The John Muir Trail got way worse after 2017

I hiked the JMT back in 2015 and had maybe 30 people total on the trail. Went again in 2022 and it was a damn freeway. You had to book permits months ahead and still got stuck with quota limits. The change came from all those Instagram posts showing Evolution Lake at sunrise. Suddenly everyone and their mother wanted to do it. Half the campsites near Red's Meadow were packed solid. The trail itself hasn't changed but the crowd density tripled easy. Has anyone found a decent alternate route that skips the permit lottery?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_park27d agoMost Upvoted

Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow in 2022 was basically a conga line, I had to wait 20 minutes just to filter water at a creek crossing. Crowds are annoying for sure, but the trail itself hasn't changed that much and the scenery is still the same stunning stuff. Maybe the real fix is just going in shoulder season or picking a less popular section instead of swearing off the whole thing.

robert_bell27d ago

Man, I feel this so hard. I did the JMT in 2016 and it was bliss, maybe saw 15 people between Mather Pass and Muir Pass. Came back in 2021 and Red's Meadow was like a Walmart parking lot, people sprawled everywhere with their camp stoves going. It's depressing watching something so special get swamped by social media hype. I've heard good things about the Tahoe Rim Trail for solitude, but I'm dying to know if there's a solid route that dodges the crowds without needing a ten-month planning window.

the_amy27d ago

oh totally, @robert_bell nailed it. I tried the TRT last fall and it was way better for crowds, but you still hit some busy spots near the lake. if you want something quieter, look into the Collegiate Loop in Colorado-less hype, more space, and no online lottery nonsense.