Successful applicants will be notified by mail with instructions for the location where the permit is to be picked up. If unsuccessful, the application and fee will be returned. Make sure you specify on your wilderness permit reservation application that you will be entering the Mount Whitney Zone and be sure to include the correct fee for the Mount Whitney Zone. For those trails originating in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks a wilderness permit is required from the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Wilderness permit advanced reservations are highly recommended for trips starting during a holiday period or on a weekend.
Trips starting in mid-week are usually easier to secure.
Wilderness permit reservations can be made starting on March 1 of each year and can be made 21 days in advance of the date of departure. The National Park Service Wilderness Office confirms permit reservations by mail. Reserved permits can be picked up at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center or Roads End for Route 10, Lodgepole Visitor Center for Route 11 and at the Mineral King Ranger Station for Routes 12 and 13. The Sequoia Bark, the free park newspaper provides details on campgrounds, lodging, food, showers and laundry. The park also produces Backcountry Basics, a useful newspaper-type publication detailing wilderness permit requirements, wilderness safety, trailheads and the backcountry.