Here you'll find alpenglow, subalpine meadows, 14,000 peaks, deep canyons, hundreds of lakes and streams, some of the most beautiful natural settings on the face of the earth. California's John Muir Wilderness, named after the great naturalist, is one of our great national treasures. It preserves forever 581,000 acres of unmatched scenic splendor in the heart of California's Sierra Nevada. It is the largest and most visited wilderness in California.

Location and Topography

The John Muir Wilderness stretches nearly 100 miles from just southeast of Yosemite National Park, along the High Sierra crest all the way to the southeastern limit of Sequoia National Park.

This is an area of snow capped peaks including Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental USA at 14,495 feet. There are more than a dozen peaks over 13,000 feet and scores over 12,000. Amid all this grandeur are deep canyons, meadows and hundreds of alpine lakes and streams. This part of the Sierra is so rugged, that not a single road crosses the mountains here. Much of the area is above timberline, roughly 9,500 feet, so firewood can be very scarce, and the weather unpredictable. Summer thunderstorms are common and snow is possible at the highest elevations almost any time. On the other hand, summer days can be warm, even above timberline.

Trails

Walking and packing are the only methods of travel here, and the wilderness has hundreds of miles of trails, some of the most beautiful trails anywhere in the world. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) runs over 2,600 miles from Canada to Mexico, and the John Muir Trail (JMT) runs 212 miles from Happy Isles in Yosemite on the North to Mt. Whitney on the south. Within the Muir Wilderness, the PCT and JMT follow the same route, which is everywhere beautiful and often spectacular.

Another very popular trail is the extremely strenuous 10.7 mile Mt. Whitney trail leading from Whitney Portal near Lone Pine, to the top of Mt. Whitney.

There are also trails which traverse the Sierra, including one from the Rock Creek area on the east to Lake Thomas Edison on the west.

Note that permits are required for all overnight stays in the wilderness, and that there is a quota system in effect from roughly June 15 through September 15. Reservations for permits are advised.

On the other hand, you don't need permits for day hikes, and there are many great starting off points for quick excursions. These include Mammoth Lakes (which is actually in the Ansel Adams Wilderness but whose trails feed into the Muir Wilderness), Rock Creek Lake, Lake Sabrina and South Lake, the Glacier Lodge area and Whitney Portal. All of these are accessible from spur roads off US 395 on the east side of the mountains.

Precautions

This is a high altitude wilderness area. Read signs, listen to other people, and observe all safety precautions. Be especially cautious about weather changes. No matter how long you plan to hike, take plenty of food and water, sturdy shoes, protection from sun, insects and rapid decreases in temperature. Know your limits and realize that, if you're not in shape at sea level, you could have real problems up here.


Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: September-November
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview