JMT Yosemite itinerary
Every mile marker on the JMT Yosemite route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the John Muir Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The JMT Yosemite. One reservation is a route gated by a permit issued elsewhere, issued by lottery.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Lyell Canyon Trailhead and Lyell Canyon are the ones on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 58
- Across the markers
- 211.0 mi
- Published route length
- 211 mi
- Ascent, at least
- 36,245 ft
How long it takes: 2-3 weeks. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The JMT Yosemite route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
4,035 ft
Happy Isles
Yosemite Valley start. 15 of the 45 daily Donohue Pass exit places come from the Happy Isles to Past LYV trailhead. First night cannot be in Little Yosemite Valley.
3.6 miles · 1,936 ft up to Nevada Fall
Mile 3.6
5,971 ft
Nevada Fall
594-foot waterfall. The Mist Trail and JMT routes rejoin here.
1.4 miles · 159 ft up to Little Yosemite Valley
Mile 5.0
6,130 ft
Little Yosemite Valley
Food lockers here, but not a legal first night on a Happy Isles to Past LYV permit.
1.9 miles · 1,070 ft up to Clouds Rest Junction
Mile 6.9
7,200 ft
Clouds Rest Junction
Trail junction for optional 2-mile side trip to Clouds Rest (9,926 ft) panorama.
10.1 miles · 2,504 ft up to Cathedral Pass
Mile 17.0
9,704 ft
Cathedral Pass
0.6 miles · 416 ft down to Cathedral Lakes
Mile 17.6
9,288 ft
Cathedral Lakes
Alpine lakes beneath the spires of Cathedral Peak. Popular second-night camp.
4.6 miles · 685 ft down to Tuolumne Meadows
Mile 22.2
8,603 ft
Tuolumne Meadows
Resupply point: the post office takes General Delivery packages roughly mid-June to mid-September. JMT and PCT hikers may stay one night in the backpackers' campground.
1.6 miles · 3 ft down to Lyell Canyon Trailhead
Mile 23.8
8,600 ft
Lyell Canyon Trailhead
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead, permitted separately
The other Donohue-eligible start, and the bigger allocation: 30 of the 45 daily exit places.
4.9 miles · 100 ft up to Lyell Canyon
Mile 28.7
8,700 ft
Lyell Canyon
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead, permitted separately
8-mile flat stretch along the Lyell Fork, one of the easiest walking sections of the JMT.
7.1 miles · 2,356 ft up to Donohue Pass
Mile 35.8
11,056 ft
Donohue Pass
The high point of the trail inside Yosemite, on the park's southern boundary, and the pass the exit quota is built around.
5.3 miles · 855 ft down to Island Pass
Mile 41.0
10,201 ft
Island Pass
1.9 miles · 370 ft down to Thousand Island Lake
Mile 42.9
9,831 ft
Thousand Island Lake
2.0 miles · 139 ft down to Garnet Lake
Mile 45.0
9,692 ft
Garnet Lake
4.2 miles · 917 ft down to Shadow Lake
Mile 49.2
8,775 ft
Shadow Lake
8.1 miles · 1,083 ft down to Devils Postpile
Mile 57.3
7,692 ft
Devils Postpile
1.5 miles · 79 ft down to Red's Meadow
Mile 58.8
7,613 ft
Red's Meadow
13.5 miles · 2,275 ft up to Purple Lake
Mile 72.4
9,888 ft
Purple Lake
1.9 miles · 439 ft up to Lake Virginia
Mile 74.3
10,327 ft
Lake Virginia
2.1 miles · 757 ft down to Tully Hole
Mile 76.3
9,570 ft
Tully Hole
5.0 miles · 1,151 ft up to Silver Pass
Mile 81.3
10,721 ft
Silver Pass
5.0 miles · 2,400 ft down to Mono Creek (Vermilion Valley Resort exit)
Mile 86.3
8,321 ft
Mono Creek (Vermilion Valley Resort exit)
2.0 miles · 621 ft down to Lake Edison/VVR Junction
Mile 88.3
7,700 ft
Lake Edison/VVR Junction
Detour 5 miles to Vermilion Valley Resort ferry for resupply (reservations required).
3.7 miles · 2,152 ft up to Bear Ridge Trail junction
Mile 92.0
9,852 ft
Bear Ridge Trail junction
2.3 miles · 802 ft down to Bear Creek
Mile 94.3
9,050 ft
Bear Creek
Begin climb from Bear Creek over Bear Ridge toward Seldon Pass.
6.2 miles · 1,508 ft up to Marie Lake
Mile 100.5
10,558 ft
Marie Lake
0.8 miles · 318 ft up to Selden Pass
Mile 101.2
10,876 ft
Selden Pass
0.8 miles · 376 ft down to Heart Lake
Mile 102.0
10,500 ft
Heart Lake
First lake after Seldon Pass descent. Scenic alpine setting.
