John Muir Trail

Imported from public data — waypoints may be unnamed

The 211-mile John Muir Trail from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, crossing the highest passes of the High Sierra. (Full JMT relation, sampled to a route overview.) Route geometry from OpenStreetMap (relation 1244828); © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

How we rate difficulty

This trip iseasy

Difficulty score: 0

Trip difficulty reflects the whole undertaking, not just the hardest day. We combine total distance and elevation gain (about 1,000 ft of climbing ≈ 1 mile of effort), then add weight for each night out — because carrying more food and stacking consecutive days makes a long trip harder than its individual days suggest. High passes and off-trail travel push it up. That's why a short trip with one steep climb can still be moderate, while an easy-paced week in the mountains rates hard.

The trip scale

easy
A short trip with modest daily miles and gain — a great first outing or a relaxed weekend.
moderate
A solid multi-day route with real climbing and full days; comfortable for a fit hiker with some experience.
hard
Demanding: big miles, significant elevation, or several days of sustained effort. Come trained and prepared.
strenuous
A serious undertaking — long duration, heavy gain, high passes, or remote terrain. For experienced backpackers.

This rates physical load only — it doesn't account for exposure, technical passes, water availability, or weather. Pair it with route notes.

How we rate each day

Day iseasy

A day's rating measures its acute load — how hard that single push is — from its miles plus elevation gain (about 1,000 ft of climbing ≈ 1 mile of effort). This is a different scale from the whole-trip rating: a trip of easy days can still be a big undertaking, and a short trip can have one hard day.

The per-day scale

easy
A short day — up to ~6 mi and ~1,000 ft. Camp by early afternoon.
moderate
A standard day — roughly 7–10 mi and 1,000–2,000 ft. Most days live here.
hard
A big day — around 10–14 mi or a real pass (~2,500–3,500 ft). Tired at camp.
strenuous
14+ mi or 4,000+ ft — a dawn-to-dusk push. Spending tomorrow’s energy.

This rates physical load only — it doesn't account for exposure, technical passes, water availability, or weather. Pair it with route notes.

Waypoints

1Point 1
2Point 2
3Point 3
4Point 4
5Lyell Canyoncamp
6Point 6
7Point 7
8Point 8
9Red's Meadowcamp
10Point 10
11Point 11
12Point 12
13Muir Trail Ranchcamp
14Point 14
15Point 15
16Point 16
17Guitar Lakecamp
18Point 18
19Point 19
20Point 20
21Point 21

John Muir Trail

Waypoints

Permits & Alerts

John Muir Trail

Itinerary