John Muir Trail Hiker Survey (2024)

The John Muir Trail Hiker Survey is distributed to JMT hikers at the end of the hiking season to capture a snapshot of the year’s class and provide a helpful resource to future JMT hikers and recreators—a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to participate and provide feedback.

This year’s survey is the most comprehensive yet, and I’ve spent a ton of time compiling the results. Again, the JMT Survey is meant to be a helpful resource to help anyone interested in hiking the John Muir Trail figure out how to approach the seemingly monstrous journey. Every year, I try to improve the data collected and fine-tune the presentation to best help hikers. I would love to hear what you think in the comments at the bottom of this page.

Congratulations on arriving at a spot in the JMT Survey most readers probably skip. Here are Halfway Anywhere’s 2024 John Muir Trail Hiker Survey results!

Notes on the Data

• There were 468 completed surveys. If you’re hiking the John Muir Trail next year, sign up for the survey here.
• Some responses have been sorted and colored (e.g., northbound vs. southbound responses).
• I ask respondents to do their best to respond accurately. Not everyone answers every question, and not every answer is 100% accurate (e.g., a hiker may mistakenly report their longest day of hiking was 25 instead of 29 miles).
• I refer to respondents collectively as the year’s “class.” Remember, this is a sample, not a comprehensive survey of every JMT hiker.
• For stats requiring the length of the John Muir Trail for a calculation (e.g., average mileage per day), I use 214.3 mi / 344.88 km. This is the distance, according to FarOut (which I recommend downloading if you don’t already have it).
• I will release more detailed posts focused on JMT Gear, JMT Resupply, JMT Demographics, JMT Horror Stories, and JMT Advice. To be notified of new posts, click here.

Colors differentiating hiker segments:

• Thru-Hikers
• Northbound Thru-Hikers
• Southbound Thru-Hikers
• (1) is appended when using data from hikers who completed the trail
• (0) is appended when using data from hikers who did not complete the trail

If no color/label has been appended, I used all data collected.

Demographics

First, John Muir Trail Class of 2024 data that won’t help you plan a thru-hike, but that’s interesting nonetheless: JMT hiker gender, age, race, education, sexual orientation, relationship status, and children.

JMT Hiker Gender

• 61.5% Male
• 37.2% Female
• 1.3% Non-Binary

JMT Hiker Age

• 0.2% < 20
• 5.2% 20-24
• 10.7% 25-29
• 12.7% 30-34
• 10.7% 35-39
• 18.4% 40-49
• 19.8% 50-59
• 19.5% 60-69
• 2.7% 70+

Average age: 46
Median age: 45
σ: 14.2

JMT Hiker Race

• 82.9% White
• 6.9% Asian
• 3.3% Hispanic or Latino
• 3.3% 2+ Races
• 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native
• 3.3% Prefer not to answer

JMT Hiker Education

• 40.4% Bachelor’s degree
• 24.7% Master’s Degree
• 9.1% Some college, no degree
• 7.3% PhD
• 3.6% Associate degree
• 3.6% JD
• 2.9% MBA
• 2.7% MD
• 2.0% Graduated high school or equivalent
• 0.7% 12th grade or less
• 0.7% Trade school
• 0.2% CPA
• 0.2% DC
• 0.2% DDS
• 0.2% EdD
• 1.6% Prefer not to answer

JMT Hiker Sexual Orientation

• 82.3% Heterosexual
• 5.7% Bisexual
• 2.2% Queer
• 2.0% Asexual
• 1.8% Gay
• 1.1% Lesbian
• 4.9% Prefer not to answer

JMT Hiker Relationship Status

• 56.0% Married or domestic partnership
• 23.4% Single, never married
• 14.7% In a committed relationship
• 4.6% Divorced
• 0.2% In an open relationship
• 0.2% Widowed
• 0.9% Prefer not to answer

JMT Hiker Children

• 53.8% No children
• 6.5% One child
• 25.6% Two children
• 11.2% Three children
• 2.7% Four children
• 0.2% Five children

Where Hikers Are From

Every year, people from around the world come to hike the John Muir Trail. Here’s a look at where hikers on the trail this year were from.

• Countries: Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States (23 total)
• States & Territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (48 total)

A look at JMT hiker distribution across the world:

A look at JMT hiker distribution across the USA:

Hiker Jobs & Working Conditions

How can people take time off to hike the John Muir Trail? Yes, hiking it in less than a week is possible, but most people on the JMT want to take their time. I asked hikers what they do for work and how they were able to take time off to hike the JMT.

JMT Hiker Jobs

This year, hikers reported 81 different professions (the same as last year). The most common of which were:

• Engineer 5.6%
• Educator 5.0%
• Scientist 4.7%
• Attorney 4.5%
• IT 4.5%
• Data Analyst 3.3%
• Project Manager 3.3%
• Doctor 3.1%
• Finance 3.1%
• Software Engineer 3.1%
• Registered Nurse 2.5%
• Artist 2.2%
• Retail 1.9%

JMT Hiker Working Conditions

How was this year’s class able to take time off to hike the JMT?

