this store has anything that a hiker or a backpacker need, and the food is just as great. Big pancakes and juicy hamburgers! The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. It would be even better if the kitchen stayed open a little later. but overall this place is awesome! read more

REVIEW FOR SHOWERS ONLY - rest of place looks good. Two of us took showers. In mine, there was no place to put clothes except 2 tiny, small shaky hooks on door and wall. No floor mat; no bench (a must); no place to put towel; no place to put clean clothes; no place to put anything; floor all wet after shower (bare feet on god-knows-what). Shower aimed at open curtain so HAD to get into shower lest everything got sprayed before temperature was adjusted. After shower, ZERO ventilation so worse than a sauna - instant sweat. Also, HIGHEST price of all options along Hwy 395. Other person said her shower was awful - water never mixed/adjusted. It was either all hot or all cold water. BAD plumbing. Outside the showers, in mixed-gender area, plenty of room after shower. But zero privacy so had to undress/dress in tiny shower cubicle (about 2x3ft space). MUCH BETTER SHOWER at Mammoth - "Camp High Sierra" ... very pleasant and spacious BUT have to drive almost 2 hours just to get there. read more

Stopped in after 4 days in the backcountry looking for a shower. This hostel and gear shop offers $10 showers (towels and soap included). The folks here are friendly, showers are hot and clean. There's also a hiker box in the store. read more

May I say the experience was unbelievable the most wonderful gracious and hostility host you can ever find plus the food is out of this world delicious pancakes must give me that recipe one of these days ;-) and the people you meet are very nice cordial and very respectful thank you so much for the experience that I wanted to experience the store the pond and stream or some may call it a creek so they call it a river full of fish though. read more

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The hotel is just amazing. The beds are so comfy air-conditioned and heating works extremely well. The bathtub was so amazing the same with the shower. We were driving from Reno Nevada and we made it here but we needed to pull over because we were very tired. I highly recommend this place. read more

Whitney Portal Store & Hostel - Tv flat screen Vizio - Hostels Near Me - Lone Pine, California

Got some souvenirs for my family here, and the pancakes were both huge and tasty. The staff are friendly too.

A group of 10 of us stayed at Whitney Portal Hotel and Hostel a few weeks ago for a birthday retreat I planned hanging out in Lone Pine and spending a few days at the yoga studio 2 blocks away called Lone Pine Yoga. We had the most magical time. We stayed in the 10 bed Hostel. It was clean and well taken care of. The beds were comfortable and lovely. The staff was so nice and supportive - really making our stay fun, communal, and enjoyable (which is exactly what we wanted). The microwave and fridge in the hostel room was so supportive as we were able to have some meals in the room. It was all around a dream for us all to stay at Whitney Portal Hotel and Hostel and we hope to experience it again! read more

I had the pleasure of meeting the proprietor, Doug Thompson, at the portal store that is right by the trail head. This is not the same as the hotel and hostel in Lone Pine, although that is run by a family member I'm told. Anyway, this store at the trailhead has everything you will need for a successful summit, except a permit. That must be obtained in town or online. read more

Whitney Portal Store & Hostel - Doug Thompson, owner of the Whitney Portal Store and Mt. Whitney expert - Hostels Near Me - Lone Pine, California

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Ahhhhh! Hot shower and a towel! Heaven! A lot of cool items and supplies in the store. I did not use the hostel.

As with others in the 1 star I booked a room and then had to cancel because of road work that made it difficult to impossible to get the hostel. The Caltrans twitter said not to count on the road being accessible so I cancelled my reservation to drive a different route. I did not get a refund. However, my main issue is the woman kept insisting I couldn't get a refund because I booked through booking.com which I did not. I booked through the hostel website. My confirmation email and cancellation email came from reservationcounter.com which is the system you use if you book directly through the hostel. She showed me the screen shot showing booking.com and I showed her my email that was clearly not from booking.com. Then she just did not respond and kept my $190. Also it was a Saturday night on spring break and the Dow had been full for three weeks prior so I am pretty sure they kept my money and then charged someone else for the same room...I cancelled over 24 hours before check in and they had plenty of time to receive the notice. The Dow Villa is directly next store, is comparable in price and is far more accommodating to last minute changes to traveling which happen to everyone. I have been staying at the Dow for over 15 years for work and personal travel and never had anything but good experiences including with last minute changes. They were full so I thought I would try next store but that was a huge mistake. read more

