TIL the John Muir Trail has over 200,000 annual permit requests for only about 50 starting slots per day.

I read that stat in a National Park Service report last month, and it really makes you think about how to plan a realistic alternative route for that area, doesn't it?

3 comments

3 Comments

thompson.robin2mo ago

Ever try for a walk-up permit instead?

gray_schmidt82mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, and those walk-up lines start forming at 3 AM!

ryan_nelson14d ago

Did you try for a walk up during the week instead of on a weekend? I've had way better luck showing up on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning around 5am rather than trying to fight the Friday crowd. Also, if you're flexible on where you start, the side trails like the Bishop Pass or Kearsarge Pass routes are way less competitive and still give you solid access to the same stretch of the Sierra.