• Flexible work 33.2%
• Unpaid time off 11.9%
• Unemployed 9.1%
• Retirement 7.9%
• Between jobs 5.5%
• Paid time off 5.5%
• Sabbatical 5.1%
• Student 4.7%
• Pre-negotiated 4.3%
• Recent graduate 4.3%
• Quit job 4.0%
• Seasonal worker 3.2%
• Gap year 1.2%

Planning & Experience Levels

Here’s a look at what the John Muir Trail Class of 2024 looked like during the planning phase of their hikes. This section examines time spent planning, first-time hikers, hiker experience level, and other trails hiked.

Time Spent Planning

I ask thru-hikers how much time they spend planning for their hikes on a scale of 0 (no time at all) to 10 (every waking moment).

• 1 – 2.2%
• 2 – 3.1%
• 3 – 6.5%
• 4 – 7.0%
• 5 – 16.3%
• 6 – 13.8%
• 7 – 18.5%
• 8 – 20.8%
• 9 – 6.2%
• 10 – 5.6%

Average: 6.28
Median: 7
σ: 2.12

Hiking Experience

Instead of asking respondents if this would be/was their first long-distance hike, I asked the distance of their longest hike to date (pre-JMT). I used 100 mi / 160 km as the cutoff (sorry, Wonderland Trail hikers). If you want to yell at me for the arbitrary number I chose here (or suggest a better one), feel free to do so in the comments at the end of this post.

First Time Thru-Hikers

• 59% Yes
• 41% No

Average longest trail hiked: 227 mi / 365 km
Median: 70 mi / 113 km

Hiker Experience Level

In addition to asking about the longest trail completed by thru-hikers pre-JMT, I ask thru-hikers to evaluate their backpacking experience on a scale of 1 to 10.

• Average experience: 6.42
• Median experience: 7
• σ: 2.55

Thru-Hikers (1): 6.42 | M = 7
Thru-Hikers (0): 6.40 | M = 6.5

Previous Trails Hiked

The trails most commonly hiked by those with experience were:

• 23.7% John Muir Trail (previous year)
• 22.0% PCT Section Hike
• 18.6% John Muir Trail Section Hike
• 17.5% AT Section Hike
• 11.9% Colorado Trail
• 11.9% Tour du Mont Blanc
• 10.2% West Highland Way
• 9.6% Tahoe Rim Trail
• 7.3% Camino de Santiago
• 6.2% Pacific Crest Trail
• 5.1% Appalachian Trail
• 4.5% Long Trail
• 4.0% CDT Section Hike
• 4.0% Kungsleden
• 3.4% Arizona Trail
• 2.8% GR20
• 2.3% Coast to Coast Walk
• 2.3% Superior Hiking Trail
• 20.3% Other

Note: these percentages are for the hikers who have already completed a long-distance hike, not the entire class. Trails in the “Other” category only had a single hiker report each trail (there are many long-distance trails worldwide).

Pre-Hike Training

Next, we’ll examine whether thru-hikers trained in preparation for their thru-hikes, what they did (if anything) to train, and how thru-hikers rated their fitness (pre-JMT).

Did Hikers Train?

• 86% Yes
• 14% No

How Hikers Trained

• 79.1% Day hikes
• 47.7% Walking
• 47.7% Weight training
• 44.8% Multi-day hikes
• 41.5% Running
• 25.2% Bicycling
• 20.9% Stairs
• 18.3% Mobility exercises
• 17.6% Step machine
• 15.7% Treadmill incline
• 9.8% Physical therapy
• 6.9% CrossFit
• 6.5% Swimming
• 4.6% Backcountry Ski
• 8.8% Other

Note: these percentages are of the hikers who trained before their hikes.

Pre-Trail Fitness Level

I asked thru-hikers to rate their fitness level (on a scale of 0 to 10) before beginning the trail.

• 0 – 0.0%
• 1 – 0.0%
• 2 – 1.4%
• 3 – 1.7%
• 4 – 4.8%
• 5 – 18.3%
• 6 – 16.9%
• 7 – 32.1%
• 8 – 16.6%
• 9 – 6.2%
• 10 – 2.0%

Average fitness: 6.53
Median fitness: 7
σ: 1.53

Thru-Hikers (1): 6.52 | M = 7
Thru-Hikers (0): 6.64 | M = 7

Money Spent on Hike

Many would-be John Muir Trail hikers ask how much money a thru-hike requires each year, especially if they’re starting out with little or no gear.

I asked John Muir Trail hikers if they encountered unexpected expenses while hiking the JMT. Even if you purchase and test all your gear beforehand and pre-package all your resupplies, you can’t predict what will happen during a JMT thru-hike.

Surprise Expenses Encountered

• 16% Yes
• 84% No

Unexpected expenses fell into three categories: gear replacement, hotel stays, and travel along the trail. However, hikers also reported towns being unexpectedly pricey and medical expenses in addition to these three bigger reasons.

