John Muir Trail

The John Muir Trail is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. From the northern terminus at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and the southern terminus located on the summit of Mount Whitney, the Trail's official length is 210.4mi, with an elevation gain of approximately 47000ft. For almost all of its length, the trail is in the High Sierra backcountry and wilderness areas. For about 160mi, the trail, named for naturalist John Muir, follows the same footpath as the longer Pacific Crest Trail.The vast majority of the trail is situated within designated wilderness. The trail passes through large swaths of alpine and high mountain scenery, and lies almost entirely at or above 8000ft in elevation. About 35% of the trail, including the entirety of the last 30mi, lie above 10000ft. The trail has been described as "America's most famous trail"; known for its relative solitude, the trail sees about 1,500 thru-hiking attempts each year, many fewer than the number of attempts on comparable walks such as the southern portion of Appalachian Trail or the Way of St. James.