Hiking the John Muir Trail

This document has three parts: First, useful information about hiking the JMT: mileages, elevations, how to get a wilderness permit, etc.; second, a compendium of information about how to use public transit to get to and from the trail; third, a personal account of my journey on the John Muir Trail (JMT) 5-23 August 1997. Three separate web pages now comprise this document.

• A description of the route
• John Muir Trail Distances and Elevations
• Getting a wilderness permit
• Resupplying along the way
• Maps one wants
• Books one may find useful
• Bears
• Getting to/from the trail
• Getting to or off the trail along the way
• Useful sites

The John Muir Trail climbs out of Yosemite Valley northeast over the Cathedral Range to Tuolumne Meadows then descends into Lyell Canyon which it follows south, up Lyell canyon, to Donohue Pass (11,050' high), in the ridge which divides Yosemite National Park from the Ansel Adams Wilderness in the Inyo National Forest. The largest glacier in the Sierras lies on the face of Mt Lyell.

Over Donohue Pass the trail descends into the valley of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River, a wet region with many lakes and streams that attracts fishers (who need a permit from the State Fish and Game Department.) It descends to Shadow Lake, a famously-beautiful lake, then rises up over a ridge before descending to Devil's Postpile. The scenic Ritter Range, an old range whose rising preceded the rising of the Sierra forms the east wall of the valley. The soil changes from the rough grainy soil of eroding mountains to volcanic dust, a less pleasant soil to deal with keeping clean against, especially when wet.

At Devil's Postpile and Red's Meadow. A small National Monument, Devil's Postpile features the unusual formation of hundreds of hexagonal posts of basalt that had the opportunity to solidify without mixing, allowing them to freeze in hexagonal posts. A mile from Devil's Postpile lies Red's Meadow which has a campground (with a site for backpackers that always has room for one more), a hot springs plumbed into shower stalls providing free hot showers (perhaps after a wait for the water to get hot, especially the further down the pipes your stall. Wait for it.), a store (food but few supplies for hikers - it appears to serve fishers more) and cafe, both open 7 AM to 7 PM, and a shuttle bus goes to the town of Mammoth Lakes (round-trip: $8).

The trail climbs out of the valley of the Middle Fork through forest still burnt from the 1993 fire through a meadow, past Deer Creek, and then along the west face of the ridge above Cascade Valley to Duck Creek. From Duck Creek the trail ascends a ridge-point then descends into Purple Lake, then another ridge-point before descending into Lake Virginia. The trail descends steeply to Tully Hole, on a fork of Fish Creek, then gently to the head of Cascade Valley, where it crosses Fish Creek on a bridge and ascends another fork of Fish Creek past high rocky Squaw and Chief Lakes to Silver Pass on Silver Divide.

The trail descends Silver Pass past Silver Pass Lake, follows Silver Pass Creek to the North Fork of Mono Creek at Pocket Meadow, then descends to Quail Meadows, a mile east of Lake Edison. It crosses Mono Creek then rises steeply to Bear Ridge, follows the ridge then descends to the bank of Bear Creek. It follows Bear Creek, then its west fork, to its source, Marie Lake, then over Selden Pass.

The JMT now descends Selden Pass past Heart Lake, through a meadow to Sally Keyes Lakes, crosses Senger Creek and descends an exposed ridge to the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. About halfway down a trail that leads directly to Blayney Meadows and its hot spring meets the JMT. The JMT itself descends a little less steeply than that trail to the bank of the South Fork to where the Piute Creek joins the South Fork and the border with King's Canyon National Park.

The JMT continues up the South Fork, crossing it on bridges twice until it reaches Goddard Canyon, where it heads east steeply up into meadow-filled Evolution Valley. After passing through Evolution, McClure (ranger station here), and Colby Meadows it climbs to Evolution Lake, surrounded by many high mountains named after famous scientists who contributed to the theory of evolution, mountains popular with climbers. From Evolution Lake the JMT passes four more lakes before ascending to Muir Pass on the Goddard Divide. Muir Pass has a well-built stone shelter where stranded hikers can spend a night (no fires!).

The JMT descends past Helen Lake then follows the Middle Fork of King's River down to the meadows of Le Conte Canyon. After crossing Big Pete, Little Pete (ranger station at the south end of Little Pete Meadow), and Grouse Meadows it heads east along Palisade Creek to Deer Meadow, from which it ascends very steeply on a trail cut into the face of rock, sometimes with steps, to Palisade Lakes then up to Mather Pass.

