Tried the John Muir Trail vs. the Wonderland Trail last summer

The JMT felt crowded, like a line at a theme park after the first 20 miles. The Wonderland around Rainier was just as tough but way more wild, saw maybe three other groups a day. So why does everyone still push the JMT so hard for a real wilderness trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarh168d ago

You said the JMT felt crowded after the first 20 miles. That's the thing, the southern end near Whitney is a zoo. But if you start further north at Tuolumne, you skip that mess. The real quiet part is north of Red's Meadow. Maybe people push it because that first section is what everyone sees in pictures?

wadefoster8d ago

Exactly, @oscarh16. It's the same reason people crowd into famous photo spots anywhere. They see one picture and fixate on that single experience, missing everything else. The JMT's real magic is in the long middle stretches where you can actually breathe. People just chase the postcard view of Whitney and don't realize the trade-off is dealing with a crowd the whole time. It's a weird way to plan a trip into the wilderness.