Mt Whitney Hostel Refuses to refund my son's reservation for the end of the month..... what the heck?! Isn't that enough notice for them? Their car broke down and they can't make it home for the fair! NOT COOL!! read more

Regarding online order, clearly noted the specific color of the product prior to placing the order but still shipped me the wrong one. Contacted them via email and phone but they refused to admit their mistake and want me to pay for return shipping even though not my fault. read more

"THE OUTSIDE WAITING ROOM" BACKGROUND: The store is located next to the Mount Whitney trail head and has operated by permit from the Inyo National Forest since 1987. At the store, we try to keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors. The kitchen serves pancakes and burgers. The kitchen closes when the store closes. Note: On quiet days, the store may close earlier. STATS: Store hours vary depending on traffic May 9-6 June 8-8 July 7-9 August 7-9 September 8-8 October 9-6 Camping available (Permit required) EXPERIENCE: Many hikers hang out here at the Portal before and after making the trek to the top of Mt. Whitney. Although nowhere near the 14,508ft elevation, it is still a good place to work on getting acclimated to a higher elevation level. The Portal is basically a parking lot for hikers and campers with a stream running through it and lots of rocks and boulders to scramble and climb on. There is also a small fishing hole for those wanting to catch some trout for dinner. The Portal Store is a quaint little General Store with souvenirs; T & sweatshirts, Fleece jackets, licence plate frames, shot glasses, key chains, etc... As well as last minute items hikers may need/forgotten to bring with them for their trek. Also, the store offers hot and cold cooked meals and beverages. I heard the chef makes pancakes the size of entree plates and their hamburgers are messier than Carl's Jr. We didn't eat at the portal, but we did have come hot cocoa as the sun set. read more

Yikes, this is what happens when you are running too fast -- reviews go unfinished. So remiss on my part as this really was such a great location on my short visit to Lone Pine. I arrived later than expected, but found the lobby open and staff waiting to check me in. A long day in the Eastern Sierra, I happily climbed the stairs to my second-story private room. Such a deal! Clean, quiet, TV, microwave and in-room coffee maker. I was a happy camper - minus the camping, of course. I was in Lone Pine for the annual Owens Lake Bird Festival. The hostel was just blocks away from the festival headquarters so incredibly convenient. For those on a budget, naturally, the dorm-style rooms are the best deal and all rooms have private baths. Views of Mt. Whitney come at no extra charge. The hostel is downtown Lone Pine and an easy walk to local stores and restaurants. I didn't have a chance to really check out all the hostel has to offer as I was up and gone so early - I would likely have give then that fifth star had I been there longer. Thank you to owners Doug and Earlene Thompson! Next time a longer visit and that extra star! www.AreYouThatWoman.com read more

We stay there there for the Lone Pine Reunion and it was great the room was great and the bunkbeds were very nice. You feel like a kid again. The rooms were very nice and clean. We had 3 girls in the room so was nice to take a showers down stairs. They have a Fridge, microwave, and Coffee down stairs and nice place to eat at. Also there supplies are very cheap. Doug did a great job for the town of Lone Pine. I will stay there again. Very cool Shower costs 5 bucks, and they provide you with a towel, soap, and shampoo. There are 3 shower stalls, each completely enclosed and with a door for privacy. You don't have to get a room at the hostel in order to use the shower. read more

This review is for the hostel. This is a decent place to stay at an affordable price. A private room with two full size beds, own bath, microwave, fridge, coffee maker, and tv will run you $84, tax included. A 4-digit code is used to access your room in place of a key card. When you book the room, they ask your expected time of arrival. If you don't make check-in when they're expecting you, they will call or leave a message with your access code to your room. They did this while we were out on a longer than expected hike. If you sign your receipt when you check in, no further steps are needed to check out. Booking online was easy. Your card is charged at time of booking. Coincidentally we stayed in the same room on two different recent trips. We had an end room upstairs and although it faced Main St, it was quiet (unless you have the A/C on). This last time, we had 3 people in a room but they only provided 2 sets of towels. Be warned about the fridge that some items may freeze. read more

