Everything You Need to Know When Planning the John Muir Trail
I scored a southbound John Muir Trail permit for September 2020 starting in Happy Isles and ending at Whitney Portal. Excited was an understatement. In a crazy year full of unknowns, it was something I looked forward to every single day. I took our first step on the trail on September 4th, 2020. It was everything I dreamed of… until a giant smoke plume filled the sky. I was hopeful it was a small fire and I’d be on my way. Unfortunately, I was wrong. On day five I had to evacuate from Red’s Meadow, my first resupply stop. I was devastated but knew the trail would still be there in the future.
In February 2021, I was sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch when I got the email. I read it about five times to believe it was real, then started tearing up. I scored another golden ticket!
2021 was my second chance.
On September 4, 2021, I summited Mt. Whitney on my final day of the JMT. I finally did it.
Thru-hiking the John Muir Trail is every backpacker’s dream. The trail covers 221 miles of California’s beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and summits the highest peak in the continental United States, Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft.). It overlooks thousands of beautiful lakes, summits many jaw-dropping peaks, and passes through peaceful meadows. It’s the perfect thru-hike for a first timer (like me) or an experienced backpacker.
As perfect as the trail sounds, it does take a lot of physical and logistical planning. You’ll need to score a highly competitive permit, buy and test gear, plan food, organize resupply stops, create an itinerary, book transportation, and physically train. The planning may sound daunting, but trust me, it’s all worth it. Here’s a breakdown of everything you should know about the JMT.
WHERE:
The John Muir Trail begins in Yosemite, California and runs through the High Sierra Mountain Range. You will pass through Ansel Adams Wilderness, John Muir Wilderness, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and finally end summiting Mt. Whitney (highest peak in the continental US).
DISTANCE:
221 miles (starting in Happy Isles in Yosemite and ending at Whitney Portal)
ELEVATION:
Southbound: 46,000 ft. total elevation gain
Northbound: 38,000 ft. total elevation gain
Highest peak: Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft.)
TIME OF YEAR:
July to Early October. There’s pros and cons to every month. July has great weather but the possibility of lingering snow and raging rivers. August has perfect weather but lots of mosquitoes. September also has great weather but a possibility of wildfires or snow. October has shorts day and cold nights, high possibility of snow, and less resupply options.
DIFFICULTY:
Strenuous. 46,000 ft. elevation gain isn’t supposed to be easy. The terrain is rough and you will cross a total of 9 passes over 10,000 ft. That being said, the trail is very well marked and maintained. I used the app, FarOut (previously Guthook), to navigate the entire trail and had no difficulties.
Altitude sickness can be an issue if you don’t acclimate properly. The best way to avoid getting sick is to hike Southbound with increasing altitude and to acclimate a few days before starting the hike (especially if you’re coming from sea level like me!). Mammoth is a great place to acclimate as it’s at an average altitude of about 7,500-8,000 ft. If you are more susceptible to altitude sickness or aren’t sure if you are, you may want to avoid hiking Northbound.
PERMIT:
Wilderness permits are required to hike the JMT and one of the most challenging things to score. They are in extremely high demand and very few are distributed each year. To learn more about the lottery process and how to apply, check out my post the ultimate guide to scoring a John Muir Trail permit.
TRANSPORTATION:
Logistically, thru-hikes are hard to plan. You start at a trailhead then hike a few hundred miles to a completely different place. It sounds as easy as dropping off a car at each end then driving back to the start after you’re done. However, this isn’t the easiest option for everyone. What if you don’t have two cars? What if you’re hiking solo? What if you’re flying in from far away? What if you’re too tired to drive back to the start to get your other car? Thankfully, there are multiple transportation options for the JMT.
