0
Pull-thru
USFSInyo National Forest · California
Whitney Portal
Overview Whitney Portal Campground is in a prime location within the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains - at the base of Mt.
Sites4746 reservable
Elev.7,986ft
Comf.Apr-Nov8 months
Max rig35 ft
Electricnonesites
From Fresno2h31real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 7,986 ft, Whitney Portal has a 8-month comfortable window (Apr-Nov). Winter nights average around 28°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 47 sites total: 46 reservable and 1 first-come, first-served. This is bear country, and food-storage lockers are provided. Within about 4 miles: 5 named hiking routes, 21 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and shade. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jun
Apr-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
98%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 22
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 12.
62°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Fresno
113 mi
2h31
02
Los Angeles
228 mi
5h04
03
Sacramento
293 mi
6h31
04
San Francisco
318 mi
7h04
05
San Diego
357 mi
7h56
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 8.7 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 47 SITES
Color byShow only
29 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
47
Sites
★ The standout
Site 037
WHIT · shaded.
To neighbor
153 ft
Max rig
26 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
5
Trail segments
42
Peaks
21
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
8.7 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.