Hands down the best post Whitney burger there ever will be! They have a great selection of beers too. Staff was super helpful and down right hysterical! Can't wait to go back! My only suggestion would be to keep the kitchen open just a tad later. Other than that they rule! read more

Stayed here after a 3 day trip to hike Whitney and Russell. The room was clean and they have contactless check in (they text and email you a code to the door). The location is perfect as there's food and coffee nearby! read more

This place is nostalgic and cozy. The staff is friendly and super helpful, especially Hailey! Customer service award goes to her for sure! She helped me get my company MacBook Pro back that I had left up there in the desk drawer of our room when hiking Mount Whitney last weekend. I thought my life was over but nope, she made sure nobody who slept in the room left with my tech. I will always stay here when I come back up to hike again and recommend you to everyone. Thank you Hailey and Whitney Portal Store & Hostel! -Anthony read more

As far as hostels go, this one's right up there. If anything, it's got character. Situated at the beginning of the straight shot up Whitney Portal Road (it's in the town of Lone Pine, and not actually at the portal itself), it's as close as you can get to the starting point of your epic trek up The Big One (Mt. Whitney) without camping gear in tow. Good choice for one day hikers, as long as you make sure to leave a few days before your hike to acclimate to higher ground, since the town is only at 3,733 feet above sea level and the portal is only 8,000-something. The peak season rates are $25 for a bunk in a shared room, $59 for a private room of two bunks, and $75 for a private room of four bunks. When we arrived, we overshot the place because only its side was exposed to the main road, in the midst of a couple other motels and eateries. The doors on both sides were open to the spacious gift store, which had a seating area by a dormant fireplace for Wi-Fi users and a cashier's register that doubled as the hostel office desk. Not a soul was there, and we couldn't believe that all that merchandise was unattended.There were marmot puppets and giant crocheted molars (in case kids ever came here and lost teeth), for god's sake! Protect that shit! After a bunch of hooting and hollering, we kind of gave up and started just browsing the store. Eventually, a girl walked in saying that she had had to tend to the laundry and that she was the only one there. She hadn't been the one to talk with either of us in our several phone calls to the place, so she was supremely confused. We were double booked in rooms 9 and 12, and ultimately, she gave us the keypad code for No.12 (thank god, no keys to lose!). It was a ground floor unit normally reserved for handicapped people, judging by the large bathroom with the pimp tile floor shower. The bunks were fun and all, but in just a few minutes, we'd moved both twin mattresses to the floor to save ourselves the climb and to give our backs a break since the black steel frame wasn't exactly orthopedically theraputic. The floor was clean enough to make us comfortable with these alterations. Now, it was time to make some food. We'd already confirmed that there was no stove range. However, we didn't know that there wouldn't be a sink or even the simplest of tools (knife, can opener) there. My Easy Mac came out beautifully from one of the two microwaves, but then I couldn't get my can of tuna open. At one point, my mother had her dull apple peeling knife and was telling me to hold the can so she could hammer the knife through it. Hell, no. I asked the desk girl if she could help me find the can opener, and she couldn't, but produced one of those old ass bottle opener-looking things which I used to jimmy a small triangular hole so I could force shreds of tuna out of it with the end of one of the plastic utensils lying around. Out came the tuna, and all the oil with it. Oh, well. And luckily for them, I took the walk to the public shower/bathroom facilities to wet a paper towel and wipe down the area on the folding table. We stored our other food in the fridge, and as the staff had promised, experienced no theft of it. If anything, I gained food; a bag of BBQ kettle chips and, when leaving, three bottles from the Mammoth Brewing company with "take me" Post-Its on them. A curiosity fueled survey of the trash showed that not a few guests had resorted to "The Pizza Factory" right across the road. The next day, a different girl straightened out our reservations, and very honestly refunded us for being overcharged for a four-bunk room when we only had two beds. In the confusion, she also let us have a full refund even if we hadn't canceled a full week in advance. She mumbled angrily, "I'm going to have to have a talk with these new girls..." We found that New Girl's vague directions to the portal ("take a left at the big white horse") weren't necessary. All we had to do was go dead straight from the lodge. But no matter. Often, it's the idiosyncrasies and DIY nature of a hostel that makes it memorable. What it really came down to was provision of a fantastic shower and a clean, quiet place to sleep near the mountain, and this place pulled through with flying colors. You might be too anxious to actually sleep the night before, but you'll be dead to the world the night after your big climb. In the moments that you're awake, you'll enjoy talking with and getting advice from the diverse, hard core hikers blissed out from their adventures. After just a few nights there, I miss our room and I miss the town. I wonder if the same code will let me in when I return...whenever that'll be. Don't hesitate to stay here...it's the next best thing to camping on Mt. Whitney itself. read more

