John Muir Trail

Distance: 211 miles (339.5 km) one way

Elevation gain: Passes over 9 major mountain passes reaching 14,505-foot Mount Whitney. 

Difficulty: Challenging

Time: 3 weeks

Begin at: Happy Isles Trailhead Yosemite Valley 

The John Muir Trail is 211 miles long through the Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, the highest crest in the contiguous United States.

Yosemite contains 70 of the 2,650 miles of the larger Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.

If hiking the John Muir Trail as a continuous hike, you will only need one wilderness permit from Yosemite National Park. This permit is not valid for hiking Half Dome.

Due to its popularity, a limited number of hikers are allowed on the JMT at any given time.

The JMT is generally accessible from late July to September, but conditions can vary depending on the previous winter’s snowfall.