• COVID-19 Park and Trail Closures
  • Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
  • Shop
  •  

SoCal Hiker

  • Find a Hiking Trail
    • All Areas
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Oregon
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Washington
  • Trail Guides
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
    • Colorado Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Bergen Peak
      • Rocky Mountain
      • Birthday Peak
      • Horseshoe Mountain
      • Grays Peak
    • New England Six-Pack of Peaks
    • NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mount Umunhum
      • Mount Saint Helena
      • Mount Tamalpais
      • Mount Diablo
      • Mount Sizer
      • Rose Peak
    • Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Tumalo Mountain
      • Black Butte
      • Black Crater
      • Maiden Peak
      • Mount Bachelor
      • South Sister
    • SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mt. Wilson
      • Cucamonga Peak
      • Mt. San Antonio (Mt Baldy)
      • San Bernardino Peak
      • San Jacinto Peak
      • San Gorgonio
  • Backpacking
    • High Sierra Trail
    • John Muir Trail
      • Overview of the John Muir Trail
      • Training
      • Day-by-Day Itinerary
      • Resupply Addresses
      • JMT Discussion Forum
    • Lost Coast Trail
    • North/South Lake Loop
    • Rae Lakes Loop
    • Red Peak Pass Loop
    • Theodore Solomons Trail
    • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
  • Forums
    • Latest Topics
    • Ask a Question
    • Campfire
    • Trails
    • Trail Reports
    • Gear Wisdom
    • Classifieds
  • Login

Essential Planning Resources for the John Muir Trail

August 28, 2013 By Jeff H 6 Comments

planning-the-jmt

Planning an epic backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail is not only essential to a successful trip; it’s also part of the fun. Learning about where and how to ship resupply packages; planning your itinerary; poring over the maps and elevation charts all add to the sense of adventure and excitement.

img
Disclosure
Where possible, I’ve used affiliate links for these resources. Purchases you make through these links help support SoCal Hiker. In any case, I only list resources that I actually recommend.
Having the right resources to help you plan can make a big difference. The first time I hiked the John Muir Trail back in 1980, we used the First Edition of Thomas Winnett’s Guide to the John Muir Trail. The book was updated in 1998 with the help of Kathy Morey, and remains a useful reference for the planning, although we didn’t bring this on our thru-hike.

cicerone-guide-to-jmtIn my research, I ran across The John Muir Trail Through the Californian Sierra Nevada by Alan Castle and published by UK-based Cicerone. You might think that a “foreign” guidebook would be an odd choice for a trail in my own state, but I found the detail and insight to be not only extremely useful, but entertaining as well. Written from the perspective of someone traveling from the UK to hike the JMT, they leave no details out. As it turned out, we closely modeled our itinerary after that in this book. The book itself is sturdy, vinyl-clad and compact. It’s not feather-light, but I did carry a copy on our JMT trek.

harrison-jmt-mapsOn the trail, there were two references that we found indispensable. The first was the Tom Harrison John Muir Trail Map Pack. These detailed topographic maps are durable and water-resistant. The entire trail is clearly marked across a set of 8.5″ x 11″ map sheets, each one quite light. Because they are individual sheets, you don’t need to carry them all — pack the sheets you’ll need for each segment in with your resupply box.

jmt-atlas-splashThe other reference we used regularly was Erik the Black’s John Muir Trail Pocket Atlas. This 3-ounce book packs a ton of useful information into a tiny package. There is no narrative or description of the trail — just maps, elevation profiles and distance tables, with a guide to resupply points and other useful info. Some people have taken issue with the Atlas, but it is beautiful, convenient and really handy. Joan carried a copy as well as Jeffrey, and we found that its convenient form factor made it our go-to resource when checking our position.

If possible, I would recommend getting all four of these resources. Each provides a different bit of information, from a different perspective. If your JMT crew includes several people, spread the joy around. One person gets the Cicerone guide, another the Harrison Maps, and so on.

A Few Words About Digital Resources

Some of these books are now available digitally, for display on a Kindle or a smartphone. I love e-books, and most of the books I purchase are downloaded to my iPad (my preferred reading device). But you should not rely on this as your sole means of navigating the John Muir Trail. Get a digital copy of the Cicerone or Wilderness Press guides, but bring physical maps and the Atlas. If your phone goes dead on the trail (it’s happened), you won’t have to worry — IF you have real maps with you.

On our JMT thru-hike I did bring along my iPhone, and had installed the John Muir Trail iPhone app. This app includes all of the Harrison JMT map sheets, but provides integration with the iPhone’s GPS to show you where you are on the trail. I never relied solely on this, and there were only a few times when I actually consulted the app to verify our location (and there was that one time when I should have checked it). The rest of the time, the iPhone was completely powered off. I didn’t bring a solar charger or other means of charging, so other than at the resupply points, I had no way to recharge. So I used it very sparingly. Would I bring it again? Probably, but I’d never count on it as my sole means of navigation.

Other Resources

topo-softwareThere are other resources that could prove useful. It’s good to have a good picture of your bail-out points on the JMT, should something go wrong. That’s one area where the Atlas definitely falls short. The topo maps in the Atlas follow the narrow JMT corridor, and not much beyond that. The Harrison maps do a bit better in this regard, but even they won’t take you clear over Kearsarge Pass.

To fill the gaps, study the maps online or supplement by printing your own. For this, I used National Geographic’s TOPO! software. It’s a pricey solution, but lets you create precisely the maps you need.

These are the resources we used to plan our itinerary and as reference on a day-to-day basis while hiking the John Muir Trail, but as I always say, you have to hike your own hike.