Great for a quick shower after hiking Whitney, Langley, or any trails in the area. Shower costs 5 bucks, and they provide you with a towel, soap, and shampoo. There are 3 shower stalls, each completely enclosed and with a door for privacy. You don't have to get a room at the hostel in order to use the shower. I came in just after the owner was closing up (around 10pm), but he was kind enough to let me use the shower facilities for a quick shower. Felt so much better afterwards! I think a bed in one of the rooms costs $20, and it's possible to reserve an entire room if you have a larger party. read more

I had never stayed in a hostel before, and to me that elicited images of sharing a room with others, who would probably be smelly. To my great pleasure, the Whitney Hostel is easily as nice as a Motel 6, and for 1/3rd to 1/4th of the price. Managed to snag a room for 8 while they were having a summer sale, but even if we had to pay "full price" at $20/bed/night, for our own room with AC and a shower/bathroom, it would be a great deal. Even better, when we checked in, they asked how many were actually staying - originally we had 7, but one member canceled so we only had 6. I was willing to pay for the extra bed to get our own room, so I wasn't going to say anything, but they only ended up charging us for 6 beds, while letting us have the room to ourselves still. Fantastic! The staff even gave us a key to the kitchen because we were leaving for our hike at 2 AM, and the lobby doesn't normally open until 6 or so. Doug, the owner, also had a lot of great hike related information to share with us. Overall a great experience, and I definitely plan to stay here the next time I tackle Mt. Whitney. Only downside: Check in is 3 pm read more

A clean bed and a nice, hot shower felt very good after having climbed to the summit of Mt Whitney in one day. The hostel is just a short drive from Whitney Portal and in the middle of town - walking distance to a couple of shops where you can buy any last minute items before your hikes, get breakfast and coffee, etc. We reserved the room the night before staying there - I use the term "reserved" loosely, as we just walked up to the owner and asked him if he could keep a room for us for the next night. We didn't have to put $ down or didn't sign anything. The following night, we were concerned that we'd lost our reservation as we made it down to Whitney Portal at around 10:20pm and knew the main office to the hostel closed at 10pm. Deciding to still give it a shot, we quickly headed to town and found - much to our surprise - that the owner had not only held our room, but was waiting for us at the lobby! He said he had a feeling we'd keep our promise and thought we were just taking a little longer than our expected time. Gotta love it. He charged us $15 each for the night and gave us a whole room - there were four of us staying there. Check out time in the morning is 10am - plenty of time to sleep in, take another shower in the morning, pack and head out. Enjoy your stay and the mountain! read more

I came here off season in February and was given my own room for $20 a night. Awesome! :) If i'm not wrong, Doug is the name of the guy at the reception. He was very friendly and accommodating. He was kind enough to take my reservation on the phone without asking for a pre-payment. He even gave me the unlocking code for the room, in case i arrived when no one was present at the reception desk. The room in which i stayed had 4 bunk beds. It was very well kept. The room was spacious, clean and the bunk bed mattresses were very comfortable. The heating worked perfectly for a good night's sleep after the hike to the Whitney Portal. read more

After camping for three days and hiking Mt Whitney I was in desperate need of a shower. This place offers showers for $5, and that includes a towel and soap. The best part....the place is spotless. I felt totally comfortable baring my bare essentials (as it were) in there. Not a bad odor or feeling of icky ness. I've showered in some creepy places (don't ask) and this isn't one of them. The staff behind the counter was great. They smiled (genuinely), laughed, joked, were frank in answering my questions (who wants a liar) and overall nice to deal with. I did not check out the lodging but I have heard from others it is good. Thank you Whitney Portal Hostel read more

