John Muir Trail
Sierra Nevada, California
- Distance
- 335.8 km
- Elev. gain
- 11,954 m
- Start
- Mount Whitney Summit
- Finish
- Happy Isles Trailhead
A simplified drawing of the real route — the distance above is the published figure, not the length of this line.
About this distance
NPS states the John Muir Trail is approximately 211 miles (339.6 km), Happy Isles (Yosemite) to Mount Whitney. Far shows the real OSM-traced route geometry (relation 1244828): 335.8 km, a 1.1% difference from NPS -- within normal survey/mapping variance for a 211-mile trail, not a data error. Live re-verified 2026-07-27: re-fetched OSM relation 1244828 directly, full stitched chain (94 way segments, 26,966 raw points) measures 335.79 km, matching the stored distance almost exactly. Kept OSM's figure per D171's rule: the authoritative source overrides OSM only when the two materially disagree; a 1.1% gap does not.
Route geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), cross-checked against National Park Service. Reviewed July 26, 2026. Trail conditions, permits, and hazards change — verify before you go.