One of the best hikes in the world is the

JOHN MUIR TRAIL

Hikes in this area are called:

  • Mount Whitney Trail
  • Half Dome
  • Yosemite to Tuolumne Meadows
  • Tenaya Lake to Yosemite
  • Horseshoe Meadow (Whitney South)
  • ... many, many more

Do you know this hike?

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Walk for 2 or 3 weeks without crossing a road. Brilliant! This is the best hike in the USA and includes many of the best sections of the longer Pacific Crest Trail.

The red dot is YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK , California.

AT A GLANCE

  • one of our top 10 hikes in the world
  • start in gorgeous Yosemite, Muir's "Range of Light"
  • 223mi (360km) to Whitney Portal including sidetrips to Half Dome, Vermillion Resort and Mt. Whitney 14,505ft (4,421m)
  • 15-21 days recommended
  • most hikers carry their own food and tent (pack animals can be hired, however)
  • anyone can walk sections, but to do the John Muir as a thru-hike requires experience, toughness and advance planning.
  • short hiking season as snow still covers some passes into July and some passes may snowed in as early as mid-Sept.
  • the best weeks are Aug through Sept
  • getting a permit to start in Yosemite or Whitney is difficult — apply 24wks in advance. It's fairly easy to get permits to start at other trailheads.
  • moderate to difficult hiking, depending on weather and trail conditions
  • temperatures can range from 86F+ (30C) to below freezing
  • bear-proof food containers mandatory

Whitney is the highest mountain in the lower 48, and the most climbed.

WHY WE LIKE THIS HIKE

For many, this is the best hike in the world. More than that, it's a pilgrimage in honour of the man who co-founded the Sierra Club and helped create Yosemite National Park.

  • crosses Yosemite, Ansel Adams and John Muir wilderness, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
  • 11 high passes, unbelievable views
  • about 10 Ranger stations en route
  • comparatively safe walking for such a long hike (the scramble up Half Dome being the notable exception)
  • JMT is about 10% the length of the Pacific Crest Trail
  • many marvellous waterfalls cascading the huge granite walls of Yosemite
  • thousands of small lakes
  • public transport to the trailheads (easy to Yosemite, Reds, Bishop, Lone Pine and others)
  • the JMT passes through 6 of 7 ecological zones of America
  • many gorgeous tenting options. No need to camp near other people unless you wish to.
  • often great weather — though afternoon summer thunderstorms are likely
  • Whitney, highest in the continental USA, is a beautiful and impressive peak
  • the warm welcome (and day off) at Vermillion Resort is a highlight
  • the Wilderness Permit is free
  • it is easy to solo the JMT — but only if you are strong enough to haul your own gear. In fact, there are many solo hikers, including solo female hikers.
  • signing the summit register on Whitney is a great culmination to the adventure
  • trying to beat Reinhold Metzger's record of 5 days 7 Hours 45 minutes without being resupplied will get you in good shape
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CONSIDERATIONS

The biggest problem when planning for the JMT is that Muir Trail Ranch is the last place you can easily cache food. From there you may need to carry 10 days food or more over steep, remote passes to Whitney. (Consider finishing at the Ranch or Reds if you do not think you are up to the remote southern section of the JMT.)

Also, on the Muir Ranch to Whitney section you may need carry more food than you can fit in one bear canister (barrel). We recommend taking one canister and one Ursack / person for the excess. (Two canisters are too bulky for most packs.) Canisters can be rented in Yosemite, but you are better off buying your own.

  • few bear-proof campground lockers are available on the JMT. You need and are required to carry a bear-proof food container.
  • water is not a major problem, but it will be dry on the the high passes in August
  • a good water filter is recommended, however, as some suffer diarrhoea on this hike. Boil also, when you can. It is easy to resupply with fuel.
  • dehydration and heat are more often problems than hypothermia, but bring enough warm clothes
  • bring a lightweight stove. Fire limitations are in effect usually based on elevation.
  • the smartest bears in the world will be trying to get anything edible or that smells edible
  • Marmots will eat anything and may chew through your pack. We even had a chipmunk chew through our tent on Whitney, attracted by some batteries wrapped in plastic.
  • mosquitos are a slight problem early in the season
  • keeping with rustic tradition, the JMT has very few signs. It's fairly easy to get lost as (We did in 2007.)
  • snakes live there but are usually not a nuisance
  • altitude sickness is a big worry, if you are starting at Whitney
  • some hikers bring DIAMOX (Acetazolamide) — we do not recommend it
  • Half Dome cables are taken down early to mid-October
  • last day for the Tuolumne Meadows Tour bus shuttle was Sept. 17th in 2006
  • you must poop in a bag on Whitney. (If you've never done it, you are in for an experience.)
  • some river crossings may be a concern early in the season. Hiking poles an advantage.
  • Most hikers prefer sturdy footwear on this trek. A second pair of footwear recommended.
  • bears are a concern. Do not hike alone at night.
  • there is limited parking at Whitney Portal on a busy day
  • you are not supposed to leave food in the vehicle at Whitney Portal (due to bears) but there are not enough bear lockers to accommodate a full camp.
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A "Wilderness Permit" is essential. You may be checked several times.

