Can you do this?
The John Muir Trail — Yosemite Start — what it takes
The opening miles of the famous thru-hike: a hard climb out of Yosemite Valley to the high country, with the Half Dome cables an optional side-trip on the first day or two. This leg sets the tone for the whole 211-mile trail to Mount Whitney. It suits fit backpackers comfortable at altitude and with bear-canister camping; the climb out of the valley is the steepest sustained ascent of the early trail.
- Distance 30 mi
- Time 3–5 days (Yosemite leg)
- Permit Wilderness permit (lottery)
- Season Late June – Sept
A Yosemite wilderness permit is required to start, and the Happy Isles trailhead is one of the most competitive permits in the country — a lottery months ahead. A bear canister is mandatory. If you want the Half Dome cables en route, that's a separate permit add-on. And Donohue Pass, the exit toward the rest of the trail, holds snow into summer.
The route, in order
How the route runs
Each stop below is a real place on the park's map — walked in sequence, with how long you spend at each.
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Out of the valley
The trail leaves Happy Isles and climbs the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls — the steepest sustained climb of the early trail, done with a full pack.
- Little Yosemite Valley Campground Day 1 camp
First night
Little Yosemite Valley is the standard first camp — a backcountry site with a bear box and ranger station, about four miles in. It positions you for the Half Dome side-trip the next morning.
- Half Dome via the John Muir Trail (JMT) Day 2 side-trip
The Half Dome option
From Little Yosemite Valley the route reaches the Half Dome junction — drop the pack and take the cables to the summit (with the add-on permit) before continuing north, or skip it and push on.
- Half Dome 1 hr up
The summit side-trip
The cables up the last 400 feet of granite to the summit — the most famous detour on the entire trail. Then back to keep climbing toward the high country.
- Tuolumne Meadows Campground Day 3–4
The high country
The trail climbs into the Cathedral Range and reaches Tuolumne Meadows — a resupply point and, for many, the end of the Yosemite leg. From here the trail crosses Donohue Pass and leaves the park toward Mount Whitney.
Before you can go
Permit & logistics
Starting the trail requires a Yosemite wilderness permit from the Happy Isles trailhead (lottery via recreation.gov), a bear canister, and a Half Dome add-on if you want the cables. [VERIFY: current permit lottery window, the Half Dome add-on rule, and bear-canister requirements against NPS Yosemite before publishing.]
Plan B
If conditions turn
A multi-day route has more ways to go wrong than a dayhike. Here is what forecloses it — and your move when it does.
- No wilderness permit
The Happy Isles trailhead is one of the hardest permits to draw in the country.
Instead: Try alternate start trailheads (Sunrise Lakes, Glacier Point) that also reach the high route with easier permits, or start from a less-contested trailhead.
- Snow on Donohue Pass
Donohue Pass and the high country hold snow into early summer.
Instead: Start in mid-to-late summer once the passes melt out, or plan an early-season trip with the skills for snow travel.
Make it happen
Reserve your spot
The route is decided. The only thing between you and the trail is the permit — settle it now, while it's fresh.
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