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The John Muir Trail
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| Author: | rockthrowjoe |
| Activity: | Backpacking |
| State: | California (CA) |
| Distance: | 197.07 mi |
| Difficulty: | 9 / 10 |
| Rating: |
 2 rating(s)
|
The John Muir Trail is a MUST-DO for all outdoor lovers and backpackers! To be able to experience the best of the Sierra Nevada Range in all of it's beauty and majesty is truly awe inspiring. This 220 mile trip is usually done in 3 weeks (With about 50,000ft total elevation gain/loss, you'll also cliimb Everest in the mean time). Trust me, once you have experienced it, you will want to go back! The best way to hike the John Muir Trail is from North to South with a resupply at the Muir Trail Ranch (muirtrailranch.com).
| Position Format: | Datum: |
Tracks
John Muir Trail
| Distance: 181.74 mi | Points: 2078 |
Alternate starting point from Mammoth Lakes
| Distance: 4.53 mi | Points: 49 |
If you don't have time to do the whole JMT a great place to quickly get to the trail is from the Duck Pass Trailhead in Mammoth Lakes. This alternate starting place reduces the total mileage to 172 miles
Trail to Muir Trail Ranch Resupply
| Distance: 2.10 mi | Points: 25 |
Muir Trail Ranch is a great place to resupply. It is at about the half-way point and you can resupply practically without leaving the trail. You can mail a 5-gallon bucket with your supplies to them and they will pack it in on mules. MuirTrailRanch.com
Trail down from Whitney
| Distance: 7.27 mi | Points: 166 |
Great side trip to climb the Black Giant
| Distance: 1.43 mi | Points: 32 |
For the best 360 degree views close to the trail make sure you take 2-3 hours and climb the Black Giant. Views stretch from Whitney to Yosemite!
Points of Interest
Awesome views and great campsite!
Location: 36.909927, -118.395363Basin below Pinchot Pass
Location: 36.942242, -118.423309Bear Creek Crossing - quite a significant creek crossing especially in early season.
Location: 37.330044, -118.867188Beware of bears!!!
Location: 36.873741, -118.439476Bighorn Plateau
Location: 36.617802, -118.379349Campsite
Location: 37.195595, -118.773453Buggy in early season
Cascades along Bear Creek
Location: 37.367916, -118.888214Devils Crags Close-up from Palisade Creek
Location: 37.038288, -118.612930Don't cross Evolution Creek here!!! Very Dangerous!!!
Location: 37.195560, -118.781609Follow the use trail further upstream and cross in the meadow!
Duck Lake from Duck Pass
Location: 37.555954, -118.964424East Vidette and Center Basin
Location: 36.764801, -118.409561Fin Dome near Rae Lakes
Location: 36.823196, -118.416550First glimpse of Whitney from Bighorn Plateau
Location: 36.614418, -118.377541Food drops can be picked up here. Showers/hot springs.
Location: 37.611935, -119.075310Forrester Pass and Junction Peak
Location: 36.706860, -118.365372Full-Moonrise over Palisade Lakes basin
Location: 37.060158, -118.486671Glen Pass Lake
Location: 36.784870, -118.414291Golden Staircase of Palisade Creek
Location: 37.054298, -118.501778Great Campsite with AMAZING views!!!
Location: 36.715176, -118.368393Great Campsite, but sun sets early behind the ridge to the west!
Location: 36.949974, -118.432701Seriously, 200 yrds to the East and we would have had 2-3 more hours of Sunlight!!!
Great Campsites!
Location: 36.635151, -118.384453Great campsites!
Location: 37.476028, -118.935204Great Views of the Seven Gables
Location: 37.308743, -118.869354Great Western Divide
Location: 36.633358, -118.384758Great Western Divide 2
Location: 36.630199, -118.384987Great Western Divide from Forrester Pass
Location: 36.693329, -118.370102Grouse Meadows
Location: 37.063766, -118.589928Huge Talus betwee Purple Lake and Lake Virginia
Location: 37.521233, -118.942329Lake near Silver Pass
Location: 37.465767, -118.928574Lake Virginia
Location: 37.516495, -118.934212Le Conte Canyon and the Citadel
Location: 37.075489, -118.596245Looking East on the way down the switchbacks. That's Consultation Lake.
Location: 36.561436, -118.283524Looking up North Fork Mono Creek
Location: 37.438259, -118.911667Looking up towards Baxter Pass above Tully Hole
Location: 37.506351, -118.923164Lot's of mosquitoes and condesation on tents!