Unexpected Expense Breakdown

• 37.33% Gear Issues
  • 28% replacing failing gear
  • 5.3% replacing hated gear
  • 4% other gear issue
• 56.0% Hotel stays
  • 16% due to weather
  • 22.7% due to injury
  • 4% due to illness
  • 13.3% other reason
• 17.3% Travel along the trail
  • 8% due to injury
  • 1.3% due to fires
  • 1.3% due to illness
  • 1.3% due to weather
  • 5.3% other reason
• 4% Medical expenses
• 13.3% VVR more expensive than expected
• 1.3% Other

Hiking Partners & Alone Time

Starting a long hike alone can be scary and intimidating, but many thru-hikers begin their hikes alone. Here, we’ll look at who hikers began with, how much time they spent hiking and camping alone, how often hikers cowboy camped, whether they stayed with their hiking partner(s), were in relationships, and their hiking group sizes.

Hiking Partner(s)

Beginning a hike with someone is one thing, but remaining together and finishing it with someone is arguably as impressive as the trail itself. Here’s how things worked out for those who began their hikes with another person.

Remaining with Partner(s)

• 87.2% Yes
• 6.3% No, partner got off the trail
• 3.1% Yes, for the most part
• 1.7% No, I got off the trail
• 1.4% No, one or more group members got off
• 0.3% No, wasn’t the plan to remain together

Size of Hiking Groups

Although most hikers begin their John Muir Trail hikes alone, most eventually link up and hike with at least one other person for a considerable amount of their time on the JMT. Some hikers refer to this as a trail family or “tramily. ” Here are the largest groups (in terms of number of other hikers) hikers found themselves hiking with regularly (i.e., 0 means someone only hiked alone).

Hiking Group Sizes

• 14.7% – 0
• 17.1% – 1
• 18.7% – 2
• 16.9% – 3
• 14.3% – 4
• 8.1% – 5
• 4.6% – 6
• 1.8% – 7
• 1.3% – 8
• 0.2% – 9
• 1.8% – 10+

Average group size: 2.9
Median size: 2
σ: 3.0

Starting Conditions & Permits

Getting a John Muir Trail permit can be the first obstacle for many hikers. For 2025, permit registration takes place via a weekly lottery on Recreation.gov.

Every year, the question of when to begin the JMT is debated. Depending on when you’re traveling through the Sierra, there could be snow, bugs, or fires, so gauging when to hit the JMT can be tricky.

Here, we look at permit dates, direction hiked, starting months, why some hikers went northbound, and starting locations.

Permit Start Dates

There can be a lot of competition for JMT permits, so not everyone always gets a permit for their ideal starting date. This looks at the dates JMT hikers got permits for in relation to the date they wanted a permit.

• 64.1% Received permit for the date wanted
• 10.4% +/- 1 day
• 4.2% +/- 2 days
• 7.4% +/- 5 days
• 5.2% +/- 10 days
• 8.7% > 10 days

Hiking Direction

The John Muir Trail is traditionally hiked southbound, beginning at Happy Isles Trailhead in Yosemite National Park and ending at Whitney Portal Trailhead in Inyo National Forest. However, many hikers choose to hike northbound and/or begin/end at alternate trailheads.

• 59.5% Southbound
• 40.5% Northbound

Hiker Start Months

Northbound Hiker Reasoning

Here’s an account of why northbound John Muir Trail hikers decided to forgo the traditional southbound hike in favor of one ending in Yosemite Valley.

• 84.4% – Easier permit
• 17.7% – Logistically easier
• 8.5% – Timeframe worked better
• 9.2% – Wanted a “more unique” experience
• 9.9% – Wanted to avoid crowds
• 7.1% – Already hiked southbound
• 5.0% – Already hiked northbound
• 5.7% – Recommended by a former hiker
• 7.8% – Other

With more competition for permits and due to personal circumstances or logistics, many hikers have started to explore alternatives to the traditional route. This could mean either beginning elsewhere in Yosemite or hiking the trail northbound.

JMT Starting Locations

Most southbound JMT thru-hikers begin their hikes at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, but beginning from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite is also a popular option. However, just over 5% of southbound thru-hikers began their JMT hikes elsewhere, some skipping some miles, some adding some miles.

Most northbound JMT thru-hikers begin their hikes at Horseshoe Meadow via the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead or New Army Pass (via the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead). However, for those lucky enough, the Mount Whitney lottery makes getting a permit for the Whitney Portal Trailhead possible.

Hiking Stats

In this section, we examine the breakdown of hike lengths and averages and the number of days hikers took off (zero days) or walked very few miles (nearo days).

Length of Thru-hikes

Zero and Nearo Days (i.e., Days Off)

Alternate Routes

The John Muir Trail is well-defined, but there are several alternates (sometimes also known as “shortcuts”) hikers can take either in place of or in addition to the official JMT. I ask about these alternates to get an idea of what the most common JMT thru-hike looks like. Alternates are listed in geographical order from north to south.

The following colors indicate the popularity of each alternate (the percentage of hikers who reported taking each): over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, less than 25%.

