Hot take: the JMT is overrated and I'm tired of pretending it's not

I did the John Muir Trail last August and honestly, the first 5 days were some of the worst hiking I've ever done. Constant crowds, people blasting speakers, and someone actually tried to set up camp 10 feet from my tent at Guitar Lake. The views around Evolution Valley were nice, but not worth dealing with 50 other hikers every single mile. I spent 9 days total and the only stretch I really enjoyed was the section between Muir Trail Ranch and Mather Pass. Has anyone else felt let down by a super popular route like this or am I just getting grumpy in my 30s?

2 comments

2 Comments

bencampbell1mo ago

Think you might be mixing up your sections a bit, man. Muir Trail Ranch is actually past Mather Pass if you're going southbound, not before it. Mather Pass is way up north of the ranch, so that stretch you're talking about from the ranch to Mather would have you hiking backwards over Bishop Pass or something weird like that. I did the JMT a few years back and yeah, the crowds are a real drag sometimes. Guitar Lake was a zoo when I was there too, people just everywhere like it's a tailgate party. Evolution Valley is gorgeous but you gotta get there at the crack of dawn or it's like a highway.

bencampbell1mo ago

Yeah, you're right. My bad on the order.