Great for a pre-hike nap! Which is basically what we got before waking up at 2am to attempt a one day summit. Rooms were clean, air-conditioning was strong, and shower was refreshing. Towels left a little to be desired (mine had holes), but I know it's not the Ritz. Very easy to book as well. I called a couple weeks before our trip and reserved/paid over the phone. No hassles when we arrived. It's a perfect location in Lone Pine right next to Whitney Portal Rd and a bunch of restaurants and shops. Good home base, unless you need time to acclimate which I probably did! read more

I stayed here twice. Once in a private room for 4 after summiting Langley in August of 2011 and once this August pre Whitney in the coed dorm that sleeps 10. I found reservations easy to make on the phone the first time and as a walk up at 9:30 pm August 2nd this year. The parking is ok but I can see how it will run out if the hostel sold out, the rooms are clean, beds comfy, and the AC a blessing this year. The provided sheets, towels and a few toiletries a nice touch. The location is perfect as you can walk from end to end in the town from the place. The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean and located both in the dorm room with extra ones in the office should yours be full. There is a shop that has supplies such as ice, drinks, snacks, and hats and shirts and some Whitney stuff. The hostel kitchen needs some work though. There is one table and one chair and only a fridge. I dunno if they even had a microwave. I recall no real dishes nor a sink to wash up. But they did kindly have utensils in the plastic variety and a coffee pot. The kitchen hours are the same as the office hours 8am-10pm. I have no problem with the office/store hours as there is merchandise people could steal BUT the kitchen should be left open 24 hours to hostel goers. We come back from hikes very late and/or leave in the middle of the night and need food before we leave. They need to LOCK the kitchen door that leads to the shop and supply the hostel guests with the code for the kitchen door so we have access to our food. This can easily be done. Also it would be great to have a hostel common room. I have stayed in hostels all over the world and the best thing about a hostel is meeting people. That is always done in a common room with like a big tv or something, with card tables, a couch, computers, etc. I saw none of that and socializing was restricted to the rooms which are designed for sleeping only. In spite of these two issues both stays were very nice and worth the great price of 21-25 bucks! I will go back and tell people about it. read more

We and another couple Stay at the hostel for 4 days during the 2016 film festival. We had private rooms which included luggage rack, microwave, coffee pot and small refrigerator. The rooms are clean. there is a lack of a closet space in the room; however the price is fair for what you get. There are over the door hooks on the bathroom door which helped. The staff is uber friendly... Very informative on the best places to eat and sites to see. The common room has 3 sets of tables and chairs located in in the lobby which is also where there is a store for last minute items needed for a hiking or during your stay. I would recommend this place as well as stay here in the future. Also if you venture up the mountain and happened to eat breakfast or lunch at the portal store.....you are in for a treat. read more

I will keep it simple, need a hot shower after trekking Mt W... this is the place, friendly and clean. $5.00 priceless read more

Stayed here for over a week while my car was getting fixed nearby. Didn't expect to find a hostel in town so was glad I ran into it and promptly moved in to save some $. Stayed in dorm for 10, one night was temporarily moved to 6 person dorm (normally a women dorm). Dorms are spacious and come with things such as small TVs, microwave and mini fridge (10 person dorm) - not the usual dorm amenities. Bathrooms are clean. Great view from the terrace upstairs, enjoyed hanging up there in the evenings. As others said, kitchen facilities non-existent - two large fridges and a microwave. No plates, cups, utensils, anything. Common area is downstairs inside the shop. A very comfy lather couch and few basic tables set up. Not a very happening area compared to the usual hostels, but I found this place to be different from you average hostel (and I have been to over 70 of them all around the world). The crowd is generally older and most either going up or just coming down from Mt. Whitney/JMT so everyone is tired and just wants to sleep. WiFi worked fine downstairs as well as in the dorms. One bed in 10 person dorm is super squeaky. Also, watch out for beds near the AC - could get pretty cold at night. Good deal for the price you pay, just wish they had a more typical kitchen. read more

