About this permit
The High Sierra Trail is a 72-mile point-to-point traverse of Sequoia National Park, connecting Crescent Meadow in the west to Mount Whitney's summit in the east. The trail crosses the Great Western Divide at Kaweah Gap, descends into the remote Kern River canyon, and joins the John Muir Trail for the final climb to Whitney.
Most hikers complete the HST in 6-8 days, with the permit including Whitney summit access when exiting via Whitney Portal. The route accumulates approximately 15,500 feet of elevation gain and 13,900 feet of loss.
The route
The HST begins gently among giant sequoias at Crescent Meadow (7,030 ft). The first miles traverse the western slopes with increasingly dramatic views into the Middle Fork Kaweah canyon. At mile 11, Bearpaw Meadow offers the only High Sierra Camp along the route, a rustic resupply option with tent cabins and hot meals.
Hamilton Lake appears at mile 17, a stunning cirque lake that many consider the trail's most beautiful single feature. Beyond, the trail climbs to Precipice Lake and crosses Kaweah Gap (10,700 ft), the passage through the Great Western Divide.
The descent into Big Arroyo brings you to the Kern River canyon, the Sierra's deepest and most remote. At mile 30, Kern Hot Springs offers a natural soak beside the rushing river. The route follows the Kern north to its junction with the JMT at Wallace Creek.
The final push covers 18 miles of the JMT's finest terrain: from Wallace Creek over Bighorn Plateau, past Guitar Lake (the final camp at 11,500 ft), and up the famous 99 Switchbacks to Trail Crest. Two final miles of ridge walking deliver you to Whitney's summit at 14,505 feet, the highest point in the Lower 48.
Why it matters
The High Sierra Trail is California's premier west-to-east trans-Sierra route, offering a complete cross-section of the range's geology and ecology. Unlike the north-south JMT, the HST traverses perpendicular to the Sierra's grain, crossing the Great Western Divide before joining the JMT for the climactic ascent of Mount Whitney. For many hikers, the HST represents the ultimate Sierra experience, from sequoia groves to alpine granite.
The feeling
You begin in the shadow of giants: the General Sherman Tree, the largest living thing on Earth, stands nearby as you set off from Crescent Meadow. A week later, you'll be standing on Mount Whitney's summit, the entire Sierra Nevada spread below you in every direction. Between lies a journey that feels almost mythical: the deep azure of Hamilton Lake, the steaming miracle of Kern Hot Springs, the lonely expanse of the Kern Trench, and finally, Guitar Lake's treeless basin beneath the soaring pyramid of Whitney itself.