• Clouds Rest 2.1%
• Tuolumne Campground Trail 4.8%
• Pacific Crest Trail (between Thousand Island Lake and Agnew Meadows) 6.6%
• Devils Postpile Trail 48.6%
• Mammoth Pass Trail 7.2%
• Duck Pass Trail 5.5%
• Cascade/Fish Valley Trail 0.7%
• Goodale Pass Trail (in and/or out of VVR) 5.5%
• Bear Ridge Trail (in and/or out of VVR) 24.8%
• Bear Creek Trail (in and/or out of VVR) 1.0%
• Blayney Meadows Trail 2.1%
• Piute Pass Trail (to/from North Lake) 6.2%
• Lamarck Lakes (to/from North Lake) 0.3%
• Bishop Pass Trail (to/from South Lake) 10.0%
• Sawmill Pass Trail (to/from South Lake) 0.3%
• Kearsarge Pass Trail (to/from Onion Valley) 48.6%
• Cottonwood Lakes/Old Army Pass Trail (to/from Horseshoe Meadow) 2.1%
• New Army Pass Trail (to/from Horseshoe Meadow) 9.0%
• Cottonwood Pass Trail (to/from Horseshoe Meadow) 29.3%

It is not an alternate but the official destination of a traditional southbound JMT thru-hike. Mount Whitney is not an objective that all JMT hikers find themselves atop. Here’s a look at the number of thru-hikers who summited the highest peak in the Continental United States and why some decided to skip it.

Summit Mount Whitney

• 87.7% Summited
• 12.3% Didn’t summit

Why Hikers Didn’t Summit

• 36.8% Summited previously
• 34.2% No interest in summiting
• 21.1% Problems with altitude
• 10.5% Behind schedule
• 5.3% Partner didn’t want to
• 5.3% Snow concerns
• 2.6% Not enough food
• 2.6% Skipped that section
• 2.6% Want to stay with friend(s)

Note: these percentages are for the hikers who did not summit Mount Whitney, not the entire class.

JMT Completion Rates

Most people who begin a John Muir Trail thru-hike intend to complete the trail—unfortunately, not everyone who sets out on this epic adventure finishes. Many people hoping to hike the JMT fail to complete the trail yearly.

Why JMT Hikers Didn’t Finish

• 46.8% Injury
• 17.0% Snow
• 10.6% Illness
• 8.5% Family
• 6.4% Personal
• 6.4% Work
• 2.1% Equipment Failure
• 2.1% Fatigue/Exhaustion

Note: these percentages are for the hikers who did not complete the trail, not the entire class.

Miles Completed by Non-Finishers

• 0.0% – 0-25
• 10.6% – 25-50
• 19.1% – 50-75
• 12.8% – 75-100
• 6.4% – 100-125
• 14.9% – 125-150
• 14.9% – 150-175
• 19.1% – 175-200
• 2.1% – 200+

Average: 120.5 mi / 194 km
Median: 130 mi / 209 km

On-Trail Issues

On a scale of 1 to 10, I asked thru-hikers how much of an issue each of the following was during their hikes.

• 2.75 – Heat
• 2.41 – Elevation
• 1.87 – Mosquitoes
• 1.84 – Cold
• 1.45 – Wind
• 1.33 – Streams
• 1.32 – Rain/Hail
• 1.25 – Storms
• 0.89 – Snow
• 0.86 – Smoke/Fires
• 0.65 – Rodents
• 0.43 – Bears

Resupply

The word “resupply” can be anxiety-inducing if you’re new to the idea of a thru-hike. What is resupply? Where does it come from? How much of it is there? How do you get it? Will it hurt?

Basically, resupply is getting yourself more food to power more hiking. Nothing needs to be too scary or intimidating. Resupply on the John Muir Trail is pretty straightforward since you only have so many options for getting yourself more calories to carry in your bear canister (yes, please bring and use a bear canister—it’s required). However, when and where hikers resupply is still a question many find pretty scary.

Here we have this year’s resupply stats, resupply strategy/boxes, resupply box suggestions, where hikers resupplied, favorite and least favorite resupply stops, favorite meals and snacks, and resupply advice.

JMT Resupply Stats

Thru-Hiker Resupply Boxes

• 0 – 8.8%
• 1 – 27.6%
• 2 – 31.5%
• 3 – 24.0%
• 4 – 7.5%
• 5 – 0.3%
• 6 – 0.3%

Where to Send Resupply Boxes

I asked hikers where, if anywhere, they would highly recommend mailing a resupply box. The following percentages are based on answers from 98.9% of thru-hikers (1) who recommend sending at least one resupply box.

1. Muir Trail Ranch 51.3%
2. Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) 49.5%
3. Red’s Meadow 42.1%
4. Independence 26.4%
5. Tuolumne Meadows 12.1%

Where Hikers Resupplied

I ask hikers to report where they resupply – not where they stopped/passed through, but where they purchased, picked up, were given, or otherwise came into a new food stock.

The locations are listed in geographical order from north to south. Again, I used the following colors to indicate each resupply stop’s popularity: over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, less than 25%.

Favorite & Least Favorite Resupply Stops

Now that we know the most popular stops for resupplying and sending boxes, what are hikers’ favorite and least favorite resupply stops?

