Are you ready to summit Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states, residing at 14,495’? If so, then join us for this once in a lifetime opportunity to summit Mount Whitney via the beautiful Cottonwood Lakes trailhead, 11 miles southeast as the crow flies, through the beautiful Golden Trout Wilderness and into Sequoia/ Kings Canyon National Park via the historic Pacific Crest Trail. Our Cottonwood Lakes to Mount Whitney backpacking trips are 8 days in length and pass through some of the most beautiful terrain the Southern Sierra and Sequoia/ Kings has to offer. This is an out and back backpacking trip with your adventure starting in Horseshoe Meadow’s, the entry way to the beautiful Cottonwood Lakes and the Sierra high country.

PRIVATE TRIP RATES (PER PERSON, PER DAY)

One Person $450

Two People $350

Three People $275

Four People $250

Five People $250

Six People $250

BACKPACKING RENTAL PROGRAM

The above private trip rates include commercial wilderness permits, a bear canister, and your professionally trained guide. Additional backpacking equipment may be rented for a small fee. Please see our Backpacking Rental Program for more info.

Pre-Trek Meetup - We’ll begin our Mount Whitney adventure with an afternoon meeting in the town of Lone Pine at the Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch. Here we’ll sort all of our gear to ensure you’ve got everything you need for the trip adn do introductions. We’ll be camping at the Mount Whitney Climbign Ranch this first night and will head into town for one last meal before beginning our trip the following day.

Day 1 - We’ll hit the road early and make our way from Lone Pine up to Horseshoe Meadow. Once at Horseshoe Meadow we’ll park our cars and begin our journey! Our first nigh we’ll be camping in the beautiful Cottonwood Lakes zone.

Day 2 - Early rises will be the norm for the trip so be prepared! We’ll shove off after after breakfast and make our way over New Army Pass which puts us entering Sequoia/ Kings Canyon National Park. Upon cresting the pass you’ll have immaculate views of the Sierra Nevada backcountry as well as Mount Langley (14,032’). We’ll make our way down towards Rock Creek Campground and the Wilderness Ranger Station and camp here for the night.

Day 3 - After breakfast we’ll hit the trail and eventually connect with the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) on our way to the outer reaches of the western slopes of the Mount Whitney Zone. We’ll set up camp just north/ west of the trail out to Crabtree Lakes which has stunning views of the backside of Mount Whitney, as well as Mount Hitchcock, and in the distance we’ll be able to see Mount Russell (14,094’).

Day 4 - Summit day! Here’s what we’ve all been waiting for, our summit bid attempt on Mount Whitney! We’ll rise earlier than normal to ensure we reach the summit at a good time. We’ll be leaving all of our gear in camp with the exception of our food, snacks, water, and clothing layers for the day which we’ll bring in our packs. We’ll ascend the John Muir Trail up the backside of Mount Whitney to the meeting point of the Mount Whitney Trail, at Trail Crest junction, then traverse our way north behind Mount Muir and the infamous rock spires that guard the summit to Mount Whitney (S’Brutal Tower, Aiguille Junior, Aiguille du Paquoir, Aiguille Extra, Third Needle, Crooks Peak, and Keeler Needle). Once we’ve passed these granite spectacles, the Mount Whitney summit hut will be in view and before you know it, you’ll be standing on the tallest peak in the continental US! After some group photos and summit selfies, we’ll make our way back to camp to enjoy the rest of the evening and reminisce on the beautiful, and challenging day we just had.

Day 5 - Time to start our trek back towards Cottonwood Lakes. We’ll reverse our steps back on to the Pacific Crest Trail and head back towards Rock Creek Campground and camp here for the night.

Day 6 - After breakfast we’ll make our way back up the large hillside we descended just a few days prior, making our way towards New Army Pass. A short descent down from New Army Pass will find us back in the Cottonwood Lakes zone where we’ll camp for the night.

Day 7 - Our final day on the trail. We’ll pack up camp in Cottonwood Lakes and head back towards Horseshoe Meadow’s. Upon our arrival back to the cars we’ll debrief the trip with the group, exchange contact info, and hit the road, ensuring you get to your destination for the night at a decent time.

All 2025 backpacking trips will be customized for our guests including the dates they want to book. Click here to inquire about your own personal trip today and we’ll get right back to you!

Trip Elevation Profile Graph

Topographical Map

Mileage - roughly 60 miles

Overall elevation gain - 13,000+

National Park Service Difficulty Rating:

Very Strenuous

Inyo National Forest, Sequoia/Kings National Park, & Mount Whitney Zone Commercial Wilderness Permits

Professionally trained guide(s) operating in 6:1 ratios

Shuttle service from the Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch to Cottonwoods Lakes Trailhead at the start of your trip, and from Mount Whitney Portal back to the Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch at the end of your trip

Bear Canister

Please review our Minimum Minimum Equipment List to ensure you have the rest of the equipment needed for your trip. If rental gear is needed, please see our Backpacking Rental Program page for more info. All rentals fees are in addition to the prices listed above.

