The John Muir Trail. Alan Castle
that a separate permit is now required to climb Half Dome. Of these, 75 permits a day are reserved for backpackers; 50 of these can be reserved in advance and 25 are available only on the day before the climb (the latter in person from the Wilderness Centre in Yosemite). Each permit costs $8. If you are sure that (weather permitting) you intend to attempt Half Dome, then apply for this permit at the same time as your JMT Backpackers Permit (see below).
Making a Permit Reservation by Phone
A phone call to the States is perhaps the best way to ensure that you obtain the right permit for the right day; you will be told immediately of any problems and can discuss alternative dates. Provided you have all the necessary information to hand, it should take only a few minutes to make your reservation.
The telephone number of the Wilderness Centre in Yosemite is: (209) 372 0740 (preceded by the international code for the US, 001 from the UK). The number is often very busy, so persistence may be required. The office is normally open between 8am and 4.30pm Pacific Time. You will need to give the following information.
Your name, address and daytime telephone number.
The exact starting and finishing dates of your trek (be sure to allow yourself a sufficient number of days for the JMT; if you request too few days then there may be problems if your permit runs out before you reach the end of the Trail).
The starting and ending trailhead (Happy Isles, Yosemite Valley and Whitney Portal). It is important to state that you are going to be walking the John Muir Trail in its entirety. There are considerable restrictions on entry into the Mount Whitney area and usually your permit must carry a special stamp to allow you entry into this area along the JMT. Be sure to confirm the current regulations regarding this and any other special conditions along the route.
The number of people in your group (you will not normally be asked details about the others in your group, but it is best to have these on hand when you make the call just in case). The maximum size of each group is normally 15 persons.
You will also need details of your credit card to hand as there is a small administrative charge (currently $5 per person in the group) for making the reservation.
Once the reservation is made, written confirmation will be sent by post. You will receive a permit for the group, not separate permits for each individual within your group, although if walking alone your ‘group size’ will be one person.
Making a Permit Reservation by Post
Provide the same information as above in your letter, which should be addressed to Wilderness Reservations, Yosemite Association, PO Box 545, Yosemite, CA 95389, US. A method of payment will be required, so enclose your credit card number.
This method of application is not recommended for those outside the US, as it is very time consuming, particularly if there are any problems. Permits are quickly allocated, and you may end up without a permit or with a permit several days or even weeks after you actually wanted it.
If you do decide on this method of application it is important that your written request arrives at least 24 weeks prior to the date you wish to start the trek. Although, if it arrives earlier it will not be processed until 24 weeks before the first day of the planned hike.
View south from Forester Pass of two large unnamed lakes (Day 18)
Making a Permit Reservation by Fax
It is no longer possible to make a reservation on line but it is possible to fax a permit request. This will not have the delay associated with ‘snail mail’, but you have no opportunity to ask questions about availability and so on. The form and instructions for its completion can be downloaded from www.nps.gov in the Plan Your Visit area under Yosemite.
Once completed the form must be faxed to (209) 372 0739 (preceded by the international code for the US, 001 from the UK). Provided a legible email address has been supplied, a confirmatory email will be sent within two business days but it will not show which of the dates applied for has been allocated. A confirmatory letter will confirm the date allocated. The availability of permits for various trailheads can also be checked out on this website.
A Yosemite permit reservation can be made up to 24 weeks (168 days), but no later than two days, in advance of your start date, but you are strongly recommended to obtain a permit as early as possible.
The National Parks Service website (www.nps.gov) shows the dates that are fully allocated for permits in the Wilderness Permits area of the website. The price for a wilderness permit was $5 per person plus $5 processing fee in 2014. Backpacking the JMT from north-to-south (as in this guidebook) automatically includes a permit for Mount Whitney, but if the walk is made from south to north, then an additional fee of $15 may be levied for the ascent of Whitney.
Note that permits are also issued at Happy Valley, and may be available there if the Yosemite ones have all been issued.
It is advisable to pick up your permit from the Rangers’ Office the afternoon before you plan to set out on your hike.
TREKKING PERMITS
The whole concept of trekking permits is alien to the British and European way of managing wilderness areas, and imposes restrictions on freedoms which elsewhere are considered to be fundamental rights. Do remember, however, that America has much greater areas of unspoilt wilderness than the Old World, and its conservation of these areas is to be congratulated. Restricting and controlling the numbers of humans allowed into the wilderness areas of its national parks has done much to protect and preserve these mountain wonderlands for future generations. As a guest in the US, do respect their way of doing things. Be patient and tolerant of the permit system.
Flights to California
The nearest major international airport to the northern terminus of the John Muir Trail at Yosemite is San Francisco; however Lone Pine, the town nearest to Whitney Portal, at the end of the Trail, is closer to Los Angeles than to San Francisco. The best airline ticket to purchase is therefore an ‘open-jaw’ ticket inward to San Francisco and outward from Los Angeles. Such tickets are often no more expensive than buying a return from the airport of entry.
Many of the major European and American carriers fly from London to San Francisco and LA. It is just a matter of getting the best deal on flights. Good deals are often to be had by booking on the internet. It is advisable to make a booking several months in advance, as the optimum time to walk the JMT coincides with the main summer holiday season, when there is likely to be greatest demand for trans-Atlantic flights and prices are liable to be high.
There are airport buses from San Francisco International Air port into the centre of the city, and similarly ample public transport in Los Angeles to the international airport.
Public Transport to and from the Trailhead
For the most technologically advanced nation in the world the United States of America has a limited public transport system, and there is little provision for the few who do not have cars. This is not good news for foreign long-distance hikers who visit the States. Hiring a car is not practical for JMT walkers, except possibly at the end of the hike, provided that the hire company agrees to let you drop the car off at Los Angeles airport prior to your departure. As overseas JMT walkers are likely to fly into San Francisco and out of Los Angeles, they will need to travel from San Francisco to Yosemite Valley for the start of the Trail, and at the end to travel to Los Angeles for the homeward flight. The former journey is relatively easy by public transport, but the latter much less so. Both are described below.
To the Trailhead: San Francisco to Yosemite Valley via Merced
There is a Greyhound bus service that runs from San Francisco to Merced. Alternatively, it is a relatively straightforward journey by bus and train from San Francisco to Yosemite Valley via the town of Merced. Not only that, but the super Amtrak double-decker train ride