Favorite Meals & Snacks

As part of my quest for better backpacking meals, I asked John Muir Trail hikers to share their favorite sources of calories on the trail. The JMT Resupply Guide covers this topic in greater detail.

Favorite Backpacking Meals

1. Peak Refuel 37.1%
2. Mountain House 28.4%
3. Ramen 25.8%
4. Backpacker’s Pantry 21.6%
5. Idahoan Mashed Potatoes 20.8%
6. Good To-Go 14.0%
7. Packit Gourmet 8.4%
8. Knorr Rice Sides 7.9%
9. Couscous 6.7%
10. AlpineAire Foods 6.5%

Favorite Backpacking Snacks

1. Dried Fruit 32.7%
2. Beef Jerky 28.6%
3. M&M’s 25.5%
4. Trail Mix 21.7%
5. Peanut Butter 21.2%
6. Cheese 20.7%
7. Honey Stinger Waffles 17.9%
8. Snickers Bars 16.6%
9. Clif Bars 15.3%
10. Sour Patch Kids 15.3%

Resupply Changes

Hindsight is 20/20 – unless you’re looking back through the darkness for that mountain lion you think might be following you, but that’s likely a deer. Here is what hikers said they would change about their resupply strategies if they could do it again. These don’t change much yearly, so I encourage you to heed this advice when considering your resupply options.

Overall, 60.4% of thru-hikers said they would change something about their resupply strategy. Here is the breakdown of what these hikers said they would change.

I’ll follow up on this article with a more detailed breakdown of this year’s JMT resupply. To be notified of new posts, click here.

Thru-Hiking Gear

John Muir Trail hikers spend a lot of time deciding on their gear. Gear choices are essential in a thru-hike, but no magical gear combination will guarantee success. I will do a deep dive into JMT hiker gear, but the following will give a taste of the gear choices and what’s to come.

Let’s look at what this year’s JMT Class had with them on the trail.

More detailed and exciting breakdowns of this information are in this year’s JMT Gear Guide. Let’s peek at some of the gear thru-hikers were using on the trail this year. Here are the most common “Big 4” items: packs, shelters, sleeping bags/quilts, and sleeping pads (I know it’s the “Big 3”, but I include sleeping pads; get over it) along with the most common insulated jackets and shells.

This is just the tip of the proverbial thru-hiking iceberg in the gear department. As mentioned above, I will publish a detailed breakdown of this year’s JMT gear. This will include the all-important shoes, snow gear, luxury items, what hikers didn’t like about their gear, what gear decisions (might have) helped hikers to a successful thru-hike, how hikers would change/adapt their gear for a future hike, and more.

Most Common JMT Backpacks

1. Gossamer Gear Mariposa
2. Durston Gear Kakwa
3. Osprey Atmos AG/Aura AG
4. Osprey Exos/Eja
5. REI Co-op Flash
6. ULA Circuit
7. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest/Windrider/Junction
8. Zpacks Arc Haul
9. Osprey Aether/Ariel
10. Gregory Baltoro/Deva

Most Common JMT Shelters

1. Zpacks Duplex
2. Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 2
3. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
4. Durston Gear X-Mid 2
5. Durston Gear X-Mid 1
6. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3
7. NEMO Hornet OSMO 2P
8. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2
9. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1
10. Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 1

Most Common JMT Sleeping Bags/Quilts

1. Enlightened Equipment Enigma
2. Enlightened Equipment Revelation
3. REI Co-op Magma
4. Katabatic Flex
5. Zenbivy Light Bed
6. Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass
7. Feathered Friends Egret
8. Therm-a-Rest Vesper
9. Hammock Gear Economy Burrow
10. Kelty Cosmic

Most Common JMT Sleeping Pads

1. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
2. NEMO Equipment Tensor Trail Insulated
3. NEMO Equipment Tensor All Season Ultralight
4. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
5. NEMO Equipment Switchback
6. Big Agnes Rapide SL

Most Common JMT Insulated Jackets

1. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody (Men’s/Women’s)
2. Enlightened Equipment Torrid (Men’s/Women’s)
3. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Jacket (Men’s/Women’s)
4. Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded (Men’s/Women’s)
5. REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket (Men’s/Women’s)
6. Patagonia Down Sweater (Men’s/Women’s)
7. Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody (Men’s/Women’s)
8. Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket (Men’s/Women’s)
9. Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded (Men’s/Women’s)
10. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL (Men’s/Women’s)

Most Common JMT Shells

1. Outdoor Research Helium (Men’s/Women’s)
2. Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 (Men’s/Women’s)
3. REI Co-op Essential Rain Jacket (discontinued)
4. Montbell Versalite (Men’s/Women’s)
5. Patagonia Torrentshell 3L (Men’s/Women’s)
6. Arc’teryx Beta (Men’s/Women’s)
7. Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite (Men’s/Women’s)
8. Marmot PreCip Eco (Men’s/Women’s)
9. Zpacks Vertice (Men’s/Women’s)
10. Enlightened Equipment Visp (Men’s/Women’s)

For more on gear, check out more of the best backpacking gear.