From Mather Pass the JMT descends into the Upper Basin, a broad high basin covered with small streams and ponds, the beginning of the South Fork of King's River, then follows the South Fork until it turns southwest, at which point the trail crosses and begins to climb out of the valley. After leaving the valley the JMT comes to a pond and the Bench Lake Ranger Station, then passes three more ponds before coming to Lake Marjorie. After passing two more ponds it climbs to Pinchot Pass.

From Pinchot Pass the JMT descends to the North Fork of Woods Creek. It follows this fork into a steeply-walled canyon until just past the point where the South and North Forks of Woods Creek meet. Here the most impressive bridge on the whole JMT rises far above Woods Creek (at least in late summer) and crosses to a campground with bear-proof lockers on the south side. The JMT then climbs the South Fork of Woods Creek to Dollar, Arrowhead, and Rae Lakes, which have campgrounds with bear-proof lockers; Rae Lakes has a ranger station. Lots of fishers come to these lakes. Directly out of this valley the JMT climbs steeply up a rocky trail by a group of ponds to Glen Pass.

From Glen Pass the trail descends to near Charlotte Lake (home of the Charlotte Lake Ranger Station), then very steeply into Bubbs Canyon to Bubbs Creek and Vidette Meadow (Popular Vidette Meadow campground has bear-proof lockers and a ranger station.). The trail goes up along Bubbs Creek, fording many smaller creeks along the way, past a high lake, until it climbs Forester Pass (expect snow), on King's-Kern Divide, which divides King's Canyon from Sequoia National Parks.

Descending Forester Pass the JMT passes high ponds and lakes then Tyndall, Wright, and Wallace Creeks. From Wallace Creek it ascends gently through Sandy Meadow to Crabtree Meadow. Now the JMT leaves the Pacific Crest Trail at Whitney Creek, passes Crabtree Ranger Station, bypasses Guitar Lake, then a pond just past Guitar Lake, at which point it leaves water and vegetation behind. Now it climbs steeply to Trail Crest, the pass on the ridge which separates Sequoia National Park from Inyo National Forest, at which point the trail to Mt Whitney heads north.

The Forest Service has fixed up the cabin on the summit so one need not lie on the wet rocky floor. They have installed a toilet because the summit has no soil in which to dig a hole. One can spend the night; expect freezing temperatures and strong winds, a clear sky and more stars than anywhere else. Storms can get nasty.

To get down return to Trail Crest and head east down the hundreds of switch-backs to meet and follow Lone Pine Creek, pass Consultation, Mirror, and Lone Pine Lakes, Trail and Outpost Camps, to Whitney Portal, where sits a store and parking lot, and Lone Pine fifteen miles away.

One can get a wilderness permit for your entire trip at the point of entry. One can reserve permits ahead of time. Yosemite holds some permits back for people who show up, which they issue on the day of first use. I have never had trouble getting a permit at Yosemite even during the height of the summer travel season.

The National Forests don't hold back any permits and the permits for the most popular trails, e.g., up the east side of Mt Whitney, they often have issued all of months beforehand. They re-issue the unused permits to people who show up. Without a permit beforehand one must enter wherever one can get a permit; less-popular trails have a greater chance of having a permit available.

Wilderness Management Office
Box 545
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
209 372 0740

Wilderness Management Office
Sequoia-King's Canyon National Park
Three Rivers CA 93271
209 565 3306

Inyo and Sierra National Forests have instituted a joint permit system for trails with quotas:

Reservations

Wilderness Permit Office
Inyo National Forest
351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200
Bishop, CA 93514
Wilderness Information Line: (760) 873-2485
Reservation Line: (760) 873-2483
Fax: (760) 873-2484
Open Monday through Friday, mid-October to mid-May, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM The rest of the year open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

For other trails get permits from the closest ranger station. If they do not issue permits for a trail they will know who will. From north to south:

Inyo National Forest
Mammoth Ranger District
Box 148
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
760 924 5500

Inyo National Forest
White Mountain Ranger District
798 N Main St
Bishop, CA 93514
760 873 2500

Inyo National Forest
Mt Whitney Ranger District
Box 8
Lone Pine, CA 93545
760 876 6200

For entries from the west side between Yosemite National Park and King's Canyon National Park:

Sierra National Forest
Pineridge Ranger District
Box 300
Shaver Lake, CA 93664
209 841 3311