Airports:
Mammoth Lakes — The Mammoth Lakes airport is the absolute best option for both northbound and southbound hikers. It’s located East of the Sierras, right between Yosemite and Mt. Whitney. It’s a little more expensive than other airports but worth it for its convenience. Plus, if you choose to spend a few days acclimating to altitude before your hike, Mammoth sits around 7,500-8,000 ft. which is the perfect elevation to acclimate. There are public transportation options from the airport to Yosemite and Mt. Whitney.
Southbound: Mammoth Lakes airport to Yosemite trailhead
Fly into Mammoth Lakes Airport. Take a 10 minute taxi or Uber to Shilo Inn in Mammoth Lakes.
Take the YARTS (public transit to Yosemite) GREEN line from Shilo Inn to Yosemite Valley ($26) or Tuolumne Meadows ($13).
In July and August, YARTS runs twice a day, leaving Shilo Inn at 7:05AM and 8:50AM. (subject to change - check website)
All other days between June 22nd – October 15th, YARTS runs once a day at 8:50AM. (subject to change - check website)
The shuttle takes about 3.5 hours to get from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley.
Southbound: Whitney Portal to Mammoth Lakes airport
Find a ride from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine (about 20 minutes). My best advice is to hitchhike. Yes, I said hitchhike. It shouldn’t take long to catch a ride as there are many hikers finishing at Whitney Portal every day. If you don’t want to hitchhike, you can take the Eastern Sierra Shuttle. From Whitney Portal to Lone Pine, it’s $85 for the first person and $20 for each person after that.
Take the ESTA (eastern sierra transit association) Lone Pine to Reno route from Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes ($14.25).
ESTA runs Monday to Friday only so plan accordingly.
The shuttle only runs once a day and leaves at 6:05AM. Make a reservation in advance as they fill up quick!
Take a taxi or Uber to the airport from Mammoth Lakes
Reno — The Reno airport is another great option and located only a few hours North of Yosemite. There’s public transportation to both Yosemite and Mt. Whitney, but you have to transfer shuttles in Mammoth. If you’re hiking southbound, you’ll have to end with a long six-hour shuttle back to the airport.
Southbound: Reno airport to Yosemite trailhead
Take the ESTA (eastern sierra transit association) from Reno airport to Lee Vining ($37).
From Lee Vining, take the YARTS (public transit to Yosemite) GREEN line from Lake View Lodge to Yosemite Valley ($19) or Tuolumne Meadows ($5)
Southbound: Whitney Portal to Reno Airport
Find a ride from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine (about 20 minutes). As I stated above, my best advice is to hitchhike! It shouldn’t take long to catch a ride as there are many hikers finishing at Whitney Portal every day. If you don’t want to hitchhike, you can take the Eastern Sierra Shuttle. From Whitney Portal to Lone Pine, it’s $85 for the first person and $20 for each person after that.
Take the ESTA (eastern sierra transit association) from Lone Pine to Reno airport ($59). It’s a long 6-hour ride.
Other Airports (Los Angeles, Fresno, Merced, San Francisco) — Although these airports may have cheaper flights, they’re all far away and don’t provide the same public transportation options as Mammoth and Reno. You could rent a car and drive to your trailhead but that probably won’t be the cheapest option in the end.
Driving & Parking:
Long-term parking:
Yosemite Valley — There are long-term parking lots near Happy Isles and Tuolumne Meadows that cost no additional fee.
Whitney Portal — There is long-term parking at Whitney Portal for no additional fee.
Lone Pine — You can also park in Lone Pine (safer and more convenient if you’re using the shuttles) at the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce ($25/week) or the Dow Villa Motel ($25/week). You must make reservations in advance.
If you plan to drive, here are your options:
1. Have a really nice friend drop you off at one end and pick you up at the other (best option)
2. Park one car at each end. You’ll have to drive all the way back to the trailhead at the end when you’re super tired (worst option).
3. Park a car at one end then take a shuttle or hitchhike to get to the start (or vice versa)
Obviously, we all dream of option one working out. Props to you if it does. Option two sounds ideal until the end of your trip. While exhausted, you’ll have to drive four hours back to the start then another six hours (or however far away you live) home.
