John Muir Trail
- Best price guaranteed
- No booking fees
- COVID-19protected
- Trekking and Hiking
- Walking tour
- Young Adults
- duration 26 days
- tour type Small group
- age requirement 18-99 yrs
- max group size 10
- guiding method Fully guided
- Tour Code BM-16326
- Footprint Carbonneutral CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
- Operated in English
- Summit Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States at 4418m
- Traverse the spectacular Sierra Mountain Range and finish in Yosemite Valley
- Cross numerous 3000m+ high mountain passes
- Challenge yourself with a full pack on a classic long-distance trail
- Walk among alpine peaks, glacier-gouged canyons and crystal-clear lakes
- Immerse yourself in pine forests and lush meadows
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A traverse of the stunning Sierra mountain range from Mt Whitney to Yosemite. The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes in North America. The route starts at Cottonwood Lakes, makes its way up to the high point of the lower forty-eight states, Mount Whitney (4418m), and continues some two hundred miles to Yosemity Valley. We will need to carry everything for the trip, so carrying a full pack of around 20kg is usual. Food stocks are re-supplied at a number of stages making our packs lighter, but packing carefully is essential. We'll hike 10-24 km per day and we can expect the unexpected, so solid multi-day backpacking experience is essential. Along the way the trail climbs over 4000m passes, wanders beneath high alpine peaks and traverses beautiful meadows and forested river valleys. Over the course of the trip, we will have gained over 12,000m in ascents (averaging about 600m per day). The spectacular scenery is combined with the generally clement weather of California and warm (sometimes very hot) summer temperatures. This is truly a trip of a lifetime to be remembered for years to come. We realise that not everyone has 26 days to spare and so we also have options to complete the trail in segments over consecutive summers, please ask us for details.
*NOTE: Due to the recent popularity of the trail, permit restrictions have increased. In order to successfully secure permits and offer an exceptional experience, we are operating the trip in a northbound direction. To properly acclimatise, the trip is 1-2 days longer than it would be if operating southbound.
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Day 1 : Join Bishop
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Day 2-4 : Commence John Muir Trail at Cottonwood; hike to Crabtree Meadow.
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Day 5 : Summit Mount Whitney
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Day 6-8 : Hike to Rae Lakes via Forester Pass and Glen Pass
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Day 9-13 : Rae Lakes to Big Pete Meadow
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Day 14 : Rest Day in Big Pete Meadow
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Day 15-17 : Hike to Marie Lake for resupply
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Day 18-21 : Hike to Johnson Meadow for resupply
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Day 22-24 : Hike to Cathedral Lakes
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Day 25 : Hike to Sunrise Creek
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Day 26 : Hike to Yosemite Valley and transfer to Bishop or Mammoth Lakes
- 25 breakfasts, 25 lunches and 25 dinners
- Transfer from Mammoth Lakes to Bishop on day 1 of the trip & transfer back to Bishop or Mammoth Lakes on the last day of the trek (upon request)
- Professional certified mountain guide(s) with wilderness first aid certification. Max 5 hikers to 1 guide.
- Group equipment such as tents, food canisters and water purification
- Porter or mule supported supply drops during the trip
- Contingency and emergency support, phone and radio
- First aid kit
- All necessary permits
- Flights and Airport taxes
- Sleeping bag, sleeping mat and backpack
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary, snacks during the trek, hot beverages
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, postage, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
- Pre or post trip accommodation, or additional accommodation due to weather delays
- Travel Insurance (compulsory)
- Visas
- Guide gratuities
- Medical treatment and evacuation charges
- Earn US$ 231+ in travel credits.
- Best price guaranteed.
- No credit card or booking fees.
- 100% financial protection.
- Carbon neutral tours.
- 25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
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No additional cancellation fees apply for this John Muir Trail tour. You can cancel the tour up to 72 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 71 days of departure.
PaymentFor any tour departures within 07 June 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 07 June 2024, a deposit of 315 USD is required to confirm the tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 71 days before trip departure.
Travel InsuranceJohn Muir Trail tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.
VisaFor this John Muir Trail tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.
COVID-19 Safety MeasuresThis trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:
- This tour has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that COVID-19 health and hygiene global standardised protocols have been adopted.
- Smaller group sizes have been implemented on this tour to protect against COVID-19 and to ensure that the tour complies with local authorities’ guidelines.
- Rigorous hygiene safety measures will be followed in transportation, accommodation and meal venues.
- Guides are trained in our COVID-19 response plan that has been developed in line with state government medical provisions.
- All travellers 18 years and older will be required to be fully vaccinated atleast 14 days prior to departure.