Dinkey Information Station
53800 Dinkey Creek Road
Dinkey Creek, CA 93664
209 841 3404 (summer)
209 855 8321 (year-round)

If one doesn't want to carry all the supplies for the whole trip from the first day (recommended!) then resupply along the way. One can resupply at four places near the trail: Tuolumne Meadows (21 miles from Yosemite Valley), Red's Meadow (57 miles from Yosemite Valley), Lake Edison (85 miles from Yosemite Valley), and Muir Trail Camp (108 miles from Yosemite Valley), all in the first half of the trip. Resupplying at other points requires that one hike further out and hitchhike to the nearest town; this will require an additional three days for each resupply: one day to hike to the trailhead, one to get into town and back, and another day to hike back to the trail.

One resupplies by mailing stuff (or having a friend mail it) to oneself, general delivery, at the post office. Write the postmaster a nice note on the outside of the package explaining the situation; they will hold the package. For example:

Sturdy Hiker
c/o General Delivery
Cyclops Cave, CA 99999

I will hike through sometime between 9 and 16 August.
Please hold this package for me.

Postal regulations require that the postmaster hold the package at least ten days.

Tuolumne Meadows, 21 miles from Yosemite Valley, has a post office and a store; zip code: 95389

At Red's Meadow, 57 miles from Yosemite Valley, one can take the shuttle to Mammoth Lakes Resort ($8 round-trip) to its post office and stores; zip code: 93514. Note that the town of Mammoth Lakes lies a few miles further away: one must walk or take a taxi to get to town.

To resupply at Lake Edison ship the package to the Vermillion Valley Resort on the west end of the lake. One can take a short hike to east end of the lake (about a mile from the JMT) when one comes to Mono Creek (87 miles along the JMT) and ride the ferry ($8 one way, $15 round trip, daily 1 June - 1 October, leaving from the resort at 9:00 AM, from the mouth of Mono Creek at 4:00 PM; the trip takes 45 minutes) across the lake or one can hike six miles to the resort. Or one can take the Goodale Pass trail just before one gets to Silver Pass: this trail goes more directly to the west end of Lake Edison traveling about ten miles on Goodale Pass Trail: south over Goodale Pass (11,000' high), down through Graveyard Meadows, then along the north side of Lake Edison past a high sierra pack station. To pick up a package at Vermillion Resort one must pay $6 per package because the resort must pick its mail up in front country. Vermillion Valley Resort has a restaurant and a small store. Their web page claims that they offer one free beverage and one free night in a tent cabin to JMT hikers.

One can return to the JMT by hiking up the Bear Ridge Trail: hike down the road about 2.5 miles to Bear Ridge Trailhead just past the spillway then hike Bear Ridge Trail about five miles to rejoin the JMT on Bear Ridge. The Goodale Pass-Vermillion Valley-Bear Ridge detour takes about 4.5 miles more than staying on the JMT.

To make arrangements write beforehand to:

Vermillion Valley Resort
Box 258
Lakeshore, CA 93634
209 259 4000 Resort (in season only)
209 855 6558 Office

Lastly one may resupply at Muir Trail Ranch, 108 miles along the JMT, (next to Blayney Meadows and its hot spring). Since the ranch has to carry in all its supplies on mule one must pay $40 per package for this service. Arrange this by writing the owner:

Muir Trail Ranch
Box 176
Lakeshore CA 93634

It takes dozens of topo maps to cover the whole trail. One doesn't need them. The Forest Service's Wilderness Maps cover all but Yosemite with the resolution of a 15-inch topo. One needs the John Muir/Sequoia-King's Canyon Wilderness Map ($8.00) and the Ansel Adams Wilderness Map ($4.00). Though not a topo map the Inyo National Forest Map ($4.00) covers the entire area including the local highways, offering the best perspective of the whole route (Notice who rates its own color on the map.) You can obtain them most cheaply (no tax, no postage or handling charge) by writing:

USDA Forest Service
Attn: Map Sales
P.O. Box 9035
Prescott, AZ 86313
928-443-8285

The John Muir/Sequoia-King's Canyon Wilderness Map comes in too-wide a format, three times the width of a regular map, so I folded them in thirds, each fold individually (not with the whole map folded up as it comes.)

Any topographically-marked map of Yosemite National Park will serve; I like the plastic map from Trails Illustrated publishes for its sturdiness and water-resistance, but I go to Yosemite often enough to make a more expensive map worth the price to me.

