Push the limits of your comfort zone on this 7-day tour to summit Mt. Whitney
This tour offers the unique opportunity to spend 7 days in the Californian wilderness and summit Mount Whitey, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. Don’t worry about pack weight either because you’ll have the support of pack mules along the way to do the heavy lifting. All you need is your daypack and motivation!
Meet your guide and group in Lone Pine, California, near Sequoia National Park. Once you’ve had an orientation on the adventure ahead, set out with pack mule support into the Great Outdoors. This tour poses some challenges, so a high level of fitness and hiking experience is recommended. The first part of the journey will prepare you for the big summit on Day 5, but each day will bring you into new picturesque scenery, including vast alpine meadows, glistening high-mountain lakes, and views extending towards the horizon. Your guide will prepare gourmet backcountry meals throughout the tour and provide trail snacks to keep you energized on tough ascents.
Take this opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone and spend nearly a week in the backcountry, summiting mountains, hiking famous trails, witness magnificent alpine sunsets, and camping under the stars.
Please check out this blog to find out more about the COVID-19 precautions during the tour.
Highlights of the Mt. Whitney Summit Tour with Horseback Support
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Mt. Whitney Summit Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Lone Pine
Welcome to California! Make your way to the hotel in Lone Pine, California, to check-in after 4pm. Meet your group and guide at 6pm for a briefing on the journey ahead. Choose a spot for dinner on your own or with your group before you head to bed.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Lone Pine
Distance: None
Meals: None
Day 2 Hike to Chicken Springs Lake
At 7am, meet the crew for breakfast in the hotel. Take your own transportation to the trailhead, about 45 minutes away, and meet your guide there. Then the hike begins! Pack your daypack and hand the rest over to the pack mules since you won’t be doing the heavy lifting on this trip. The trail will gain significant elevation over a short distance, so be prepared to get your heart pumping. Crossing over Cottonwood Pass, you’ll start to see why so many people flock to this part of the world: it is like a postcard. Make camp once you reach Chicken Springs Lake and enjoy your first gourmet backcountry dinner.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 4 mi, 1516 ft of ascent, 217 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Follow the Pacific Crest Trail
After a delicious breakfast, pack up camp, and set out for the day. Today, you’ll connect with a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and follow it for about 14.5 km. The elevation is undulating, but you will lose more than you gain. Hike among foxtail pine forests, open spaces of boulder-dotted fields surrounded by hills, and eventually descend to the lower part of Rock Creek. Enjoy another night in the remote wilderness.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 9 mi, 732 ft of ascent, 2228 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Hike to Guitar Lake
Have a peaceful morning in the fresh mountain air, then get ready for today’s trek. Start the day ascending rocky terrain to Guyot Pass and into Crabtree Meadows. The ascent continues from here with a long haul to the high-altitude Guitar Lake, where you’ll set up the tents for the night. The views from this campsite will astonish you, overlooking the John Muir Trail and Mount Whitney to the east that you’ll summit tomorrow. Get a good night’s sleep to prepare!
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 10 mi, 3100 m of ascent, 1316 m of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Summit Mount Whitney
Today’s the big day! Rise super early to get an alpine start on the trail and begin climbing. You may not be checking out the views on the way up, but once you reach the top, nothing else matters. Standing on the tallest peak in the contiguous US, the views abound with mountains stretching further than your eyes can see. Catch your breath here and savour the scenery. Return to Guitar Lake for lunch and a quick siesta, then continue along the path to Crabtree Meadows. Camp in a location that boasts gorgeous views of the sunset over Mount Russell.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 14 mi, 3310 ft of ascent, 4475 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Explore Sequoia National Park
Stretch when you wake up today as you might be feeling yesterday’s challenge in your muscles. After breakfast, take an alternate route from arrival and walk through Sequoia National Park. Relishing in the shade of the trees along the way, you’ll eventually come to the headwaters of Rock Creek and stay here for the night. Appreciate your last night camping in the wilderness and enjoy the starry sky with your new friends.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 11 mi, 2392 ft of ascent, 1877 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Hike Out via Cottonwood Pass + Farewell
Get up early to witness the sunrise, have a final breakfast with the crew, and start the hike out towards the trailhead. Even though it’s the last day, the trail still presents some difficulty in length and elevation gain, especially after 6 days of backpacking. Reach the trailhead around 2pm and say goodbye to your guide here to continue onto the next part of your journey.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: 9.5 mi, 1302 ft of ascent, 2192 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Mt. Whitney Summit Tour Price and Dates
This guided tour in the Sierra Nevada is always run as a fixed-departure tour where you would be joining a group, therefore the price is fixed and only depends on the number of people sharing the room or a tent.
The prices below are per person:
Accommodation on the Mt. Whitney Summit Tour
The hotel on this trip is 2-star. You will also camp in the wilderness for 5 nights in a high-quality tent with gear like sleeping bags and pads provided. Rooms are double occupancy, and single travelers will pay a supplement.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement of $150 USD to have a private room and tent while traveling with a group. We can match the single travellers up, however, in case there aren’t any matches, you’ll have to pay a supplement of $75 USD.
Hotels on Standard Tour
Best Western Frontier in Lone Pine
When you stay here, you’ll receive superb service that will exceed expectations. Stay in a comfortable and immaculate room for an easy night’s sleep.
Camping in Sierra Nevada
Spend the night in a high-quality tent with comfy sleeping pads. Fall asleep under the stars and wake up amid pristine nature.
What’s included in the Mt. Whitney Summit Tour?
Meals
6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 5 dinners are included.
Accommodations
Accommodation for 6 nights is included in the tour.
Transportation during the Tour
Transportation for your camping gear is included during this tour with pack mule support. You are responsible for your own transportation to and from the trailhead.
Also Included
- English-speaking guide services
- Group gear: stove, cookware, water filters, first aid kit
- Personal gear available: backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles
- Tent
- Backcountry camping permits
- Trail snacks
- Pack mules to carry camping gear, and personal items of up to 15 lbs per person
Not included
- Dinner on Day 1
- Personal expenses + gratuities (recommended 10-20% for excellent service for guides and 3-5% for packers)
- Trip insurance
- Flights
- Voluntary or involuntary evacuations
- Anything not mentioned as “Included”
Optional Extras
- Extra nights in Lone Pine
Frequently Asked Questions about Mt. Whitney Summit Tour with Horseback Support
SYMG was started in 1991 by three friends offering hiking trips into California's mountains in hopes of more closely meshing lifestyle with work. The combination proved successful and SYMG has become a leader in the active travel and mountain guiding world, providing carefully planned and executed trips in the most spectacular wilderness areas of California and beyond. Now, 30 years later, we've shown thousands of people the beauty of Yosemite and the High Sierra and have been named one of the "Best Outfitters on Earth" by National Geographic Adventure Magazine.
Learn MoreMt. Whitney Summit Tour with Horseback Support Map
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