John Muir Trail

The John Muir Trail is a 344-km point-to-point trail in California, United States, gaining roughly 14,000 m of elevation over about 21 days as it crosses the High Sierra from Yosemite Valley to the 4,421-m summit of Mount Whitney. Rated strenuous, it links six high passes, three national parks and some of the most photographed alpine scenery in North America.

About the John Muir Trail

The John Muir Trail (JMT) runs 213.7 miles (343.9 km) through the spine of California's Sierra Nevada, connecting Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley at 4,040 feet (1,231 m) with the 14,505-foot (4,421 m) summit of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Along the way it gains approximately 47,000 feet (14,000 m) of cumulative elevation, crossing six passes above 11,000 feet and never dropping far from the alpine zone for its entire southern half.

The trail honours Scottish-American naturalist John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club, who died in 1914. Construction began in 1915 and the final section was completed in 1961 — a 46-year project that pieced together stock routes, miners' tracks and purpose-built switchbacks. For roughly 270 km the JMT shares its tread with the Pacific Crest Trail, and the two routes split only near the southern end above Whitney.

Designated here as a Regional Walking Network (RWN) route and maintained with support from the JMT Wilderness Conservancy, the trail passes through Yosemite National Park, the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Devils Postpile National Monument, and Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Around 1,500 thru-hiking attempts are made each year, and roughly 90–96% of hikers walk north to south (Yosemite to Whitney) to ease into the altitude gradually. Because the Whitney summit lies 10.6 miles from the nearest road, most hikers add a descent to Whitney Portal, bringing the practical walking distance closer to 358 km.

What sets the JMT apart from other long-distance trails is its sustained altitude: from Tuolumne Meadows onward, hikers rarely camp below 2,700 m, and the southern half strings together one high granite basin after another with almost no road access, no resupply by car and no shortcuts. That isolation is the trail's greatest reward and its greatest logistical challenge. The conservancy that supports the route, the JMT Wilderness Conservancy, helps fund trail maintenance, ranger programmes and the restoration of fragile alpine meadows trampled by decades of heavy use. Understanding this context matters before you go, because everything you need for up to a week — food, fuel, warmth and emergency margin — rides on your back across terrain where help can be a full day away.

Route Overview & Stages

The JMT is usually broken into five logical sections, defined by resupply points and major passes. Distances below are approximate and reflect the classic northbound-to-southbound (NOBO start, southbound travel) itinerary.

Forester Pass, at 13,117 feet (3,998 m), is the highest point on the entire Pacific Crest Trail and the crux of the southern Sierra. Most hikers cover 13–18 km per day with at least one zero or near-zero day for resupply, which is how a 344-km route stretches comfortably into a three-week trip.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Half Dome — the granite monolith above Yosemite Valley; a strenuous cable-route side trip in the first few kilometres, requiring its own day permit.
• Thousand Island Lake — a sprawling, island-dotted lake beneath the jagged Banner Peak and Mount Ritter, one of the most photographed scenes in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
• Devils Postpile National Monument — a striking colonnade of hexagonal basalt columns formed by cooling lava roughly 100,000 years ago.
• Evolution Basin — a chain of high glacial lakes ringed by peaks named for evolutionary thinkers (Darwin, Mendel, Huxley), widely considered the scenic heart of the JMT.
• Muir Pass & the Muir Hut — at 3,644 m, the only built shelter on the trail, a stone emergency refuge erected in 1930 by the Sierra Club.
• Rae Lakes — a turquoise lake basin beneath the Painted Lady, a classic camp in Kings Canyon National Park.
• Forester Pass — the 3,998-m high point, blasted into a sheer rock wall on the Kings–Sequoia boundary.
• Mount Whitney — the 4,421-m southern terminus and roof of the lower 48 states, usually summited at dawn for the best light.

Best Time to Hike the John Muir Trail

The JMT's window is short and dictated by snow. The trail is generally walkable from early July to late September, but conditions vary enormously by season and snowpack. The single best month is August, when the high passes are reliably clear of snow, river crossings have dropped from their June peak, daytime temperatures sit around 18–24°C in the valleys, and long daylight allows big mileage.

July can still hold steep snowfields on the north sides of passes — particularly after a heavy winter — and the early-summer snowmelt makes some creek fords genuinely hazardous. As of 2026, hikers should check the latest snowpack reports before committing to an early-July start; in a high-snow year the practical window may not open until mid-July. September brings crisp, stable weather and thinning crowds, but nights below freezing become routine and the first autumn storms can arrive late in the month. Afternoon thunderstorms are common throughout summer, so most hikers cross high passes before noon. Mosquitoes peak in July near the lakes and meadows and ease off significantly by mid-August.

Snowpack is the variable that overrides the calendar. In a deep-snow year the passes hold ice well into July and the creek crossings — especially Evolution Creek and the outlets below Mather and Pinchot — can run dangerously high through early summer. In a low-snow year the trail may be comfortably passable by late June. This is why experienced hikers treat the official snow-survey data as the single most important planning input, more so than any fixed start date. Whichever month you choose, build in flexibility: a thunderstorm can pin you below a pass for an afternoon, and a smoke-filled sky from regional wildfires — increasingly common in late summer — can force a rest day or a reroute.