Thomas Winnett's compact The John Muir Trail, published by

Wilderness Press
2440 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704

Walter A. Starr, Jr.'s Starr's Guide to the John Muir Trail and the High Sierra Region, published by

Sierra Club Books
530 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

The Pacific Crest Trail, by Schaffer, Schifrin, Winnett, and Jenkins, (Wilderness Press), has a useful summary description of the JMT in its Section H, 'Mt Whitney to Tuolumne Meadows', (and the last page of Section G for the trip up to the top of Whitney). While the JMT and the PCT don't coincide for this whole section they do for most of the way; this book has valuable insights for long-distance hikers. I copied these pages and carried them.

Bears have learned that they can eat more easily by stealing food from humans, and bears like nothing better than an easy meal. Bears don't hunt: they eat bees' nests (not just the honey, but the bees and wax as well), ants, termites, wasps, birds' nests (for the fledglings), berries, mushrooms, roots, fish: the easiest things they can find to eat. Still afraid of humans they won't approach an alert person directly but will sneak in when everyone sleeps or when they think they can get away unseen. I talked to a couple of fellows who had their food stolen when they had their backs turned; a ranger at Rae Lakes tells the story of a bear stealing a bag from someone who had it leaning against his leg. Every time I have seen bears they have run away from me as soon as I noticed them, before I had the chance to do anything to scare them.

Some campgrounds have bear-proof food lockers. In the majority of campgrounds which lack them the rangers want one to put one's food in bear-proof canisters. If one lacks canisters (and one can carry only about a week's worth food in a canister) the rangers want one to hang one's food by rope from tree limbs high enough (at least 12' high), far enough from the trunk (at least 10' out), and far enough down from the branch (at least 5') to make it difficult for the bears to reach. Even properly hung bears can still break the limb so the rangers warn hikers to consider this only a delaying tactic, giving time to wake up and scare the bear away by shouting, banging on a pot, or making whatever noise one can (Black bears, the only kind that live in California, will not attack, but they will fight to defend themselves and the food they have just stolen from you - don't ever approach them or try to take things, even your own things, away from them. A mother will of course do anything to defend her cubs.) I believe that camping in unpopular spots and not cooking there works best for preventing bear intrusion. I saw no bears on this trip and often did not have suitable trees for hanging my food (at high altitudes they often don't exist; but I hung as best I could.)

Can't make it? I didn't. The John Muir Trail has a number of places a day's hike from a trailhead making it easy to quit along the way and accommodating those who want to hike a portion of the trail at a time.

Tuolumne Meadows, 21 miles from Yosemite Valley (Taking the bus to Tuolumne Meadows) takes one to Yosemite Valley or Lee Vining.

Rush Creek Trail, 40 miles from Yosemite Valley: an eight-mile hike east on this trail (passing Waugh, Gem, and Agnew Lakes on their north sides) takes one to Silver Lake, which has stores and hotels. June Lake lies about five miles east on Highway 158. June Lake Junction another two miles east, lies on US 395 where one can catch the CREST bus (Remember: One must call ahead to get the bus to stop in June Lake.)

Thousand Island Lake, 43 miles from Yosemite Valley: an eight-mile hike on this trail over Agnew Pass (9,950' high) takes one to Silver Lake (see Rush Creek Trail entry.)

Garnet Lake, 45 miles from Yosemite Valley: an eight-mile hike on this trail over Agnew Pass (9,950' high) takes one to Silver Lake (see Rush Creek Trail entry.)

Shadow Creek Trail Bridge, 49 miles from Yosemite Valley: a four-mile hike around the north side of Shadow Lake then down to Agnew Meadows brings one to a campground and popular entry point for this section of the wilderness from which one can hitchhike the about-nine miles to Mammoth Lakes.

Red's Meadow, 57 miles from Yosemite Valley: a shuttle bus (or friendly driver) takes one to Mammoth Lakes from bus stops next to the store, campground, or Devil's Postpile. The bus may only charge for the trip outbound from Mammoth Lakes to Red's Meadow, it used to. If one wants to hike to Mammoth Lakes head south on the JMT to Mammoth Pass Trail (1.4 miles), take it east two miles to Mammoth Pass (9,300' high), two miles down to Twin Lakes, cross the campgrounds to the road, then follow the road about two miles east to Mammoth Lakes.

Duck Creek, 68 miles from Yosemite Valley: a seven-mile hike east on Duck Lake Trail past Duck Lake and over Duck Lake Pass (10,427' high) brings one to Lake Mary, five miles up a paved road from Mammoth Lakes.