1.1 miles · 329 ft down to Sallie Keyes Lakes
Mile 103.1
10,171 ft
Sallie Keyes Lakes
6.2 miles · 2,296 ft down to Muir Trail Ranch junction
Mile 109.3
7,875 ft
Muir Trail Ranch junction
9.7 miles · 1,335 ft up to Evolution Valley
Mile 119.0
9,210 ft
Evolution Valley
Flat meadowed valley with easy walking. Transition to Evolution Basin.
3.9 miles · 1,652 ft up to Evolution Lake
Mile 122.9
10,862 ft
Evolution Lake
2.2 miles · 104 ft up to Sapphire Lake
Mile 125.1
10,966 ft
Sapphire Lake
Brilliant blue lake surrounded by Evolution peaks.
1.8 miles · 493 ft up to Wanda Lake
Mile 126.9
11,459 ft
Wanda Lake
1.9 miles · 499 ft up to Muir Pass
Mile 128.8
11,958 ft
Muir Pass
1.0 miles · 363 ft down to Helen Lake
Mile 129.8
11,595 ft
Helen Lake
Stark alpine lake named for Muir's other daughter. Begin Golden Staircase descent.
9.3 miles · 3,374 ft down to Grouse Meadows
Mile 139.1
8,221 ft
Grouse Meadows
4.6 miles · 619 ft up to Deer Meadow
Mile 143.7
8,840 ft
Deer Meadow
Lush meadow along Palisade Creek. Good camping before Mather Pass.
1.2 miles · 509 ft up to The Golden Staircase
Mile 144.9
9,349 ft
The Golden Staircase
Dramatic 1,500 ft descent carved into granite cliffs above Palisade Creek.
3.6 miles · 1,484 ft up to Palisade Lakes
Mile 148.5
10,833 ft
Palisade Lakes
2.6 miles · 1,256 ft up to Mather Pass
Mile 151.0
12,089 ft
Mather Pass
2.8 miles · 689 ft down to Upper Basin
Mile 153.8
11,400 ft
Upper Basin
Remote glacial basin below the Palisades with rugged scenery.
7.2 miles · 668 ft up to Pinchot Pass
Mile 161.0
12,068 ft
Pinchot Pass
7.6 miles · 3,568 ft down to Woods Creek crossing
Mile 168.5
8,500 ft
Woods Creek crossing
4.2 miles · 1,700 ft up to Dollar Lake
Mile 172.7
10,200 ft
Dollar Lake
First of the Rae Lakes at 10,200 ft. Named for its round shape.
2.2 miles · 404 ft up to Rae Lakes
Mile 174.9
10,604 ft
Rae Lakes
2.6 miles · 1,366 ft up to Glen Pass
Mile 177.5
11,970 ft
Glen Pass
2.3 miles · 1,180 ft down to Charlotte Lake Junction
Mile 179.8
10,790 ft
Charlotte Lake Junction
Side trail to resupply pickup at Charlotte Lake or Kearsarge Pass exit.
0.1 miles · 66 ft down to Kearsarge Pass Trail junction
Mile 179.9
10,724 ft
Kearsarge Pass Trail junction
2.3 miles · 1,145 ft down to Vidette Meadow
Mile 182.1
9,579 ft
Vidette Meadow
2.6 miles · 921 ft up to Center Basin Junction
Mile 184.7
10,500 ft
Center Basin Junction
Trail to University Pass, an alternate route avoiding Forester Pass.
5.0 miles · 2,642 ft up to Forester Pass
Mile 189.7
13,142 ft
Forester Pass
5.0 miles · 2,262 ft down to Tyndall Creek
Mile 194.7
10,880 ft
Tyndall Creek
Remote camping below Mt. Tyndall. Last reliable water before Whitney ascent.
1.8 miles · 520 ft up to Bighorn Plateau
Mile 196.5
11,400 ft
Bighorn Plateau
Windswept alpine plateau at 11,400 ft with expansive views.
2.6 miles · 1,000 ft down to Wallace Creek/HST Junction
Mile 199.1
10,400 ft
Wallace Creek/HST Junction
Junction with High Sierra Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.
4.4 miles · 303 ft up to Crabtree Meadow
Mile 203.5
10,703 ft
Crabtree Meadow
2.8 miles · 809 ft up to Guitar Lake
Mile 206.2
11,512 ft
Guitar Lake
2.8 miles · 1,979 ft up to Mount Whitney Trail junction (Trail Crest)
Mile 209.1
13,491 ft
Mount Whitney Trail junction (Trail Crest)
1.9 miles · 1,014 ft up to Mount Whitney
Mile 211.0
14,505 ft
Mount Whitney
The southern end of the 211-mile trail and the highest point in the contiguous United States. Covered by the same Yosemite permit on a continuous hike.
Getting a JMT Yosemite for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. JMT Yosemite dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks JMT Yosemite around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.