The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a 211-mile trail that travels through the High Sierra backcountry. Roughly three quarters of the trail coincides with the Pacific Crest Trail, traveling from Yosemite Valley down to Mt. Whitney. The JMT passes through three National Parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia), the Devils Postpile National Monument, and the famed Ansel Adams Wilderness. The JMT is possibly the most highly regarded long distance trail in the US and the toughest to acquire a hiking permit. The permit process requires that hikers submit their applications 168 days prior to the day they intend to start their hike. When attempting to acquire a permit off-site, the permit process is based on a lottery system. If you are at Yosemite National Park, permits can be obtained on a first-come first-serve basis. Note that the number of in-person and lottery permits for each day are extremely limited. Potential hikers are encouraged to find alternate trail heads within Yosemite to begin their hike.