Tully Hole, 74 miles from Yosemite Valley: a thirteen-mile hike east on McGee Pass Trail along Fish Creek, over McGee Pass (11,900' high), past McGee Lake, then along McGee Creek takes one to McGee Creek Pack Station at the end of a dirt road about four miles from US 395. The CREST bus does not stop here; one will want to hitchhike the 33 miles south to Bishop.

Goodale Pass Trail, 78 miles from Yosemite Valley: a hike of about ten miles on Goodale Pass Trail, south over Goodale Pass (11,000' high), down through Graveyard Meadows, then along the north side of Lake Edison past a high sierra pack station, will take one to Vermillion Valley Resort (on a public road), which has a store and hotel. Fresno, the first place with transportation, lies nearly 90 miles away.

Mono Creek, 86 miles from Yosemite Valley: a hike of one mile gets one to the east end of Lake Edison from which one can take a ferry (or hike six miles around the lake), to Vermillion Valley Resort, which has a store and hotel, on the west end of the lake, nearly 90 miles from Fresno.

Blayney Meadows Trail, 108 miles from Yosemite Valley: a hike of nine miles along Blayney Meadows Trail, which follows South Fork of the San Joaquin River then the west side of Florence Lake, will take one to Florence Lake Resort, on a public road, which has a store and hotel. Huntington Lake lies 22 miles away, Fresno 86.

Bishop Pass Trail, 135 miles from Yosemite Valley: a thirteen-mile hike east, by Dusy Lakes and over Bishop Pass (12,000' high) brings one to Parcher's Camp at South Lake, on a public road, 22 miles from Bishop.

Taboose Pass Trail, 155 miles from Yosemite Valley: a ten-mile hike east over Taboose Pass (11,360' high) then along Taboose Creek reaches a dirt road about six miles from US 395. The town of Independence lies fourteen miles south on 395.

Kearsarge Pass Trail, 178 miles from Yosemite Valley: a nine-mile hike east over Kearsarge Pass (11,823' high) takes one to Onion Valley which has a campground, hot showers, and a paved road which goes to Independence, fifteen miles away.

Bubbs Creek Trail, 180 miles from Yosemite Valley: those who prefer to leave on the west side, or go downhill, can hike the Bubbs Creek Trail west about eleven miles to the junction with the South Fork Trail then take the South Fork Trail west about three miles to the end of Highway 180. Cedar Grove, with its giant campground and a store, lies another four miles east on either the trail or the road. Fresno lies about 80 miles away.

Crabtree Meadows, 203 miles from Yosemite Valley: If one decides that one had enough high elevation on Forester Pass and doesn't want to hike over 13,600' high Trail Crest or go to the top of Mt Whitney one can bypass them by continuing south on the Pacific Crest Trail at Crabtree Meadows. Hike nineteen miles past Crabtree Meadows to the Cottonwood Pass Trail, take it east over Cottonwood Pass (11,200' high) four miles to Horseshoe Meadow. Lone Pine lies 24 miles away down the paved road. This detour requires no more hiking than going to Mt Whitney and only five miles more than going over Trail Crest and bypassing Whitney.

• The Pacific Crest Trail Association's John Muir Trail page
• NPS's Yosemite National Park page
• Yosemite Park Association
• Ron Pepper's John Muir Trail web site
• PCTA's Yosemite National Park page
• How to get a wilderness permit from Yosemite
• How to get a wilderness permit for the National Forest
• NPS's King's Canyon - Sequoia National Park page
• PCTA's King's Canyon - Sequoia National Park page
• USDA Forest Service
• How to order Forest Service maps
• PCTA's National Forest Service page
• Inyo National Forest
• PCTA's John Muir Wilderness page
• PCTA's Ansel Adams Wilderness page
• NPS's Devil's Postpile page
• PCTA's Devil's Postpile page
• On the California Snow Survey page one can find out the depth of the snow along the trail.
• The snow report for the area around Mt Whitney
• Bears
• Vermillion Valley Resort
• The shuttle bus to the town of Mammoth Lakes
• Sierra Club
• Guidebook publisher Wilderness Press
• Sierra Club Books
• The map-maker Trails Illustrated
• State Fish and Game Department
• Amtrak
• Greyhound

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You can find this page at: http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rbell/JohnMuirTrail.html.gz

© 2001, Russell Bell