First, you must apply up to 24wks to the day in advance of your intended start date. Mark your calendar to remind you of when to apply.

Apply by mail, phone or on-line. (Phone is best, if you get through, as the website is confusing.)

US$5 per person reservation fee (credit card needed)

Yosemite Association Wilderness Reservations
Yosemite.org

Yosemite Association
Wilderness Center, Yosemite Village
PO Box 545
Yosemite, CA, USA, 95389
(209) 372-0740

If you choose for some crazy reason to start at Whitney, you must apply instead to Inyo National Forest. If the Yosemite website confused you, the Inyo site is even worse. We recommend you phone them.

US$5 per person reservation fee (credit card needed)

Inyo Forest Permit information and application

Inyo Forest Wilderness Reservation Service

Wilderness Permit Office
351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200
Bishop, CA 93514

Wilderness Permit Reservation Line (760) 873-2483

If you do not get a permit, you still may be able to hike the JMT, especially if you are solo or a couple. Only about 60% of permits are available for reservation. The rest are first-come, first-served at the two trailhead issuing offices. (We like this policy!)

"Walk-in permits are available starting at 11am on the day before your entry date. Reserved permits that have not been claimed by the deadline will be cancelled and made available to other parties. Demand for walk-in wilderness permits is high on weekends, holidays and during the months of July and August." (Try for a weekday, if possible.)

In Yosemite, check in-person for cancellation or no-show permit availability at the Wilderness Center, Yosemite Village. You can try phoning a day or two in advance to get an idea of your chances.

Even better, request a hiking permit to start in Tuolumne Meadows (much easier) and hike down hill into Yosemite Valley. Then catch the shuttle back up to Tuolumne and continue on the JMT.

If you want to start in Whitney, check at the Inyo National Forest Parks desk at the Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitors Center, south of Lone Pine, for last minute availability for the next day (or two). The fewer people in your group, the better your chances. Arrive 11AM the day before you want to start. Reserved permits that have not been claimed by the deadline (noon) will be cancelled and made available.

Finally, if you still do not get a cancellation spot in Lone Pine — ask about alternative trails, some by which you can still get to the top of Whitney. Richins recommends New Army Pass, High Sierra Trail and Circumnavigation of Mount Whitney as best alternatives. Guide to the John Muir Trail  recommends Horseshoe Meadow (Whitney South) as an "easier permit to get" by which you can still summit Whitney before heading north on the JMT.

ROUTES

  • the recommended route starts in Yosemite and culminates with an ascent of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48. You are well acclimatized to altitude by the time you get there!
  • click on the small image to see a larger map


PCTA

  • click on the elevation profile to see a larger (scarier) version


PCTA

  • the main downside of starting in Yosemite at Happy Isles trailhead is the steep climb at the start of your hike. Smart hikers, instead, you catch the Tuolumne Meadows Tour bus from Yosemite valley up to Tuolumne Meadows, then hike back down to Yosemite via Half Dome. (Turning the slog into a relaxed descent.) Then take the shuttle again back up to Tuolumne Meadows where you resupply and start the trail proper. (Credit for this idea goes to one of the comic Yosemite shuttle drivers who went on to tell us that thru-hikers are mostly crazy — they consider this cheating.)
  • You can certainly reverse the route and start from Whitney Portal at 8,360ft (2548m). (Public transport is more easily available out of Yosemite, for one thing.) But you risk ill effects from the huge altitude gain of 6100ft (1859m) right at the start of your long trip while your pack is heavy. This is a particularly bad idea if you are coming from sea level. Not only that, but it may take you 10 days to get to the next resupply at John Muir Ranch. With a full pack. Over the highest passes.
  • Almost everyone should hike south to Whitney.
  • Cicerone - The John Muir Trail  by Alan Castle lays out the JMT into 21 day long stages. Start with that reasonable itinerary. Hard core hikers often finish in 15 days. Some have taken as long as 30 days.
  • John Muir Trail by Elizabeth Wenk (2007) uses drainage basins to split up the JMT. This guidebook worked well for us as we planned to start each day on flat ground. Or, better, downhill.
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LOGISTICS

If you sign on with a guided trip, logistics will be organized for you. This section is for independent hikers.

