Shoutout to the ranger who told me the real length of the John Muir Trail

Alice Hall · 2026-03-22T13:45:07.188951+00:00

I was planning a trip and looking at the official maps online, which all said the JMT is 211 miles. Then I talked to a ranger at the Tuolumne Meadows station last month, and she pulled out an old survey map. She said the actual walking distance, if you count every switchback and detour around downed trees, is closer to 221 miles. That extra 10 miles of climbing over a two week trip is a big deal for pack weight planning. Has anyone else had a trail's listed length be that far off from reality?

sethr115mo ago

Bro that 10 mile difference is actually huge lmao. Nobody ever talks about how switchbacks and fallen trees seriously mess with the official distance. The JMT rangers probably deal with this all the time but the park service just sticks with the same old numbers. Ten miles over two weeks might not sound like much but when you're rationing food for 211 miles and suddenly need fuel for 221 thats a big deal. A friend of mine tried to do the math once and had to bail early because he ran out of snacks. Most people just trust the map and dont think about the actual ground you cover.

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jordanm196mo ago

That extra mile per day adds up when you're carrying a full pack and climbing elevation. It changes your food and fuel calculations for sure.

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samward6mo ago

Ten miles over two weeks is basically nothing.

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