Do I need a permit to hike John Muir Trail?

Yes, John Muir Trail requires a permit. Yosemite Wilderness Permit required for northbound starts; Inyo NF permit for southbound. Mount Whitney exit requires a permit add-on. Apply through the issuing agency at https://www.recreation.gov/permits/445857 before your visit — many systems run lotteries with fixed application windows.

How difficult is John Muir Trail?

John Muir Trail is rated difficult. It is 70.3 miles long. Difficulty ratings reflect a combination of distance, elevation gain, and terrain — your experience will depend on your fitness level and trail conditions.

What is the best season to hike John Muir Trail?

John Muir Trail is best hiked in summer. Conditions vary year to year — check the trail status and weather forecast before your visit.

Is John Muir Trail suitable for kids?

Yes, John Muir Trail is considered kid-friendly. As always with children, bring water and snacks, pace yourself, and watch for weather changes and wildlife.

National Recreation TrailJMT

John Muir Trail

The John Muir Trail follows the Sierra Nevada crest for about 214 miles between Yosemite Valley's Happy Isles and the summit of Mount Whitney, climbing roughly 47,000 feet across three national parks.

Route only

Route markers4
Water & camping47
Views4

Length: 70.3 mi
Thru-hike: 18–25 days
Elev. gain: 47,000 ft
States: 1

About the route

Termini

Terminus A

Happy Isles, Yosemite Valley, CA

Coordinates not yet verified

Terminus B

Mount Whitney summit, CA

36.5786, -118.2920

Verified waypoints

55 total · filter on the map above

Categories you've hidden on the map are collapsed here too.

Route markers4

John Muir Wilderness · Trailhead
Park visitor area on or near the route.
park:mapmate_legacy
Devils Postpile National Monument · Trailhead
Park visitor area on or near the route.
park:mapmate_legacy
Tuolumne Meadows · Intersection
High-country resupply ~22 mi from Happy Isles.
Source ↗adventures_seed
Happy Isles, Yosemite Valley · Trailhead
Northern terminus footbridge in Yosemite Valley, CA.
4,016 ftSource ↗adventures_seed

Water & camping47

Guitar Lake Backcountry · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Lake Mary Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Piute Creek Dispersed · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Housekeeping Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Gladys Lake Backcountry, Ansel Adams Wilderness · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Whitney Family Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
North Pines Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Coldwater Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Camp 4 · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Sunrise Lakes Backcountry · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Upper Lyell Canyon Footbridge Backcountry Campsite · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Agnew Meadows Group Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Upper Pines Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Jennie Lakes-Backcountry · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Jackass Meadow · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Coldwater Campground - Inyo Nf (ca) · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Upper Soda Springs Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Glacier Point Ski Hut · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Devils Postpile · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Merced Lake High Sierra Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Tuolumne Meadows Campground - TEMP CLOSED through 2023 · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Lone Pine Lake - Inyo Wilderness · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Curry Village · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Onion Valley · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Vogelsang High Sierra Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Whitney Portal · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Minaret Falls Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Vermillion · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Agnew Horse Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Mono Creek · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Lower Pines Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Pumice Flat Group Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Duck Lake Dispersed · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Reds Meadow Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Young Lakes · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Mt. Whitney Trail Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Silver Lake Campground at June Lake · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Silver Pass Lake Dispersed · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Yosemite Valley Backpacker's Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Muir Trail Ranch · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Inyo National Forest Pine City Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Sunrise High Sierra Camp · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Agnew Meadows Horse Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy
Devils Postpile National Monument · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Bear Creek Dispersed · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
campground:mapmate_legacy
Pine City Campground · Campsite
Verified campground near the route.
Source ↗campground:mapmate_legacy

Donohue Pass · Summit
Yosemite/Ansel Adams Wilderness boundary at 11,066 ft.
11,066 ftSource ↗adventures_seed
Muir Pass · Summit
11,955 ft pass with the stone Muir Hut at the saddle.
11,959 ftSource ↗adventures_seed
Forester Pass · Summit
Highest point on the JMT — 13,153 ft.
13,153 ftSource ↗adventures_seed
Mount Whitney (Southern Terminus) · Summit
Highest point in the contiguous United States — 14,505 ft summit hut.
Mile 214 mi14,505 ftSource ↗adventures_seed

What we don't yet have

We deliberately do not display water sources, resupply towns, shuttle services, or trail-side businesses on this page. Those change every season and an out-of-date pin can be a safety issue, especially on the high-desert and alpine sections of long trails. Use the trail association's published guide, FarOut, or Guthook for that level of detail; verify with rangers before relying on any cached source.

Official sources

Last verified by us: 2026-05-17

Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Reconfirm alerts, permits, and closures with the agency before you go.

Permits

Yosemite Wilderness Permit required for northbound starts; Inyo NF permit for southbound. Mount Whitney exit requires a permit add-on.

Best seasons

summer