Option two is the best option and the one I chose to use for my southbound trip out of Yosemite Valley. Here’s my exact transportation breakdown:
Before hike
1. Start in Mammoth Lakes and take two days to acclimate.
2. Drive to Lone Pine from Mammoth Lakes (1.5 hours).
3. Park in Lone Pine at the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce ($25/week).
4. Take ESTA blue line (Lone Pine to Reno) from Lone Pine to Lee Vining ($17); leaves at 6:10AM.
5. Take YARTS from Lake Views Lodge (Lee Vining) to Yosemite Valley ($19); leaves at 9:40AM.
After hike
1. Hitchhike from Whitney Portal back to car at Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce (20 minutes)
2. Drive home to Los Angels (3 hours)
ITINERARY
I planned an 20-day itinerary as a first time thru-hiker. On average, most people take 18-22 days. More experienced, ultralight backpackers may do it in as little as 12-14 days. Some people choose to take “zero” days (days off) or “nero” days (nearly zero or half days off) when they get to a resupply point which makes it longer. For a complete breakdown of my planned itinerary, check out my 20-day John Muir Trail Itinerary.
GEAR
Check out The Ultimate John Muir Trail Gear List for my detailed packing list. Here are some extra details to note:
Bear canisters are REQUIRED
Bear spray is illegal on the trail (bear spray is only necessary for grizzly bears – thankfully you will not run into any in California)
If you’re going in a high mosquito time of year, make sure to treat your gear and clothes with permethrin before heading to the trail
Bring warm clothes no matter what time of the year you go – it gets cold at high altitude!
FOOD
It’s extremely important to not leave this step for the last minute. If you don’t plan your food beforehand, you’ll end up with a heavy bear canister and not enough nutritional food. There’s a lot to consider when planning food for a thru-hike: calories, nutrition, variety, and weight. It’s important to know how much you calorically need and how much you can physically eat. Shakedown hikes are key to testing out what meal plan works for you. Check out my complete JMT food list and meal plan for more information.
RESUPPLY
Resupply prep is a challenging but necessary step in planning a through hike. Due to the length of the John Muir Trail, there are spots along the trail that you’ll need to pick up a resupply of food and supplies. These resupply stops must be strategized based on your planned itinerary and shipped out weeks before your expected pick-up date. Thankfully, the JMT has many resupply options to make things a little easier. You can learn more about these options and my resupply plan in my blog post, Resupply Strategy on the John Muir Trail.
TRAINING
No matter how many days you spend physically training or nights you spend on showdown hikes, nothing quite prepares you for a thru-hike. Physically, you can work on cardio (running, walking, cycling, swimming, etc.) and increase the length and difficulty of your workout over time. As you get closer to your thru-hike, you can add in your backpack to make the workouts more challenging. Strength is another important aspect to physical training. You don’t necessarily need to lift heavy weights every day but if you do build some strength, you’ll be thankful after the first big climb. You should focus most on legs, back, shoulders, and core. Another important aspect to physical training is endurance and altitude acclimatization. You should be consistent with your workouts and train at altitude if you can. Everyone responds differently to high altitudes, so it’s important to see how your body reacts. You may need to hydrate more, eat more, take more breaks, etc. Listen to your body!
Finally, mental training. This is the hardest part to prepare yourself for (or at least it was for me). How can one prepare for weeks of no showers, no phone service, no bed, no kitchen, etc.? To begin, it’s important to go on shakedown hikes so you can feel confident with your gear and food. Otherwise, just be prepared for the unknowns. Throughout a thru-hike, you’ll be pushed outside your comfort zone in many ways. What you think will challenge you, might not necessarily be what actually challenges you. The best thing you can do is it be confident of your own knowledge, capabilities, and gear to survive. You got this.
I hope this guide helps you prepare for your dream John Muir Trail thru-hike. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!