Mount Whitney Summit Shelter - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Iconic Buildings

About Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Built in 1909, the three room, granite shelter was constructed not only to give hikers a safe haven from the storms, but also to act as housing for scientists camped out on the summit to study altitude, a very intriguing subject at a time when high altitude flight was just on the horizon. It is the highest permanent building in the Contiguous United States.

Interior of a hotel

Hotels near Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

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Activities Around

Attractions Near Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney

0.01km from Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m), it is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. The mountain is partially dome-shaped, with jagged ridges extending to the sides.

Mount Muir

Mount Muir

1.55km from Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Mount Muir is a peak in the Sierra Nevada of California, 0.95 miles south of Mount Whitney. This 14,018-foot peak is named in honor of Scottish-born John Muir, a famous geologist, conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club. Among mountain climbers, a peak needs to meet certain criteria in order to be included in some lists. To be listed as an independent peak a summit must have 300 feet of clean prominence.

Lone Pine Lake

Lone Pine Lake

3.93km from Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Lone Pine Lake is located in the Inyo National Forest in Southern California and makes for a perfect day hike to explore the Eastern Sierra's. This lake sits on a ridge above Whitney Portal. Once you get there, take your time and enjoy the lake and its majestic surrounding, which includes huge boulders, sheer granite cliffs, and evergreens.

Lone Pine Peak

Lone Pine Peak

6.3km from Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Lone Pine Peak is located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada range just west of the town of Lone Pine, California in Inyo County, in eastern California in the southwestern United States. The summit marks the eastern boundary of the John Muir Wilderness in the Inyo National Forest. Lone Pine Peak is the mountain in the photo for the default desktop of macOS Sierra.

Mount Williamson

Mount Williamson

8.78km from Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Mount Williamson is one of the great peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It is truly awe-inspiring: rising 9,000 ft from the Owens Valley. It is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States. The standard ascent route is the West Side Route, accessed from Shepherd's Pass. From the pass, one travels across the Williamson Bowl, which lies between Mount Williamson and Mount Tyndall.

Mount Tyndall

Mount Tyndall

9.44km from Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Mount Tyndall is a peak in the Mount Whitney region of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California. At 14,025 feet, it is the tenth highest peak in the state. The easiest route on Mount Tyndall in terms of access and climbing is the Northwest Ridge, which involves an easy scramble. It begins about one half mile west of Shepherd Pass and about 1 mile north of the peak. The mountain was named in honor of the Irish scientist and mountaineer, John Tyndall.

Discover More Attractions in Inyo County, Home of Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Inyo County

Inyo County

72 attractions

Almost one-half of Inyo Country is within Death Valley National Park. With a population density of 1.8 people per square mile, it also has the second-lowest population density in California, after Alpine County.

Location of Mount Whitney Summit Shelter

Comments

For more information about Mount Whitney Summit Shelter, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution_Shelter