravens. I highly recommend starting or ending your trip at Lone Pine campground. If you're arriving from sea level like we were, it's nice to acclimate yourself at 6000 ft before heading up to 8000. And if Whitney Portal is especially cold, it's nice to defrost in Lone Pine before heading home. I wish it wasn't a four hour drive from our house, because we'd camp here a lot more often if it were closer.
map icon in the lower right corner.
*Earn our 
Show your commitment in keeping our forests healthy and protecting our public lands by earning the Leave No Trace badge.