The 211 mile John Muir Trail passes through the crown jewels of America’s park system: Yosemite National Park, John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, and Sequoia National Park. Hikers either start Southbound in Yosemite, often vying for a John Muir Trail Permit from Happy Isles, or starting at the southern end, where they will climb to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 before they officially start their journey on the John Muir Trail.
Allison’s 15 day thru hike through the High Sierra involved monsoonal rains and a little bad luck, but grit and a lightweight pack helped her hike through the rain and experience the joy of the single push.
John Muir Trail Journal:
Day 1: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley 4.6 miles
Day 2: Little Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Backpacker Camp 18.4 miles
Day 3: Tuolumne to 1 mile past Thousand Island Lake 21.3 miles
Day 4: ~Thousand Island Lake to Upper Crater Meadow 20.7 miles
Day 5: Upper Crater Meadow to Squaw Lake 17 miles
Day 6: Squaw Lake to Bear Creek 16.2 miles
Day 7: Bear Creek to Blayney Hot Springs 11 miles
Day 8: Blayney Hot Springs to Evolution Meadow 11 miles
Day 9: Evolution Meadow to Unknown Pond 14 miles
Day 10: Unknown Pond to Glacier Creek 13.3 miles
Day 11: Glacier Creek to J Bench Lake 14.3 miles
Day 12: J Bench Lake to Arrowhead Lake 14.6 miles
Day 13: Arrowhead Lake to ~Mile 192 19.2 miles
Day 14: Mile 192 to Guitar Lake 13.8 miles
Day 15: Guitar Lake to Whitney Portal 13.8 miles
Trail Prep and Other Information:
My first JMT post: Starting Somewhere
My sister (not a hiker) trying to open my new bear canister: some good laughs here!
Gossamer Gear Mariposa: My pack for the JMT
Mile…Mile and a Half documentary review
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| Photo courtesy of The Muir Project |
Update 1: Got my permit!
Intoduction to Lightweight Backpacking
15 Day Itinerary for the JMT
John Muir Trail: An Overview
DIY Dehydrated Meals: Vegetarian Chili
Pre JMT Hike FAQs
Going Stoveless: No Cook Food Spreadsheet
The Big Three: Sleeping System, Pack, and Shelter Under 5 Pounds!
Full Gear List
My Gear List on Gossamergear.com
The ULTIMATE JMT Preparation Guide
Hi Allison, I am not sure how to private message you.. But what an awesome review/blog etc.. This is great. I am not a huge hiker but I am trying really hard to get out and the the John Muir Trail this summer (late August).. Am I crazy?? I am from a little city, in Ontario and do a few overnighters etc.. I was just wondering if you had any advice for a newbie.. Cheers
So glad to find your site. Great information…adventure and practical. Just got my permit a couple weeks age and am trying for about 15 days. Luckily I got a pass thru permit. Hoping to keep up with your pace. Thanks for sharing your JMT with us all.
Thanks for the kind words, Kyle. Congrats on the permit- I know they’re hard to grab this year! The 15 day itinerary worked well for me. I had actually planned on 16 and even having to stay at Little Yosemite Valley and taking a half day, I didn’t feel like it was a rushed schedule. Enjoy the trail!
Thx for sharing. Due to the PITA getting permits I’m doing a flip flop out of Devils. I only have 14 trail days to complete. Thoughts on following iteniary??
4 days-Devils to HI
3 days- Devils to MTR
.5 day @ MTR
6.5 days- Whitney portal
I’m 40 yrs old in good shape…base wt 13-14 lbs. I usually do 15-18 mpd on southern AT. Alittle concerned about altitude sickness as arriving the day prior to starting from Florida.
Forgot…September 10 start date