Technology on Trail

Gone are the olden days of the John Muir Trail, which required everyone to navigate with paper maps, a compass, and sketches from former hikers to identify landmarks. That said, a map and compass aren’t necessarily terrible things to have with you; many would never leave home without them. But the reality is that there are apps available to JMT hikers, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t take advantage of the tools available.

Here are the phones and apps hikers were using out on the trail this year.

Phone Carried

• 76.9% iPhone
• 22.6% Android
• 0.4% Didn’t carry phone

JMT Hiker Apps

• 69.1% FarOut Guides
• 35.1% Gaia GPS
• 25.5% Garmin Explore App
• 16.8% AllTrails
• 16.6% CalTopo
• 7.4% Google Maps
• 6.5% Peak Finder
• 5.1% Strava
• 2.7% Avenza Maps
• 1.6% onX Backcountry
• 1.3% Maps.me
• 1.3% Merlin
• 1.3% Seek by iNaturalist
• 1.1% Mapy.cz
• 0.7% Hiking Project
• 0.5% Komoot
• 0.4% Backcountry Navigator
• 2.5% Other
• 10.2% Didn’t use any apps

Hiker Health & Water Sources

Water treatment and personal hygiene are (or should be) big considerations for hikers. Typically, thru-hikers worry less about these as the trail goes on, but experience isn’t always your friend.

Some hikers religiously filter all water that passes through their face hole – it doesn’t matter if it comes out of a hotel sink or a puddle with a cow pooping in it. Other hikers will “not filter above 10,000 ft / 3,048 m” or “not filter running water” (this last one is not a good idea – running water can 100% get you sick).

Everyone wants to look cool in front of their friends by not filtering water (note: not filtering your water does not make you cool), but there are risks to the badass thru-hiker lifestyle (and drinking dirty, giardia-infested water).

To find out how good a job everyone is doing filtering their water and sanitizing their hands after pooping (another way to get yourself sick), I ask hikers if they got sick (defined as 3+ days of digestive issues or diagnosed giardia), how often they treated water sources, and how these two things compare to one another.

JMT Hiker Illness

• 97.4% Didn’t get sick
• 2.6% Got sick

Water Treatment Frequency

• 91.0% Always
• 6.6% Usually
• 1.5% Sometimes
• 0.9% Never

Treatment vs. Illness

• 2.4% Always treated, got sick
• 88.6% Always treated, never got sick
• 6.4% Usually treated, never got sick
• 0.2% Usually treated, got sick
• 1.5% Sometimes treated, never got sick
• 0.9% Never treated, never got sick

Looking at this another way, we can see the following.

• 91% of hikers always treated their water, and 2.7% of these hikers got sick
• 6.6% of hikers usually treated their water, and 3.5% of these hikers got sick
• 1.5% of hikers sometimes treated their water, and 0% of these hikers got sick
• 0.9% of hikers never treated their water, and 0% of these hikers got sick

In total, a reported 2.6% of hikers came down with something akin to (or diagnosed) giardia.

Favorite/Least Favorite Sections

The John Muir Trail is a relatively long hike with lots to see (mostly bears). Here is a look at the favorite and least favorite sections of the trail.

Favorite JMT Sections

1. Rae Lakes 29.2%
2. Thousand Island Lake to Garnet Lake 25.9%
3. Palisade Basin 23.6%
4. Muir Pass to Mather Pass 21.9%
5. Guitar Lake to Mount Whitney 14.3%
6. Donohue Pass to Thousand Island Lake 13.0%
7. Glen Pass to Forester Pass 12.6%
8. Forester Pass to Crabtree Meadow 11.3%
9. LeConte Canyon 8.3%
10. Mather Pass to Pinchot Pass 7.6%

Least Favorite JMT Sections

1. Whitney Portal Trail 18.5%
2. Bear Ridge Trail 18.1%
3. Devils Postpile/Reds Meadow to Silver Pass 17.4%
4. VVR to MTR 13.2%
5. Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows 12.8%
6. Golden Staircase 8.5%
7. Pinchot Pass to Glen Pass 8.2%
8. Garnet Lake to Reds Meadow 7.8%
9. Bear Creek Trail 7.8%
10. Silver Pass to VVR 7.5%

Fear, Regrets, and Advice

When asked if hikers ever felt legitimately afraid on the trail, this is what they had to report. If you’ve never experienced a thunderstorm directly overhead while in the mountains above treeline, you may be surprised at how much more threatening it is than watching that same storm through a window while warm inside your car or home.

• A buck, doe, and two fawns came into our camp at Evolution Lake. After previously getting charged by a doe in Vidette, we were worried that the buck would charge us if we made any sudden moves. Luckily nothing happened, but it was a really strange experience. The deer on the JMT have no fear of humans.
  
• My dad and I were about 100 yards from treeline coming south from Forester Pass when lightning crashed and flashed just overhead, maybe 30 yards up on the ridge. It struck again before we made it into the trees. We got thoroughly wet in the ensuing downpour but were otherwise unharmed.