Location: 37.437222, -118.907883Camp high to avoid having to dry everything in the morning.
Lots of aggressive bears in Le Conte Canyon!
Location: 37.107185, -118.601227Lower Palisade Lake in the evening.
Location: 37.059483, -118.488922Mather Pass - 12,080ft
Location: 37.031975, -118.460060Mather Pass and Palisades from Lake Marjorie
Location: 36.949680, -118.429626Mather Pass from above Upper Palisade Lake
Location: 37.045956, -118.468628Mt Clarence King from below Pinchot Pass
Location: 36.926685, -118.403694Mt Huxley
Location: 37.138847, -118.686882Mt. Brewer from Glen Pass
Location: 36.788025, -118.410690North Guard and South Gaurd are to the right and left.
Mt. Ruskin and Venacher Needle from Lake Marjorie
Location: 36.950809, -118.433456Mt. Whitney from Timberline Lake
Location: 36.567524, -118.330872Muir Trail Ranch resupply
Location: 37.238411, -118.880981For info go to MuirTrailRanch.com.
Official marker for Mt. Whitney
Location: 36.576992, -118.293900Old tree grove close to Bighorn Plateau
Location: 36.623886, -118.384079On the way down - looking back at Mt. Muir and Whitney.
Location: 36.559856, -118.287582Palisade Canyon and the Black Divide
Location: 37.054749, -118.497040Devils Crags and Wheel Mtn are on the left.
Palisade Creek look back at Devils Crags and Wheel Mtn.
Location: 37.053394, -118.569191POI 84
Location: 37.733505, -119.512718POI 85
Location: 37.749657, -119.482460POI 87
Location: 37.841145, -119.415062POI 88
Location: 37.845348, -119.421654POI 89
Location: 37.870148, -119.359581POI 91
Location: 37.795891, -119.262070POI 92
Location: 37.769974, -119.255623POI 93
Location: 37.760864, -119.227180POI 94
Location: 37.749657, -119.221718POI 95
Location: 37.737606, -119.194260POI 96
Location: 37.725979, -119.169601POI 97
Location: 37.712109, -119.161613POI 99
Location: 37.564857, -119.035378POI 100
Location: 37.537956, -118.969109POI 101
Location: 37.530670, -118.950195POI 102
Location: 37.515400, -118.931984POI 103
Location: 37.502090, -118.922035POI 105
Location: 37.472248, -118.927216POI 106
Location: 37.461040, -118.920074POI 107
Location: 37.455013, -118.922874POI 108
Location: 37.447308, -118.923431POI 109
Location: 37.440445, -118.915169POI 111
Location: 37.424610, -118.909142POI 112
Location: 37.415226, -118.917831POI 113
Location: 37.368988, -118.886726POI 115
Location: 37.271618, -118.877480POI 116
Location: 37.254524, -118.863609POI 118
Location: 37.221600, -118.846092POI 120
Location: 37.213955, -118.816605POI 121
Location: 37.200363, -118.799316POI 122
Location: 37.192497, -118.793839POI 125
Location: 37.187618, -118.742104POI 126
Location: 37.183689, -118.730927POI 127
Location: 37.171898, -118.699959POI 128
Location: 37.173119, -118.699890POI 129
Location: 37.170677, -118.693924POI 130
Location: 37.169456, -118.694397POI 131
Location: 37.152042, -118.693855POI 132
Location: 37.146759, -118.692772POI 133
Location: 37.115314, -118.665260POI 134
Location: 37.123039, -118.641747POI 135
Location: 37.116673, -118.641884POI 136
Location: 37.116062, -118.639442POI 137
Location: 37.111115, -118.604279POI 139
Location: 37.102036, -118.598717POI 140
Location: 37.094444, -118.594582POI 141
Location: 37.064224, -118.589096POI 142
Location: 37.060497, -118.587334POI 143
Location: 37.052773, -118.580284POI 144
Location: 37.055954, -118.526756POI 145
Location: 37.060360, -118.487930POI 146
Location: 37.057514, -118.481895POI 147
Location: 37.048569, -118.470848POI 149
Location: 37.037796, -118.471260POI 152
Location: 36.831799, -118.407761POI 153
Location: 36.825226, -118.412170POI 154
Location: 36.812756, -118.404175POI 156
Location: 36.806252, -118.397942POI 157
Location: 36.759293, -118.404846POI 158
Location: 36.734287, -118.373001POI 159
Location: 36.713551, -118.372459POI 161
Location: 36.692951, -118.379234POI 162
Location: 36.674656, -118.387032POI 163
Location: 36.641384, -118.388382POI 165
Location: 36.623428, -118.384727POI 166
Location: 36.594830, -118.369881POI 167
Location: 36.557156, -118.355652POI 168
Location: 36.564201, -118.347862POI 169
Location: 36.571655, -118.314049POI 170
Location: 36.566437, -118.311203Sandy Meadow
Location: 36.570679, -118.368973Sapphire Lake looking at Goddard Ridge
Location: 37.152374, -118.695450Seven Gables Peak from Bear Ridge
Location: 37.381668, -118.906929Several Good Campsites with amazing views!!!
