Lone Pine: Whitney Portal Store; things to do

High Sierra: Highway 395

Whitney Portal Store  

13 mi. west of town, closed in winter, (760) 937-2257.  Daily 8am-8pm. 

interior of Whitney Portal Store in Lone Pine, California

Getting here is a 13-mile climb (in this case, by car) up into the scenic mountains to 8,360 feet altitude.  Most of the people who come here are climbing Mt. Whitney--at 14,505 feet it is America’s tallest peak--or backpacking along the John Muir Trail.  In addition to stocking important backpacking and camping items, the Whitney Portal Store is an oasis known for its surprisingly good, and huge, 16-inch pancake breakfast and for its burger and fries.  But I discovered that the BLT is also primo.  After ordering in the store at a take-out window with a chalk-board menu, settle in with your grub at one of the many tables out front or in the back under giant trees.  A branch of the store with hostel lodging is located in town at 238 South Main Street.

famous giant pancake at Whitney Portal Store in Lone Pine, California

really good BLT at Whitney Portal Store in Lone Pine, California

dining al fresco at Whitney Portal Store in Lone Pine, California

Or have them wrap your meal to go.  Just across the road, cascading Lone Pine Creek Waterfall also makes a great spot for a picnic.  It is where the 1940s movie High Sierra was filmed with Humphrey Bogart, whose character was shot dead.  Ravine Campground is available for overnighting, and the 1953 movie The Long, Long Trailer with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball was filmed on Windy Portal Road.  More recently, Django Unchained and Disney’s animated Dinosaurs were also filmed in the area.





More things to do along Highway 395.

More things to do in nearby Yosemite.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers