John Muir Trail

Meet at the Reversed Creek Campground in June Lake at 5:00pm. We’ll have a brief orientation with the group, followed by a welcome dinner prepared by your guides and a final gear check before we start hiking tomorrow. If you would like a ride to June Lake, we provide a private shuttle pick up in Fresno, CA that will drop you off at the campground. Details will be sent to you upon registration.

Today we hit the trail! We take a quick shuttle to the trailhead, and then head up the Eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, quickly entering the Ansel Adams Wilderness. After a hearty lunch at Agnew Lake, we will tackle a steep set of switchbacks leading us to our first night’s camp in the backcountry at Clark Lakes. The trail then passes beneath Mt. Ritter, Mt. Banner, and Devil’s Postpile on our way to Reds Meadow where cold beverages and a resupply drop await us. (22 miles)

See notes below about permitting and trailhead starts

In this section we will pass by the volcanic Red Cones, lovely Virginia lake and down into Tully Hole. After climbing over Silver Pass (10,900′), we will reach Edison Lake and the Vermillion Valley Resort, where we will spend the night, enjoy hot showers, and pick up our second resupply. (30.7 miles)

Leaving Edison Lake, we make the steep climb over Bear Ridge, pass by the wildflower-strewn RoseMarie Meadow, and then to the top of Pass (10,900′). From there, we descend to the roaring South Fork of the San Joaquin River. A bridge over Piute Creek and a few switchbacks lead us to McClure Meadow and Evolution Lake, one of the most spectacular sections of the trail. We then climb over Muir Pass (11,955′) and descend deep into LeConte Canyon for another resupply drop. (48 miles)

Our next milestone is ascending the Golden Staircase to our high camp at Palisade Lake. We then trek over Mather Pass (12,100′) before dropping once again, this time to the South Fork of the Kings River. From there we climb over Pinchot Pass (12,130′) and drop down to Woods Creek, which we’ll cross via a grand suspension bridge. We pass by Rae Lakes, Fin Dome, and The Painted Lady before climbing over Glen Pass (11,978′). We will have our final resupply drop at Vidette Meadow below Forester Pass. (49 miles)

Our final section of trail is just as spectacular as the rest. We begin by crossing the superlative Forester Pass (13,200), the highest pass on the trail and the entrance to Sequoia National Park. From there we’ll make our way directly to Mt Whitney, which steadily grows taller as we approach it. The culmination of our trip is an attempt at Mt. Whitney (14,495′) the highest peak in the Continental U.S. After the peak, we’ll make our way to our comfortable camp at Crabtree Meadow. After connecting with the Pacific Crest Trail we’ll reach our camp along Rock Creek in the shadow of the Major General. (43.5 miles)

Today we’ll rise early for our final stretch of trail among the picturesque Foxtail Pines. We’ll exit the high country via Cottonwood Pass in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Our private shuttle will meet us at the trailhead to bring us into the desert town of Lone Pine. A well-earned hot shower will be followed by a farewell dinner together. (9.8 miles)

On our final day we will take our private shuttle back to the Fresno airport. (approx. a 5 hour drive). Don’t plan a flight before 3:00 PM.