A must see in the Eastern Sierra is Thousand Island Lake just outside of the town of Mammoth Lakes, nestled underneath the Ritter Range, and Lyell Canyon in Yosemite National Park. Our Mammoth Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows 5 day backpacking trip will take you past breathtaking lakes, gorgeous meadows, and stunning canyons as you head north towards Yosemite National Park. If you’re looking for a must do backpacking trip in the Eastern Sierra, then this is the trip for you!

PRIVATE TRIP RATES (PER PERSON, PER DAY)

One Person $450

Two People $350

Three People $275

Four People $250

Five People $250

Six People $250

BACKPACKING RENTAL PROGRAM

The above private trip rates include commercial wilderness permits, a bear canister, and your professionally trained guide. Additional backpacking equipment may be rented for a small fee. Please see our Backpacking Rental Program for more info.

Day 1 - We’ll meet in Tuolumne Meadows the day before your trip begins, leave the cars, and shuttle to Mammoth Lakes. Upon arrival to Mammoth we’ll review your backpacking gear for the trip, then make our way towards Agnew Meadows where we’ll camp for the first night.

Day 2 - We’ll have a casual start to the day, pack up camp and head towards Thousand Island Lake where our next campsite will be. We’ll gain a little over 2,300’ in 8+ miles this first day. As we near camp get ready for some spectacular views of Thousand Island Lake, nestled under the spectacular Ritter Range!

Day 3 - We’ll be hiking from Thousand Island Lake to Marie Lakes, a little system of lakes tucked away under Rodgers Peak and Pass. We’ll gain over 1,800’ in nearly 6 miles as we make our way back to Marie Lakes. Along the way we’ll pass by other lakes such as Davis Lake and the larger, Waugh Lake.

Day 4 - We’ll pack up at Marie Lakes and head towards Yosemite National Park and Lyell Canyon via Donahue Pass. Depending on where we decide to camp in Lyell Canyon, we’ll do roughly 8 miles of hiking with 1,200’ of elevation gain and nearly 3,100’ of elevation loss, so we’re hiking down for most of the day. Once we ascend the famous Donahue Pass (11,000’) we’ll be treated with spectacular views of Lyell Canyon in Yosemite National Park!

Day 5 - On our fifth and final day, we’ll pack up camp in Lyell Canyon and head towards beautiful Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. During our last day we’ll pass through some of the most breathtaking meadows you’ll set your eyes on in the Sierra as we head towards Tuolumne Meadows. Upon your arrival in Tuolumne, we’ll head to the cars, unload our gear, and say our goodbyes. This day has us hiking over 8 miles with minimal elevation gain or loss.

All 2025 backpacking trips will be customized for our guests including the dates they want to book. Click here to inquire about your own personal trip today and we’ll get right back to you!

Trip Elevation Profile Graph

Topographical Map

Mileage - roughly 31 miles

Overall elevation gain - 5,400+

National Park Service Difficulty Rating:

Very Strenuous

Inyo National Forest & Yosemite National Park Commercial Wilderness Permits

Professionally trained guide(s) operating in 6:1 ratios

Shuttle service from Tuolumne Meadows to Mammoth Lakes on the first day

Shuttle bus ticket to Agnew Meadows

Bear Canister

Please review our Minimum Minimum Equipment List to ensure you have the rest of the equipment needed for your trip. If rental gear is needed, please see our Backpacking Rental Program page for more info. All rentals fees are in addition to the prices listed above.

There are so many incredible options in the Eastern Sierra we can’t possibly list them all here. We’re happy to customize any backpacking trip you have in mind. Click the button below to inquire about your dream backpacking trip and we’ll get to work customizing a very special outing for you and your friends and family!

One Person $450

Two People $350

Three People $275

Four People $250

Five People $250

Six People $250

BACKPACKING RENTAL PROGRAM

The above private trip rates include commercial wilderness permits, a bear canister, and your professionally trained guide. Additional backpacking equipment may be rented for a small fee. Please see our Backpacking Rental Program for more info.

Inyo National Forest, Sequoia/ Kings Canyon, & Yosemite National Park Commercial Wilderness Permits

Professionally trained guide(s) operating in 6:1 ratios

Shuttle service where applicable

Bear Canister

Please review our Minimum Minimum Equipment List to ensure you have the rest of the equipment needed for your trip. If rental gear is needed, please see our Backpacking Rental Program page for more info. All rentals fees are in addition to the prices listed above.