Location: 36.569420, -118.307610Sierra High Camp
Location: 37.815365, -119.424171Silver Divide
Location: 37.526192, -118.964653Silver Divide above Tully Hole
Location: 37.506351, -118.926544Silver Pass and Divide from along Cascade Valley.
Location: 37.525288, -118.960815Squaw Lake
Location: 37.478168, -118.924515Sunrise on Mt Ruskin view from Lake Marjorie
Location: 36.948330, -118.432556Sunrise view from little lake above Guitar Lake
Location: 36.570004, -118.307426Sunrise View south of Silver Pass
Location: 37.461708, -118.921135The Citadel
Location: 37.069176, -118.602554Trail South down Forrester Pass
Location: 36.689949, -118.370331Upper Basin
Location: 37.019577, -118.460518Upper Palisade Lake basin
Location: 37.034454, -118.461189From L-R: North Palisade, Polemonium Peak, Mt. Sill, and Middle Palisade
Usually other people camped here
Location: 37.223701, -118.834747Very Scenic campsites but lots of bears!!!
Location: 36.807537, -118.398682View above Evolution Lake
Location: 37.173569, -118.699051View back at Upper Palisade Lake
Location: 37.048435, -118.469757View back North from basin below Pinchot Pass
Location: 36.939762, -118.419708View back North from Glen Pass
Location: 36.788475, -118.413620View back west from Mirror Lake
Location: 36.570690, -118.261650View from Muir Pass to Wanda Lake
Location: 37.112015, -118.671776View morning view above unamed lake.
Location: 36.715088, -118.369026I could have camped at this lake for a week and would still have wanted more.
View NE from Black Giant
Location: 37.102547, -118.655090View North along Cascade Valley
Location: 37.534534, -118.970512View North at Kearsage Pinnacles
Location: 36.714748, -118.365372View North at Kearsage Pinnacles and beyond.
Location: 36.699867, -118.371460View North from Forrester Pass
Location: 36.697388, -118.368973View North from Pinchot Pass
Location: 36.936153, -118.412262This pass was actually one of the easiest passes we did on the JMT.
View North from Silver Pass - 10,900ft
Location: 37.470726, -118.922935View North from the top of Whitney - I made it!
Location: 36.578346, -118.292770View of Great Western Divide across Kern Canyon
Location: 36.600254, -118.373169View of Split Mtn. from Mather Pass
Location: 37.020252, -118.423309View South above Rae Lakes
Location: 36.807640, -118.397385View South down Kern River Canyon from Forrester Pass
Location: 36.691753, -118.370552View south from Forrester Pass - 13,200ft
Location: 36.693329, -118.372360View south from Glen Pass - 11,980ft
Location: 36.789829, -118.411362View South from Mather Pass
Location: 37.023861, -118.457130View South from Pinchot Pass
Location: 36.934349, -118.410233View South from Silver Pass
Location: 37.468922, -118.923164View SW from the top of Mt. Whitney
Location: 36.580372, -118.293900View SW on way up Whitney
Location: 36.560757, -118.295250View west on the way up Whitney
Location: 36.562561, -118.295250Wanda Lake and Mt. Goddard.
Location: 37.110435, -118.694321Wanda Lake looking at Muir Pass - 11,995ft and the Black Giant
Location: 37.129150, -118.698151Waterfall along Woods Creek
Location: 36.885426, -118.427826Waterfall crossing on way down to N. Fork Mono Creek
Location: 37.438938, -118.909859This crossing is VERY DANGEROUS in the early season.
Whitney Crest from below
Location: 36.564140, -118.275864Whitney Hut
Location: 36.578346, -118.295250You must camp at least 4 miles from the road! Lots of bears too!
Location: 37.863564, -119.303680Related Trips
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