With new ownership this place feels like a hostel at the base of the biggest mountain in the lower 48 should feel like: friendly, warm, helpful and full of the amenities you need. Great place not only to stay for cheap, but to hang out and gather info for Whitney and all of the eastern Sierras. The wifi is fast too. read more

Located in the heart of town within walking distance to the market, restaurants, and a couple of stores. I thought the room was almost comparable with staying in a motel with the exception of the bunk beds which were pretty comfy for what they were. There was 1 mattress with pokey springs. i LOVE the water pressure and how quickly the hot water comes out. It's nice to not have to wait after standing and hiking all day long. The rooms facing Main St. were loud, but it was mostly quiet after 10pm until 5:30am. Good price. read more

I stayed here after an epic hike to Mt. Whitney. They only had one room left and it was the 2 bunk bed room. The room is small but for 3 guys who just hiked for 16 hours anything with a bed and hot water would do. The rooms were clean and we paid a reasonable price for the room. The staff here is very nice and were able to give us some great advice on climbing the mountain, weather conditions as well as things to do and eat in Lone Pine. The store has some great items you can buy for any last minute shopping before climbing Mt. Whitney, but prices are very expensive. About $30 for a poncho?! Sounds a bit too high. Their website is very detailed and offers very good information into Lone Pine and Mt. Whitney. I was looking at the website almost on an hourly basis on my way to Mt. Whitney to get a good sense for how the mountain looked. Overall great stay. read more

Thank god for this place to take a shower after hiking Whitney. Clean & cheap with plush towels. I didn't stay overnite but it's a nice place to clean up before the long drive home read more

Love love love this place. This was my second stay at the hostel/hotel. The first time some friends and I rented a room and it had everything we needed as far as soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Great beds and ice cold air conditioning. The price was reasonable and the staff was friendly and helpful. This visit I dis a quick stay in the coed dorm, which provided a fantastically comfortable bed with 2 pillows and the staff was superb. Thanks Whitney Hostel for taking such good care of us when we come off the mountains read more

First, I did not stay here, all my communications were online and finally a phone call. I made reservations in February for two rooms in June. The day after I made the reservations they were charging me $530 for the entire stay on my credit card--the ENTIRE AMOUNT, not a deposit. I called them about it and the lady was rude and said that's how they do business, so I told her to cancel my reservations. She said that they don't accept cancellations and that I would be charged the entire amount. I have absolutely NEVER heard of such a thing and was astounded. I cancelled the reservation where I made it at Bookings.com, and they said they cancelled it, but will have to wait and see. DO NOT HAVE ANY DEALINGS WITH THIS PLACE!!!! read more

Stayed here after spending 11 days on the John Muir Trail. I didn't really know about the place until after hearing about it more than once on the trail. I'm glad I checked it out. $25 was a small price to pay for a bed and shower after such a long trek! It wasn't busy so I only had to share a room with one other person. The rooms, beds, and showers were cleaner than some motels I've been to. The staff was very nice and helpful. read more

Whitney Portal Store & Hostel - Hostels Near Me - Lone Pine, California

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The wife and I stayed here over night and loved it. It's a great location with regard to the rest of the town. To be sure, the town isn't very big so really that is sort of a given. Great store for the things one might need and cool souvenirs. One complaint: there is very little lighting in the room we were in (Room 1) and the TV sucks. BUT isn't the idea to NOT be in the room and instead out and experiencing the great outdoor wonderland that is the Alabama Hills and Mt. Whitney? Yes, yes it is. read more

Great service. Friendly, helpful with bus schedules. The room we got was a hotel room. Not sure how the hostel was but nice to know it was available. The shower felt so amazing after 20 days of hiking jmt. Air conditioning tv. Perfect for hikers or guests on any budget. Very accommodating to hikers. read more

If you're looking for a no-frills, clean, and affordable place to stay in Lone Pine, look no further. Centrally located in town and no issues with parking or check in. The AC worked great and the shower had plenty of hot water. Next time I'm enjoying the area mountains, I know exactly where I'll be staying. read more