John Muir Trail: Hiking the Sierra Nevada of California

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is one of the most famous and accomplished hiking trails in the United States.

The trail, named after the great naturalist, 19th century Scottish conservationist and author, John MuirThe route passes through the untouched wilderness of the American West and passes through three national parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The route starts in America's great treasure, the Yosemite National Park. Yosemiteand continues 215 miles along the Ansel Adams, Sequoia National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. The journey ends at one of the highest points in the USA, the mount Whitneyat about 4,421 m. For about 260 km (160 miles), the trail follows the same path as the longest trail of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)"..

Planning your trek

Considering this, why rush? The philosophy of a good mountaineer should be to enjoy every kilometre, every meal, and above all, every view. Most hikers are not professional athletes, but ordinary people who have made a hobby of hiking. This trail can be hiked for 21-30 days, enjoying each of its charms and stops. If you can do the John Muir over a longer period of time, this is the best option. On the other hand, we recommend splitting the trail into two segments of 2 weeks each and enjoying this wonderful experience over two summers.

Like every adventure, planning, knowing the route, and carrying good equipment are essential before starting.

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When to go?

From July onwards are good dates to do the route. August is the best date, as late snow can be a problem at the beginning of the season.

Cities & Services

We start in Yosemite and end at Whitney Portal; Tuolmmne, Vermilion Resort and Muir Trail Range along the route.

Access via San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Difficulty

The daily hikes are tough, but you will have no trouble finding the trail. You'll find many backpackers like yourself. You will meet many backpackers like yourself, and a word of warning, watch out for bears!

What not to miss

Yosemite (El Capitan Rock Walls, Half Dome, etc.), King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Anselm Adams Wilderness, Mt.

Stages of the John Muir Trail

There are many ways to do the route, many different stops and many points of interest. Below is a brief tour along the best known and busiest segments of the route.

Counting Yosemite Valley as the start of our route, the first segment of our trip would end in Toulumne Meadows National Park. As this is a considerably long segment, travellers usually do it in 4 days, stopping at Cloud's Rest Trail Junction and Sunrise Camp.

The second segment, also lasting about four days, would end at what is known as Devil's Postpile. The first stop would be at Island Pass, after walking over Donahue Pass. Then, before the end of the segment, you return to rest at the Gladys Lake area.

The third segment would end at the Vermillion Valley Resort at Edison Lake over a period of another four days. Then, the fourth would be slightly shorter ending at Muir Trail Ranch, the fifth segment would end at LeConte Canyon, the sixth at Kearsarge Lakes, and finally, the seventh segment would end at Whitney Portal.

There are many stops along the way and the time spent on this route is personal and different for each traveller or group of travellers.

The 216-mile trek is divided into 21 daily stages:

• Stage 1: Yosemite Valley (Happy Isles) to Half Dome Trail Junction/Sunrise Creek and the ascent of Half Dome
• Stage 2: Half Dome Trail Junction/Sunrise Creek to Sunrise High Sierra Camp
• Stage 3: Sunrise High Sierra Camp via Cathedral Pass to Tuolumne Meadows
• Stage 4: Tuolumne Meadows to Upper Lyell Canyon
• Stage 5: Upper Lyell Canyon via Donohue Pass and Island Pass to Thousand Island Lake
• Stage 6: Lake of the Thousand Islands to the Devil's Postpilots
• Stage 7: The Devil's Postpilot via Reds Meadow to Deer Creek
• Stage 8: Deer Creek to Tully Hole/Cascade Valley Junction
• Stage 9: Tully Hole/Cascade Valley Crossing via Silver Pass to Edison Lake
• Stage 10: Edison Lake to Rosemarie Meadow
• Stage 11: Rosemarie Meadow via Seldon Pass to Rancho Muir Trail
• Stage 12: Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow
• Stage 13: McClure Meadow via Muir Pass to Unnamed Lake North-East of Helen Lake
• Stage 14: Unnamed lake northeast of Lake Helen to Deer Meadow
• Stage 15: Deer Meadow through Mather Pass to Kings River
• Stage 16: Kings River via Pinchot Pass to Woods Creek
• Stage 17: Woods Creek via Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow
• Stage 18: Vidette Meadow via Forester Pass to Tyndall Creek
• Stage 19: Tyndall Creek to Guitar Lake
• Stage 20: Guitarra Lake via Mount Whitney and Trail Crest to Trail Camp; and the ascent of Mount Whitney
• Stage 21: Whitney Portal Trail Camp

Preparation and equipment

Preparation prior to the John Muir Trail is essential. From our website we recommend anyone who wants to venture into the wonders of hiking to make a calendar with notes and important dates for obtaining permits, reservations, and other important issues. In addition to this, as the start date approaches, it is important to make an explicit and careful design of the food menus and shopping points on the trail.

The long-distance routes require meticulous planning in order to prevent shortages of supplements and other essentials. If the details and tips we have developed are taken into account, the enjoyment and peace of mind during the trip will be much greater.

Equipment

The items in which it is recommended to invest are the backpack and the hiking boots, without a doubt. Other essential items are cooking equipment, tents, water filters, sleeping bags, clothes, etc. It is clear that each traveller is unique and each one has his or her own needs, and that is why the equipment should be as personalised as possible. Even so, we will try to recommend some of the favourite products for mountaineers to help you in your choice.

READ ALSO: A must-have in your basic trekking equipment "

As we have already said, our travel companion will always be our backpack, and that is why it is important to take into account details such as its size, structure, comfort, support, and many other variables. The most recommended backpacks tend to be medium sized, waterproof, and contain additional waist supports.

In addition to having our luggage stored in good condition, having footwear that provides comfort, stability, support, and protection is one of the most important things to have. Generally, it is advisable to opt for one size up in order to prevent chafing, swelling, and many other inconveniences. Among the recommended materials, the following predominate Goretexwhich offers total waterproofing.

We should not forget good socks, light but firm tents, sleeping bags that fit the temperature of the season and cooking equipment, among other things.