| Whitney Portal | |
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| — Unincorporated community — | |
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Whitney Portal
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Inyo County |
| Elevation[1] | 7,851 ft (2,393 m) |
Whitney Portal (formerly, Hunter Flat and Hunters Camp) is an unincorporated community in Inyo County, California.[1] It is located 9 miles (14 km) west of Lone Pine,[2] at an elevation of 7851 feet (2393 m).[1] Whitney Portal, as its name suggests, is the gateway to Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States; it is the trailhead for the Mount Whitney Trail. Campgrounds, parking lots, bearproof food storage facilities, a store and a restaurant are located at Whitney Portal.
A road reached Whitney Portal in 1936.[2] Previously, the place was called Hunter Flat in honor of William L. Hunter, an Owens Valley pioneer.[2] The road was used in scenes in at least two American feature films, High Sierra (1941), with Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino, and The Long, Long Trailer (1954) with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.