This information page is far too short to explain all you need to plan a JMT hike. We just give an overview and point to the best resources.

  • ideally you get someone with a personal vehicle to move you and to drop food caches. Without wheels, it is tricky (not impossible) to organize this trip.
  • There are four popular places to resupply on the trail: Tuolumne Meadows, Red's Meadow and the Muir Trail Ranch .
  • most recommended, however, is Vermilion Valley Resort which caters to thru-hikers and is only one mile and a short ferry ride off the JMT. Take a rest day there if you have the time.
  • Needless to say, you should plan and confirm your food drops well in advance with the direction of a guidebook and PCTA.org . It can be a hassle.
  • ... add a recommendation here

Muir Trail Ranch is very specific on how you must package your cache. And, last time we checked, it cost $45 for the service.

Many have found the Ranch to be unfriendly to non-guests. They werre so-so when we stopped in in 2007.

  • for those flying, the most popular access airport is San Francisco
  • from there, not surprisingly, public transport to Merced, California is convenient by bus or train. Merced (pop. 60,000) is the last good place to buy your food.
  • from Merced we took the popular YARTS bus to Yosemite. If you need to overnight anywhere en route, choose Yosemite Bug lodge and hostel , a gem of a location and inexpensive. Right by a YARTS bus stop.
  • Once you have a Backpacking permit, you are allowed to camp in Yosemite at the Backpackers Camp until your day of departure
  • exiting the trail at Whitney Portal is problematic. At any given time you will see tired, dirty hikers trying to find a way out to the highway.
  • best is to have someone pick you up there in a personal vehicle. You may have to telephone them once you arrive at the famed trailhead store restaurant. (Giant pancakes, great burgers!)
  • It’s difficult to predict even to the day when you will finish.
  • public transport out is via the small tourist town of Lone Pine, California on the doorstep of the Mojave desert. That's 13mi (21km) east of the Whitney Portal trailhead. And you will not want to walk it. (Hitchhiking is possible.)
  • From Lone Pine, your best, perhaps only, option out is the CREST bus on US-395. Once you catch that bus, it is still difficult to connect to Los Angeles, the closest major airport.
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  • just south of Lone Pine is the Inyo National Forest Parks desk at the Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitors Center, open 7 days a week, 8AM-6PM in summer and from 8AM-5PM in winter.
  • you might be able to hire transport trailhead <> Lone Pine (but don't count on it as shuttles are often booked during high season).
  • there are at least a dozen conspicuous hotels and motels in Lone Pine (but no hostel) and a number of campgrounds on the way up to the mountains. If camping, however, try to stay at the Whitney Portal Family Campground and spend time at the Whitney Portal trailhead store.
  • ... add a recommendation here

HIKING GUIDES

Most hikers do the JMT on their own, but you may be able to hire a guide or join a hiking group. Check the links above.

LOCAL INFORMATION - YOSEMITE

LOCAL INFORMATION - WHITNEY PORTAL

Doug Thompson is "the man" at the Whitney Portal trailhead store. If you have any specific question on Whitney, ask Doug.

The next best source are the official pages for Inyo. (Pages often have broken links. Phone them if necessary.)

Other pages:

BEST HIKING GUIDEBOOKS

We liked the Cicerone guide best. Small, compact, attractive and with convenient maps. Then in 2007 Wenk & Morey updated the Wilderness Press guidebook. It's the one we took on our August 2007 adventure. And the one recommended at the trailheads.

The Wenk and Morey describes the trail in both directions. You may want to tear out just the section of the book you need.

In the research phase, compare as many of the guidebooks as you can get your hands on.

BEST TRAVEL GUIDEBOOKS

OTHER RECOMMENDED BOOKS

BEST MAPS

The most popular maps we saw on the trail in 2006 were Harrison's. Lower resolution versions of those maps are included in John Muir Trail  - Elizabeth Wenk, Kathy Morey, 2007 — but we'd rather carry the Map-Pack.

The JMT is surprisingly poorly signed though easy to follow ... unless covered with snow. If you miss one junction, you may walk miles out of your way. A GPS is a good idea on this trip.

On-line maps:

BEST WEB PAGES

After this page, the best links are

BEST PHOTOS & TRIP REPORTS

After this page, the best links are

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This page last modified Tuesday, December 25, 2007.