If you’ve discovered other resources that you think should be included here, please leave a comment and let me know.

Filed Under: JMT Resources Tagged With: Essential Plan, Guide To The John Muir Trail, Hiking The John Muir Trail, JMT, JMT Resources, John Muir Trail, John Muir Trail Map, Planning Resources, The John Muir Trail, Thru-hiking, trail

Like what you found here at SoCal Hiker? This site is a labor of love. Share your support for the site and help us development of new trail guides and expanded coverage -- make your next outdoor equipment purchase through our advertisers.

You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Jeff H

About Jeff H

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. Wayne Fenton (@DukeSilas) says

    August 29, 2013 at 5:12 am

    I love the Cicerone series of books. They have lots of great titles for all sorts of hikes. Regarding digital tools, I use an app called Viewranger which I’ve installed the USA topo maps & added the route. I only intend to use this as a back up. Maps & compass all the way!

    I’ve got Eric the Blacks guide as well as The John Muir trail guide by Elizabeth Wenk & Kathy Morey. Both great resources but Eric guide is quite pricey when you add shipping to the UK!

    I think I’ve probably memorised the route by now as I’ve looked at it soooo many times!

    Reply
    • Jeff HJeff Hester says

      August 29, 2013 at 5:17 am

      Thanks, Wayne. Yes, Erik’s JMT Atlas is pricey even without shipping, but it was super-handy. One other tool that I used is Google Earth. The maps and elevation profiles are great, but seeing the terrain in 3D makes a big difference. Of course, it still pales in comparison to hiking it in person, but at least it gives you a better sense of what you’re in for.

      I’ve got all GPX and KML files for the day-by-day guide. I’ll add them to the guide when I get a chance.

      Reply
  2. jdahiker says

    January 19, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    Jeff, I have found a few different JMT iPhone apps on the iTunes store. Which one did you use? Thanks.

    Reply
  3. Jeff HJeff Hester says

    January 19, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    @jdahiker Back in 2010, the choices were limited. Today? I would carry two apps:

    Guthook’s JMT Guide is the one JMT-specific app, but I would supplement with GaiaGPS.

    Reply
  4. Topo maps says

    March 29, 2017 at 11:17 am

    Another way I like to get better, truly customized topo maps is at my local surveyors’ supply store. They have literally tens of thousands of dollars in mapping software & printers, which is way better than printing maps on my home printer. Also, very affordable–they’ll print super customized maps for you for $12-15/each, and they’ll even let you keep the not-quite-final versions they print (since they’d otherwise throw them out).

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Newsletter

Sign up to get your weekly trail recommendation and the latest updates from SoCal Hiker.

JMT Planning

  • Overview of the JMT
  • JMT Maps, Guidebooks & Software
  • Our JMT Itinerary
  • Resupply Addresses
  • JMT Discussion Forum

Day-by-Day on the JMT

  • Driving to Lone Pine
  • Shuttle from Lone Pine to Yosemite
  • DAY 1: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley (plus Half Dome)
  • DAY 2: Little Yosemite Valley to Sunrise Camp
  • DAY 3: Tuolumne Meadows Resupply
  • DAY 4: Tuolumne to Upper Lyell Canyon
  • DAY 5: Lyell Canyon to Thousand Island Lake
  • DAY 6: Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow
  • DAY 7: Devil’s Postpile to Deer Creek
  • DAY 8: Deer Creek to Tully Hole
  • DAY 9: Tully Hole to VVR
  • DAY 10: Zero DAY at VVR
  • DAY 11: Mono Creek to Rosemarie Meadow
  • DAY 12: Rosemarie Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch
  • DAY 13: Muir Trail Ranch to McClure Meadow
  • DAY 14: Over Muir Pass to Helen Lake
  • DAY 15: Le Conte Canyon to Palisade Creek
  • DAY 16: The Golden Staircase and Mather Pass
  • DAY 17: Over Pinchot Pass to Woods Creek
  • DAY 18: Woods Creek to Rae Lakes
  • DAY 19: Rae Lakes, Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow
  • DAY 20: Forester Pass to Wright Creek
  • DAY 21: Wright Creek to Guitar Lake
  • DAY 22: To Mt Whitney and Whitney Portal

Sponsors

Sponsor SoCalHiker and see your banner here

Buy MILE...MILE & A HALF and watch now!

Latest Posts

  • Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness October 20, 2022
  • Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail August 25, 2022
  • Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes August 23, 2022
  • Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest August 18, 2022
  • Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area July 15, 2022

Recent Forum Topics

  • How to deal with accidents while hiking in the winter?
  • Warm Tips for your hiking in winter
  • Some tips for hiking.
  • Keep your body warm in the winter hiking
  • The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine!

The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series

Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge SeriesThe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series gives you an opportunity to explore your world while supporting a great cause. There are eleven challenges around the country. Hike or run them at your own schedule.

Flex your adventure muscles!

Learn more here.

 

Search

Tags

3-6 miles 6-8 miles 8-10 miles 11+ miles Arizona Backpacking coastal dog-friendly easy family-friendly High Sierra Trail hiking Hiking The John Muir Trail hipster inspiration JMT John Muir John Muir Trail Kings Canyon National Park LA County moderate Mount Rainier National Park Muir Monday National Park Orange County Oregon out of bounds Pacific Crest Trail peak peakbagging quote scenic Sequoia National Park Sierra Nevada Six-Pack of Peaks State Park strenuous Thru-hiking Utah vista Washington waterfall wilderness Wonderland Trail Yosemite

Copyright © 2023 SoCalHiker.net · Metro Theme on Genesis Framework with WPEngine Hosting · Contact SoCal Hiker · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...