Trail sign near Dollar Lake
The John Muir Trail is a 220-mile trail starting in Yosemite Valley of Yosemite National Park, passing through Inyo National Forest, Ansel Adam’s Wilderness, John Muir Wilderness, King’s Canyon National Park, and finishing at the summit of Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park.
On this page you will find helpful links and resources, our itinerary and our menu. I hope this can inspire and help others who are preparing for their own thru-hike of the John Muir Trail!
Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called,
not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light.
-John Muir
JMT Trail Guides
We decided to buy Elizabeth Wenk’s “John Muir Trail: The Essential Guide to Hiking America’s Most Famous Trail.” We have also picked up the companion Data Book which will come along with us on the trail itself.
Maps
We referenced the following maps for our research:
- Tom Harrison Maps “John Muir Trail”
- National Geographic “Yosemite National Park Trail Map”
- Inyo National Forest Visitor Map “Northern Portion”
- Inyo National Forest Visitor Map “Southern Portion”
Blogs, Forums & Podcasts
- Reddit has a good forum specifically for the JMT which I expect will get busier as the trail season approaches
- Yahoo! Groups: John Muir Trail
- Facebook has a closed group for the John Muir Trail, just ask to join.
- Sounds of the Trail Podcast offers great stories and advice for any distance backpacker
Permits
- Yosemite National Park wilderness permit info page
- Guide to Get a Southbound John Muir Trail Permit in 2016
Meal Planning
- The Yummy Life – especially great ideas for do-it-yourself oatmeal packets
- Lipsmackin’ Vegetarian Backpackin’ – my go-to cookbook for planning healthy and hearty backpacking meals
Another glorious Sierra day in which one seems to be dissolved
and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where.
-John Muir
Itinerary
Meal Plan