• I had a day when a new fire formed, and I was in a canyon, so it was difficult to communicate with family to determine the location of the fire. This made it an extremely stressful afternoon.

• I had facial edema from sleeping at altitude and didn’t realize this was a possible side effect.

• I set up camp alone at Johnston Meadows and heard an eerie growling-like noise coming from the woods, so I decided to pack up and camp a bit further down the trail closer to other people.

I’ll follow up on this article with a more comprehensive accounting of this year’s JMT scariest moments. If you would like to be notified of new posts, click here.

Now for John Muir Trail thru-hiker wisdom. I asked hikers what they would have done differently before their hikes if they were to do it all over again.

In addition to asking hikers what they would have done differently before their thru-hikes, I asked them what they wished they had done differently during their hikes.

I ask hikers what advice they have for future JMT hikers. The upcoming article JMT: Advice for the Future will thoroughly document this, but here is a sample for now.

• Don’t rush anything if possible. It’s an incredibly hard hike that’s also difficult to access in the most beautiful parts. Take your time.

• I could do a map share link with my Garmin that I sent to close friends and family. The encouraging texts and knowing they tracked me the entire way was nice. I sent postcards at the beginning, resupply, and end, and everyone LOVED them. Last, if between southbound and northbound, I realized that southbound, you can camp at pretty places before each pass that are close, allowing you to do the pass in the shade each morning. Northbound has longer, more exposed accents for the passes.

• Take your time and pace yourself. There is no reason to rush the trail. If you see a lake that looks inviting, swim in it! I regret not swimming in more lakes along the way, especially when it’s hot outside!

• You can get away with a lot less food than you think. Don’t believe all the rumors on the trail; always check a situation out yourself. Don’t worry too much, and have fun!!
  

Animal Sightings

Lastly, we have some data that doesn’t fit anywhere else, so I tack it on at the end. What kind of wildlife did John Muir Trail hikers see in the Sierra Nevada?

The most common animals? Marmots. The rarest of the animal kingdom? Mountain lions.

Animals Hikers Spotted

• 28.4% Black bear
• 1.3% Bobcat
• 20.6% Coyote
• 89.7% Deer
• 6.7% Fox
• 68.8% Grouse
• 94.8% Marmot
• 0.6% Mountain lion
• 8.6% Owl
• 73.5% Pika
• 7.7% Rattlesnake
• 1.1% Skunk
• 42.6% Snake (not rattler)
• 1.5% Bald Eagle

Support the Survey

Every year, I get a lot of people asking how to support the surveys. Beyond sharing them with your close-knit bubble of weird hiker friends, the best way to support the survey is to contribute via Patreon. You’ll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super, extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are.

If you’re not into Patreon, that’s cool; you can Venmo @halfwayanywhere, Cash app $halfwayanywhere, or PayPal moc.erehwynayawflahobfsctd@tcatnoc

This is not expected. The data collected in the survey will always be free and accessible to everyone who wants/needs it. Your support is much appreciated and helps pay the website (and survey) bills.

Finally, another HUGE THANK YOU to all the hikers who completed this year’s survey, including (but not limited to): 2 Fast 2 Fallable, 2 Fast 2 Fallible, Achilles, Adventure Mouse, Bagel, Bajesus, Banshee, Barnie, Basco, BBC (Bunny Blue Cobbler), Bear, Bigfoot, Birch, Bird, Blue Moon, Blue Steel, Boyscout, Bristol Cone, Bulldozer, Can’T Complain, Cappy, Charms, Cheeseblock, Cheetos, Cheshire Cat, Chief Commando, Ciggies, Citrus, Cliffsquatter, Clutch, Coach, Coach Yoda, Cold Soak, Condor, Crazy Dan, Crockets, Crustyfoot, Cubbie, CVS, Hare, Daddy Goose, Danish Climber, Dennys, Detour, Dirty Hipster, Dish, Doctor Ramen, Dora, Double Yellow, Downtime, Duck Soup, Dumpster, E.T. (Elevated Turtle), Easy, Eco, Fay, Fight Club, Fireball, Firecracker, First Gear, Flamethrower, Flash, Footsie, Gack, Gandalf, Git R Done, Goat, Gordito, Grandma, Gummy Worm, Half Calf, Half Pint, Happy Bastard, Hayseed, Heisenb, Hey-Fiak, Honk Shoo (Snoring), Hustler, Ic, Insole, Jetski, Job, Jolly, JP Frog, Jukebox, Keener/Quickpee, King Hawaiian, Klopper, Latte, Little Tree, Low Gear, Macguyver, Martian, Meatstick, MJ, Mop, Mountain Feather, Mountain Goat, Mr. Perfect, Nails, No, No Plan, None, Not Today Satan, Not Yet, Oldie, One-Star, Orphan Finder, Otter, Packmule, Papa Smurf, Peg Leg, Peppermint Patty, Pickles, Pie Time, Ping-Pong, Pooh Bear, Poppins, Poptart, Queen Bee, Ram, Ranger, Red, Roadrunner, Rocket, Rocketman, Sage, Scarecrow, Shoebox, Sky, Slayfire, Slippery Rock, Snack Daddy, Snacks, Snap, Snickers, Space Camp and/or Starman, Spam, Spring Chicken, Spyder, Story, Streep, Sugar Pine, Sunrise, Taco, Tadpole, Tahini, The Diplomat, The Lorax, The Patriot, Tom’s Tears, Tortoise, Trail Bitch, Trip, Trout, Troutslayer, Trudge, Turtle, Tweed, Twosip, Tyvek, Uphill Cruiser, Wahine, Welcome Wagon, What’s Next, Wild Onions, Yak, and Yurtle the Turtle.

