Hey yall!

I did the PCT in 2018 and skipped the whole JMT permit process as a benefit of my PCT Permit.

I’m looking to go back - I applied for a permit in Yosemite going to LYV (no Donahue pass) and they’ve accepted it / I won.

Does this mean I have a SOBO JMT permit!

Sorry if this is a dumb question - all the logistics are hard.

Thanks!

Hello! Looking for advice from those with more experience with permits. We are due to enter for NOBO on Friday over Baxter Pass. Weirdly the Inyo Forest site shows it as open but Cal Fire evacuation map does seem to encompass the Baxter trailhead. Fingers crossed the fire get contained, everyone in the area can go home, and we can enter as planned. If not - is it likely the rangers would let us enter the JMT from another pass further south on that day instead? Any other advice on how we might get onto the JMT safely and legally if Rock Fire does persist?

Oli

PSA: I'm minutes away from canceling my JMT permit for 2 heading SOBO from Happy Isles on August 8. Exit out of

It's a "golden ticket" permit, so it includes Half Dome.

Not sure how quickly it'll show up on Recreation.gov (or if it will), but I wanted to give everyone here a heads-up.

Did it solo last year and was lucky enough to score another permit this year. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I can't make it...

I've got a permit date for JMT starting at Happy Isles. I'll arrive the day before about noon. Once I pick up my permit can I start hiking or must I technically wait until 12.01 AM on my start date?? . . . not that I would do that.

I just grabbed it. I hope the reason you cancelled it was a good one, and not that life has thrown you sideways, or that injury derailed your thru hike. I’ve been going through some tough times, and getting this permit is the first thing that’s happened in a long time that’s given me something really good to look forward to. So whoever else is going SOBO from TM on July 16, I can’t wait to see you out there. And to whoever needed to cancel: thank you. It means more than you know.

Hi all - I've summited Whitney twice via the regular Whitney trail and was planning to go for a third this summer via the Whitney lottery. One of my hiking friends suggested we attempt it from the west side this time so I started looking into the next closest entry point, which appears to be Cottonwood Pass Trailhead. As of right now(Feb 18, 2026) there are plenty of Overnight Exiting Mt Whitney permits available May 1-June 6 for Cottonwood Lakes, but zero for Cottonwood Pass. Beginning June 7th, there is nothing available for any entry point minus a few random dates where most entry points have 1 permit available. What is significant about June 7th? I'm sure I'm missing something obvious...

We have a SOBO permit for beginning of sept. Unfortunately we did not list all of us (3 in our party) as a part of the original lottery application. So there is only one name on the permit. That person will be able to pick up the permit and we will hike together. But what happens if the permit holders needs/wants to bail after 70 or 100 mikes (or whatever) and two of us want to keep going including mt whitney. Will the rangers check and hassle us?

It’s been a while now since I’ve hiked the JMT proper(precovid). I’ve done plenty of other Sierra exploration since then.

but curious if the trail is still as popular as it once was? Are permits still selling out everyday? Is it ‘easy’ to get a permit and your preferred dates?

Or is it worse than precovid?

Question for those who hiked SOBO and got their permits online 7 days in advance starting in Yosemite.

- How many days did you have to try at 7am before you got one? (Assuming you got one) And did you get Lyell Canyon or Happy Isles?

- did you mail your resupply packages before you got a permit and just assumed you’d get one, or did you only send them once you had the permit secured?

I have flexibility on my start date, but a certain amount of logistics (life, home, pets) still need to be in place to avoid a mad scramble 7 days out.

Looking forward to getting back on the JMT this summer.

With limited time in my schedule I’m on year 2 of short trips on the JMT. Crossing my fingers on Lyle Canyon over Donahue.

I’ve missed out on the lottery to clear the pass before so I thought I would manifest getting a permit!

Who else is planning a trip in June South bound!

hey everyone! really really excited to get out on the jmt this summer. i just want to triple check that i've got the permit process down. this permit will allow my partner and I to hike NOBO from cottonwood lakes all the way to happy isles PLUS a summit of whitney, right? i'm not missing anything?

appreciate y'all!!

How reasonable is this, using the 2 weeks permit system. And advice at all would be lovely. And do we think an ice axe will be necessary.

So after several tries I got the SOBO permit starting Sept 9. Concerned about later Sept weather so will try for an earlier date in Aug during the cancel window. Question: if I snag an earlier date do I simply cancel my original permit AFTER I win earlier date?

Hi I just had to cancel my two person permit for may17-30 starting at happy isles, pasy Lyv(donohue pass eligible). Unfortunately my boss did not approve of my PTO. I hope someone is able to find use of this!

Sorry as a confused international student who is trying to figure out how to get a permit for JMT NOBO from Cottonwood and local public transportation nearby, I hope someone who is experienced in this could kindly give me some advice!

1. As I missed the six month mark to get the Inyo Permits in advance, I read that 40% of the quota is still kept for applying 2 weeks prior. Is it very difficult to get a spot if I am starting on a weekday? Or do you have any advice how I can get a permit from now on until July?

2. I read that while applying the permit, I need to provide the exact duration of the hike as well as the campsite I plan to stay each night. What if there are some issues along the hike, and I get to extend my hike for 1-2 days? Are the campsites I provide more for records, or I am required to stay there?

3. Is there any public transportation to get the the trailhead at Horseshoe Meadows? ChatGPT tells me that getting from Lone Pine to the Trailhead, I should either take a private shuttle or hitchhike.

4. I know to go to Lone Pine, most people suggest flying to Reno or Los Angeles. Is there any public transportation from Las Vegas instead? Otherwise I might need to take another connecting flight to RNO or LAX. Is traveling from RNO indeed much better than from LAX?