Practical Information

Accommodation

The JMT is a wilderness trail, so the default "accommodation" is your own tent — backcountry camping is free with your wilderness permit, and there are no booked huts beyond the unstaffed emergency Muir Hut. Designated and dispersed sites are spread along the entire route. The two ends and the resupply points offer paid options: campgrounds in Tuolumne Meadows and at Whitney Portal run roughly €25–€35 per night, while a tent cabin or bunk at Vermilion Valley Resort or Reds Meadow costs in the region of €70–€110. In Yosemite Valley and the town of Mammoth Lakes (a short shuttle from Reds Meadow), motels and lodges typically run €120–€220 per night in peak summer. Budget hikers should plan to camp the entire route and treat indoor nights purely as resupply comfort stops.

Getting There & Back

The nearest major gateway airports are San Francisco (SFO) and Reno–Tahoe (RNO), each about 4–5 hours by road from the trailheads, with Los Angeles (LAX) a longer option for the southern end. To reach the northern start at Happy Isles, take a regional bus to Merced and connect via the YARTS bus service into Yosemite Valley (around 2.5–3 hours from Merced). From the southern finish at Whitney Portal, hikers descend to the town of Lone Pine on US-395; the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority runs services along the 395 corridor, and many thru-hikers arrange a shuttle or hitch the 21 km from the portal down to Lone Pine. Allow a full travel day at each end, as connections are infrequent and seasonal.

Permits & Fees

A wilderness permit is mandatory and strictly quota-controlled. Yosemite issues JMT permits through a lottery that opens 168 days before your start date, and demand far outstrips supply for the popular Happy Isles trailhead. The permit itself is inexpensive (a small per-person reservation fee, generally under €15), but it must specify your exit over Mount Whitney. A bear-resistant food canister is required for the entire route, and dispersed campfire restrictions apply above certain elevations. Always confirm current quotas, lottery dates and fire rules with the official authorities before booking flights. See the National Park Service JMT permit page and the JMT Wilderness Conservancy for the latest planning details.

Gear & Packing List

The JMT demands a true backcountry kit: three weeks of self-sufficiency, a bear canister, high-altitude cold and long days between resupplies. Pack weight matters more here than on almost any other trail because you carry up to a week of food at a time. A frameless or lightweight internal-frame pack in the 50–60 litre range is the sweet spot for most thru-hikers. Strong choices include the 3400 Windrider for those who want a waterproof Dyneema pack, the Arc Haul Ultra 60 for ventilated ultralight carrying, or the slightly smaller 2400 Windrider if you keep your base weight genuinely low. For a deeper comparison, see our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026.

Beyond the pack, prioritise a sub-0°C sleeping bag for freezing alpine nights, a sturdy shelter, microspikes for early-season snow on the passes, a water filter, and a robust resupply plan. Calorie planning is critical over 344 km of hard climbing — read how many calories you need hiking a full day before you portion out your bear canister, and use a tool like HikeLoad's food planner to keep weight and calories balanced.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the High Sierra fires your imagination, several other long American routes and Sierra summits make natural follow-ups. The JMT is effectively a premium sample of the much longer thru-hikes, and several of its named highlights are also stand-alone day climbs.

• Pacific Crest Trail — the 4,265-km Mexico-to-Canada epic that shares most of the JMT's tread.
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail — a 4,988-km wilderness traverse of the Rocky Mountains.
• Mount Whitney Trail — the direct route to the JMT's 4,421-m southern terminus.
• Half Dome Trail — the iconic cable route above Yosemite Valley near the JMT's start.
• Angels Landing Trail--West Rim Trail — a shorter, exposed classic in Utah's Zion National Park.

For a contrasting alpine adventure on another continent, our guide on how to hike the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania covers a spectacular two-day Balkan crossing.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the John Muir Trail?
August is the best month. By then the six high passes are reliably free of snow, river crossings have dropped from their dangerous June and July peak, and daytime temperatures are pleasant. July can still hold steep snowfields and high water, while September is colder at night and risks early autumn storms. Always check the current snowpack before an early start.

How difficult is the John Muir Trail?
It is rated strenuous. Over 344 km you gain roughly 14,000 m of elevation and cross six passes above 11,000 feet, finishing on the 4,421-m summit of Mount Whitney. The trail is well graded and not technical, but sustained altitude, heavy resupply loads and three weeks of self-sufficiency demand solid fitness, acclimatisation and backcountry experience.

How many kilometres per day should I plan?
Most thru-hikers walk 13–18 km per day and take around 21 days, including resupply and rest stops. Fit, acclimatised hikers covering 24–32 km daily can finish in two weeks, but the altitude, big climbs and the urge to linger at lakes mean a steadier pace is more enjoyable. Plan your daily distances around the resupply points and pass crossings.

Where do you sleep on the John Muir Trail?
You camp in your own tent for almost the entire route; backcountry camping is free with your wilderness permit and there are no booked huts. The only built shelter is the unstaffed emergency Muir Hut at 3,644 m. Paid campgrounds and tent cabins (around €25–€110) are available at the trailheads and resupply points like Vermilion Valley Resort and Reds Meadow.

Do I need a permit for the John Muir Trail?
Yes. A wilderness permit is mandatory and tightly quota-controlled. Yosemite runs a lottery that opens 168 days before your start date, and the permit must specify an exit over Mount Whitney. The fee is small, but a bear-resistant food canister is required for the whole route. Confirm current quotas and fire rules with the National Park Service before booking.