"Lone Pine - entrance to the highest Sierra" Top 5 Page for this destination Lone Pine by mtncorg

Lone Pine Travel Guide: 125 reviews and 301 photos

Looking Whitney Portal towards the mountain itself

Lone Pine is another small town along the US 395 corridor. I lies slightly under 4000 feet high in the high desertland of the Owens River valley. There are a number of motels, restaurants and grocery store. The Lone Pine Forest Service ranger station is also here. That is where you need to pick up needed permits either for backcountry trails in the Sierra region around here (Cottonwood Lakes, Whitney Portal) or for the dayhike/climb up Mt Whitney itself. Something over 100 day permits are issued daily and that is the first hurdle to be jumped, sometimes dauniting enough.

Also in the area is Owens Lake, a vast playa that has been dried out with Los Angeles preempting all water rights in the area. It is amazing to think there was once enough water in the lake to have a steamboat on it. Also a couple of mining ghost towns are high east off of Owens Lake. Lots of geology, both in the Sierra to the West and the Inyos to the east.

Then there is the Alabama Hills, a geological bumping just west of Lone Pine. Here innumerable movies and commercials have been filmed. Ones that come to mind in recent years are scenes from 'Gladiator' and one of the innumerable Star Trek movies. We re up on the road to Cottonwood Lakes two years ago and had to wait while a car commercial for a Toyota Avalon was being made.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Fantastic array of mountains, desert with a splash of movies thrown in
Cons:Very popular trails with slightly obscure permit system for Whitney - get info from Forest Service websites
In a nutshell:The Eastern Sierra remains wild thanks to LA County Water District

Intro Written May 4, 2003
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (10)

Late summer storm coats the peaks with snow - Lone Pine

ALPINE WEATHER Warnings and Dangers (1)

Weather in the High Sierra is generally more predictable and settled than that you find in many other mountains of... more travel advice

Owens Lake lying far below Al's Point - Lone Pine

OWENS LAKE Things to Do (7)

The Owens River originates above Bishop and accounts for most of the drainage from the eastern Sierra. The river is a... more travel advice

The Muir-Whitney crest from shoulder of Mt Irvine - Lone Pine

Meysan Lakes Things to Do (7)

With all of the attention upon the Whitney Portal trail and the Cottonwood Lakes - on the other Sierran roadhead out of... more travel advice

Mt Hitchcock and Lakes from Trail Crest - Lone Pine

Trail Crest - How many switchbacks? Things to Do (7)

From Trail Camp, at 12039 feet, you begin a long climb up to the summit ridge of the Whitney range at Trail Crest, 13480... more travel advice

Hotels (2)
See All Best campsites on Whitney Trail?

Been to Lone Pine?
Share your travels with the world!

Comments (6)

Reply
- Report abuse
goingsolo Aug 21, 2006 at 4:33 PM

Ok, you've sold me on hiking Whitney. Going next week as a matter of fact. :) Do you know anything about Iceberg Lake and the mountaineers route? What am I getting myself into?
Reply
- Report abuse
girladventure Nov 13, 2004 at 9:48 AM

Hey doc, I'm finally doing Whitney next year and your tips answered most of my questions . Thank you. For a day hike, what time do you think I shoud start from Whitney Portal? 3am?
Reply
- Report abuse
karenincalifornia May 26, 2004 at 9:10 PM

Cuz, you've convinced me. I HAVE to do the Whitney climb. Your advice to acclimatize is a good one. Truth be told - I've never gone above 12K ft. What do you recommend - staying at Mammoth and doing some hikes out of there?
Reply
- Report abuse
HawaiiGuy Mar 11, 2004 at 6:23 PM

My buddy and I set out to the top of Whitney one day, got to that lake at 12,000, took one look at those 99 switchbacks, declared victory, and slunk back to L.A!
Reply
- Report abuse
herzog63 Jan 18, 2004 at 8:18 AM

This must've been a fantastic hike!! Great coverage! My heart is pumping just reading your account!
Reply
- Report abuse
XenoHumph May 22, 2003 at 11:11 AM

Very nice report on Mt Whitney. Lonr Pine is indeed a perfect base for great hikes in the Sierras.