If you have any feedback, comments, suggestions to improve the survey, or data you would like to see in future posts or surveys, leave a comment below and let me know!

Affiliate Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive small commissions for purchases made via these links at no additional cost to you. This helps pay the bills and keep the site up and running. Thank you for your support!

Animal Sightings

Lastly, we have some data that doesn’t fit anywhere else, so I tack it on at the end. What kind of wildlife did John Muir Trail hikers see in the Sierra Nevada?

The most common animals? Deer. The rarest of the animal kingdom? Skunks.

Animals Hikers Spotted

• 28.4% Black bear
• 1.3% Bobcat
• 20.6% Coyote
• 89.7% Deer
• 6.7% Fox
• 68.8% Grouse
• 94.8% Marmot
• 0.6% Mountain lion
• 8.6% Owl
• 73.5% Pika
• 7.7% Rattlesnake
• 1.1% Skunk
• 42.6% Snake (not rattler)
• 1.5% Bald Eagle

Support the Survey

Every year, I get a lot of people asking how to support the surveys. Beyond sharing them with your close-knit bubble of weird hiker friends, the best way to support the survey is to contribute via Patreon. You’ll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super, extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are.

If you’re not into Patreon, that’s cool; you can Venmo @halfwayanywhere, Cash app $halfwayanywhere, or PayPal moc.erehwynayawflahobfsctd@tcatnoc

This is not expected. The data collected in the survey will always be free and accessible to everyone who wants/needs it. Your support is much appreciated and helps pay the website (and survey) bills.

Finally, another HUGE THANK YOU to all the hikers who completed this year’s survey, including (but not limited to): 2 Fast 2 Fallable, 2 Fast 2 Fallible, Achilles, Adventure Mouse, Bagel, Bajesus, Banshee, Barnie, Basco, BBC (Bunny Blue Cobbler), Bear, Bigfoot, Birch, Bird, Blue Moon, Blue Steel, Boyscout, Bristol Cone, Bulldozer, Can’T Complain, Cappy, Charms, Cheeseblock, Cheetos, Cheshire Cat, Chief Commando, Ciggies, Citrus, Cliffsquatter, Clutch, Coach, Coach Yoda, Cold Soak, Condor, Crazy Dan, Crockets, Crustyfoot, Cubbie, CVS, Hare, Daddy Goose, Danish Climber, Dennys, Detour, Dirty Hipster, Dish, Doctor Ramen, Dora, Double Yellow, Downtime, Duck Soup, Dumpster, E.T. (Elevated Turtle), Easy, Eco, Fay, Fight Club, Fireball, Firecracker, First Gear, Flamethrower, Flash, Footsie, Gack, Gandalf, Git R Done, Goat, Gordito, Grandma, Gummy Worm, Half Calf, Half Pint, Happy Bastard, Hayseed, Heisenb, Hey-Fiak, Honk Shoo (Snoring), Hustler, Ic, Insole, Jetski, Job, Jolly, JP Frog, Jukebox, Keener/Quickpee, King Hawaiian, Klopper, Latte, Little Tree, Low Gear, Macguyver, Martian, Meatstick, MJ, Mop, Mountain Feather, Mountain Goat, Mr. Perfect, Nails, No, No Plan, None, Not Today Satan, Not Yet, Oldie, One-Star, Orphan Finder, Otter, Packmule, Papa Smurf, Peg Leg, Peppermint Patty, Pickles, Pie Time, Ping-Pong, Pooh Bear, Poppins, Poptart, Queen Bee, Ram, Ranger, Red, Roadrunner, Rocket, Rocketman, Sage, Scarecrow, Shoebox, Sky, Slayfire, Slippery Rock, Snack Daddy, Snacks, Snap, Snickers, Space Camp and/or Starman, Spam, Spring Chicken, Spyder, Story, Streep, Sugar Pine, Sunrise, Taco, Tadpole, Tahini, The Diplomat, The Lorax, The Patriot, Tom’s Tears, Tortoise, Trail Bitch, Trip, Trout, Troutslayer, Trudge, Turtle, Tweed, Twosip, Tyvek, Uphill Cruiser, Wahine, Welcome Wagon, What’s Next, Wild Onions, Yak, and Yurtle the Turtle.

If you have any feedback, comments, suggestions to improve the survey, or data you would like to see in future posts or surveys, leave a comment below and let me know!

Affiliate Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive small commissions for purchases made via these links at no additional cost to you. This helps pay the bills and keep the site up and running. Thank you for your support!