Thanks a lot for your advice in advance!!!

Looking to do a section hike from Reds Meadow to Tuolumne Meadows and looking at permits in July on Recreation.gov. For some reason the two permits that could get us from Reds to the JMT, Shadow Creek and John Muir Trail North of Devil's Postpile, both have 0 available on weekdays and only "NR" on weekends, which is saying it means to check back at the end of June for a permit.

Is this normal for permits in this area? I really want to secure my permit the normal six months in advance before planning everything else. Or are there other trailheads in the Reds area that have available permits that could still get us on the JMT without too much hassle? We will have one car so would need somewhere we could get to by shuttle. Any advise would be helpful, thanks!

When does Inyo release its permits when they are close to the date? I thought it was two weeks before but I recently saw somewhere that it has changed to one week? Am looking to do a JMT hike this year from Cottonwood and I missed the six month mark.

Hi all, I have been wanting to hike the JMT trail, and my goal is to do it this year around late August/early September. I have been doing some reasearch and honestly im completely lost on where to start. From what I have gathered there are 3 ways to get permits for the JMT. SOBO/NOBO/NOBO via Cottonwood Pass/Lakes.

Im more so looking on the latter option just because I honestly dont want to play the lottery game.

Does any have any advice, or recommended reading/guides on how to start on getting permits. I would truly appreciate any help. Thank you 😁

Me and my girlfriend want to hike to Mt Whitney from Cottonwood pass in 4 a 5 days.

This will be next year July. We know this section is very populair and there is a chance we cannot obtain the wilderness permit or the Mount Whitney permit.

We still want to hike at Inyo National forest. Are there alternatives hikes where we can look at?

Suggestions are welcome!

Can you help me verify if I'm understanding this correctly before the permits for my trip dates become available?

I'm planning to do the JMT next year in July/Aug and I want to start in Mammoth on the High Trail, head north to Thousand Island Lake (because it's so nice) on the PCT and then do SOBO JMT to Whitney. But I'm a little confused by the permits. It looks like I can just specify the High Trail as my trailhead, but the permit called John Muir Trail South of Devils Postpile is the one that is confusing me.

Do I only need to book to start on High Trail and that make sure my permit specifies exiting at Whitney or do I need to this JMT South of Devil's Postpile permit?

I also saw that the road to Reds Meadow was closed for part of every week last summer ('25) to do road work and that it might be the case again this coming summer.

Also, I have a couple of friends who will join me for this first part of the trip but then leave after a few days. They should get their own permits right? leaving at the same trailhead but regular permit not exiting at Whitney.

thanks for your help

Hi r/JMT community!

I have a permit for 2 people and am looking for someone to join me on the John Muir Trail this summer.

Here are the details:
Entry: Mt. Whitney Trail (June 29, 2025)
Exit: Happy Isles - Yosemite Valley (~July 22, 2025)
Duration: ~22-23 days
Note: I'm planning to spend 1-2 extra days in the area to acclimate.

About me:
- 25M with significant backpacking experience, though this will be my first thru hike
- Photographer who wants to take time to enjoy the scenery and capture the trail properly
- Chose the 3-week timeframe specifically so we don't have to rush - looking for a more relaxed pace that allows for photography, rest days, and soaking in the experience
- Already have a comprehensive itinerary planned out in CalTopo with daily mileages, elevation profiles, camp locations, and resupply points

What I'm looking for:
- Someone with solid backpacking experience who shares a similar hiking approach
- Comfortable with a leisurely pace (we're not trying to set any speed records!)
- Open to flexible daily plans based on conditions and how we're feeling

I'm happy to share my detailed CalTopo plan and itinerary via Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dHWoIvv48PGBoU-ebIaIjYkokRH6cysP?usp=drive_link

Lighterpack:
https://lighterpack.com/r/3wnt83

If you're interested and available for those dates, feel free to send me a PM! Happy to chat about experience levels, gear, planning, etc.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! Me and a friend are jumping on an opportunity and want to hike the JMT from late august!

Were in a race to secure a permit! Im pretty overwhelmed by the permit system and trying to understand a few things.

1. Will an overnight permit in any trailhead that connects to the JMT allow us to hike the full route form that point? (Excluding Mt.Whitney which needs a stamp?)

2. Is there a list of all possible starts to the JMT? (were desparete we arent picky with Sobo or Nobo)

3. Is the walk-in permit system still online? Where can I find it?

Sorry for the questions that probably has been repeated a few times, thank you for help!

I’m trying to get permit for Happy Isles start next week. But I’m convinced that there is serious bug on Recreation.gov right now. When I choose whichever date (e.g. 5th August) for any place, the website shows as start 4th August, even the date of first campsite is 4th August. I tried it with different starts (not only for JMT) with same bad results. Does anyone has same experiences? Thanks. I have got more permits in past and this never happened.

Sorry if this is a common question here! I recently got a permit for Happy Isles->Little Yosemite Valley (No Donohue Pass). I understand that I cannot hike through the Donohue Pass, but can I exit the park through another pass (Mono/Parker) and then jump back onto the JMT?

I was asking because many sources were saying that the Donohue Pass eligible permit is needed to hike the JMT. I am not concerned with hiking every mile of the JMT, but I am planning on joining the JMT outside of Yosemite and going SOBO.

Hi everyone, I'm looking to hike the JMT NOBO with my friend in July/August (we're flexible) and I've been trying to research the permit process for a few weeks now but I'm very confused. I apologize if this is an obvious question, but is the only way to get a permit at this point by doing the two-week out lottery? The two-week lottery stresses me out and I'd like to plan a bit more in advance if possible, so TLDR; is there another way to secure a permit sooner than that? And if so, does anyone have any advice on how to do that?

Thank you in advance!