Here is a brief, quick-reference fact sheet concerning Mt. Whitney in California’s Death Valley. You can use it to plan you next trip to Mt. Whitney, learn more about the U.S.A.’s natural wonders or simply settle bar-bets. It’s just the facts.

Mt. Whitney is 14,494 feet (over 44,00 meters) tall, and is the heighest point in the contiguous, lower 48 states.

Mt. Whitney is only 85 miles from the Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the lower 48 states at 280 below sea-level.

Mt. Whitney has an elevation gain of 6,136 feet.

A round trip up and down Mt. Whitney is over 21 miles.

A round trip up and down Mt. Whitney usually takes between 14 and 20 hours.

Mt. Whitney has two major trails, the heavily trafficked Mt. Whitney Trail and the more strenuous North Fork Trail.

Mt. Whitney has strict codes, quotas and permits for visitor use.

The closest town to Mt. Whitney is Lone Pine, California

Mt. Whitney’s most crowded in the summer, but hardy hikers also tackle it in the winter as well.

The 2 biggest pests hikers are likely to encounter are bears and marmots, both of which are enamored of human foods; it is illegal to feed Mt. Whitney’s animals.