The John Muir Trail's permit system looks completely different now

I got a walk-up permit for the whole trail in 2019, but last year a friend tried and the new lottery system had changed everything. The online quota system they started in 2020 means you basically need to plan a year ahead now. Has anyone found a good backup route in the Sierra if you don't win the JMT lottery?

4 comments

4 Comments

jamie_webb6721d agoTop Commenter

The 2020 permit shift basically turned the JMT into a Hunger Games reenactment with backpacks. My backup plan is the High Sierra Trail out of Crescent Meadow, it's like the JMT's slightly less popular cousin who still knows how to party. You get the big views without needing to win a lottery six months before you even buy new socks. Just be ready for a Whitney Portal exit which has its own little permit circus, but it's usually easier to snag.

logan52521d agoMost Upvoted

But what if the permit system is actually a good thing? @jamie_webb67 calls it a circus, but that limit keeps the trail from getting totally wrecked. I've seen places without strict rules, and they get trashed fast, with trash everywhere and trails worn down to dust. The JMT lottery might be a pain, but it forces planning, which means fewer people bailing halfway and leaving a mess. Sometimes a little hassle up front protects the stuff we go out there to see.

laura_chen414d ago

Forget planning, just let the trail turn to trash?

jamie_webb6721d agoTop Commenter

Okay but what about the people who can't plan that far ahead? The lottery basically locks out anyone with a real job that can't set their summer schedule in January. I get protecting the trail, but the current system feels like it only works for retirees and the very lucky. There has to be a middle ground between no rules and a six month waiting period. Maybe they could keep half the permits for the lottery and save the other half for walk ups?