I came here with the Sierra Club’s Wilderness Travel Course(WTC) so I cannot comment on the ease/rigor associated with booking. The campground is conveniently located near a road and parking lot. The elevation sits at 8,800 feet so make sure you have Diamox(a glaucoma medicine used for bad altitude sickness) if you are prone to AMS. I’m not that great with flora but apparently, you are surrounded by aspen & lodgepole pines. I watched as people pitched their four-season tents on the frigid snow so I cannot comment about how level the actual ground is. Waking up to the beautiful backdrop of the mountains around you is awe-inspiring. Palisades is not too far from East Fork & Rock Lake campgrounds(where I also stayed). As Susy C. pointed out this weekend, I have rather low standards when it comes to facilities. Hey, once you are forced to use a WAG bag on Whitney(Google it or read my Whitney review), your standards drop. Here are my pit toilet survival rules: 1) ZIPUPEVERYPOCKET. If you drop your keys, phone, or other valuables down that hole, it’s gone forever. 2) DON’T LOOKDOWN. Trust me, you don’t want to know what’s down there. Just aim & do your thing. 3) CLOSETHELID. During the summer months especially & in the desert, the pit toilets begin to reek. 4) BRING A HEADLAMP. There are no lights inside so make sure LEDs are helping you with #1& #3. 5) BRINGHANDSANITIZER. There is usually toilet paper inside but no sinks or hand sanitizer dispensers.
