Reach Clovis in California and check into your hotel (included in the price of the tour). Make sure you get some rest for tomorrow, as that’s when the trip officially begins!
Accommodation: Hotel in Clovis
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The John Muir Wilderness Trek is a 40-mile route meandering through the remote Sierra Mountains. Over the course of 6 days, we will discover this truly wild area, brimming with jagged granite cliffs, dark pitted canyons, burnt-red mountains, rushing rivers, and divine lakes. The route also includes 6-8 miles of off-trail travel with scrambles to ~12,000’ peaks along the Le Conte Divide. Hotel accommodations pre- and post-trek are included, as well as tents and all other camping equipment during the trek, and your guides also take care of all meals and dishes. Not a thing to worry about—you just get to Fresno and let expert guides do the rest!
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Your guides will coordinate organized transport and pick you up at your hotel between 8 and 9 am. If you’re not staying at the accommodation which is included in the tour, talk to your guides prior to the trip to discuss your pick-up. Begin the journey to the trailhead at 8,000 ft (2,440 m) near Courtright Reservoir and John Muir Wilderness (about a 2.5 hour drive from the Fresno/Clovis area). Guests who are driving in may optionally meet the group at the guide’s Shaver Lake Cabin at 10 am. The goal is to make it to the trailhead by lunch, where you’ll do a final pack-check, get to know the team, and talk safety before beginning an afternoon hike to camp on the trail.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: Moderate with a short uphill gain and gradual downhill loss of 850 ft (260 m)
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The pace will be brisk as you cover miles on a good trail with a long and gradual climb towards Red Mountain Basin to camp near Fleming and Disappointment Lakes, which truly never disappoint.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: Long moderate-to-intense uphill with multiple stream crossings, with a 2,000-foot (610-meter) climb
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A moderate morning hike will take you to Hell For Sure Lake by lunch, where you’ll enjoy our afternoon. An optional up and back, off-trail scramble to the summit of Red Mountain (~12,000 ft / 3,660 m) will be on the schedule. If trail and group conditions permit, you’ll begin your ascent toward camp on the ridge of the LeConte Divide with views of Arctic, Horseshoe and Hell For Sure Lakes.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: Gradual uphill to camp & up and back day hike
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Weather and trail conditions permitting, with an early morning start we will go off-trail over The Knob of Mt. Hutton (~12,000 ft / 3,660 m), traversing rugged granite terrain. Continue off-trail toward lake-studded Bench Valley, with time to explore Schoolmarm, Holster, Bullet, Wahoo, Crabtree, and the many other lakes surrounding the Bench Valley camp.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: Intense uphill, then down, majority of the day off-trail
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Begin your descent on and off trail past Colt, Horsehead, Guest and McGuire Lakes, before a meeting up with the North Fork of the Kings River, and our camp near the “waterpark” with natural pools, waterfalls and slides.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: Long gradual descent, majority of day on-trail
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An early start will get you back to Courtright Reservoir around lunch where you will reload cars, and return to the town of Shaver Lake to share a hearty group meal. A final stop for showers at the cabin in Shaver Lake is optional, and then it’s back to Clovis to your hotel—this night is also included in the price of the tour.
Accommodation: Hotel in Clovis
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: Reconnect with loop trail and exit, moderate up and downhill
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The exact guides featured on the listing are not guaranteed to lead the tour. If unavailable at the time, they will be replaced by a guide that’s available.
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What you get on this adventure:
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- An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- 6-day backpacking tour along the John Muir Wilderness Trek
- Accommodation
- Tents in the backcountry
- One night pre-trek and one night post-trek in a hotel in Clovis, CA (Best Western or Hampton Inn & Suites)
- Transportation between designated Fresno/Clovis area meeting points and trailhead
- All meals and snacks in the backcountry (your guides take care of the cooking and dishes)
- Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, instep crampons and pad at no additional cost (upon request)
- Personalized pack-check prior to departure
- Group gear and equipment (cleaning pad and soap, cooking utensils, first aid kit, fuel bottles and fuel, cooking pots, lighters and matches, small shovel, stoves, water carriers, water filters and purification tablets, bear cannisters)
- 5% NPS Recovery Fee
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to the meeting point
- Meals in the front-country
- Guide gratuities — optional
- Travel and medical insurance — optional
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Backpacking the John Muir Wilderness Trek is set in a very remote area over the course of 6 days. The trek is a 40-mile (65-kilometer) looped route, including roughly 6-8 miles of off-trail travel with two hand and foot scrambles to ~12,000-foot (3,660-meter) peaks along the Le Conte Divide.
In general, this tour is beginner-friendly, but it still requires good fitness levels. You have to make sure you’re fit enough to cover 40 miles of backcountry terrain over 6 days while carrying a fully loaded backpack. As this is a group tour, you’ll have to keep up with the group’s pace. Your guides will be with you the whole way through and create a supportive and welcoming environment for people who want to spend some time in the great outdoors!
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Pack & shelter
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- External or internal frame pack with belt (60-70L)
- Sleeping bag + stuff sack
- Sleeping pad
- Tent with rain fly
- Hiking poles
The items above can be provided at no additional charge on request. Let us know upon booking what you need!
Footwear & clothing (top—4 layers minimum, bottom—2 layers minimum)
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- Mid or lightweight socks (pack 2 wear 1)
- Hiking shoes (comfortable and broken in)
- Lightweight camp shoes
- Moleskin (1 package, wrapper removed)
- Base layer (long underwear/thermal, for top and bottom)
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Short-sleeved shirt (pack 1 wear 1)
- Warm jacket (fleece or puffy)
- Poncho or rain jacket
- Hiking pants or leggings
- Underwear (pack 2, wear 1)
Other personal gear
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- Pack cover or large garbage bag (≥33 gal)
- Bandana
- Sun cap or hat with brim
- Beanie/tuque/knit cap
- Gloves or mittens
- Headlamp (preferred) or small flashlight
- Sunglasses (100% UV protection)
- Sunscreen (rated at least 30 SPF)
- Insect repellent
- Mosquito head net
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Toilet paper & small hand sanitizer
- Water bottles (2) or bladder (at least 2 liters capacity)
- Ziplock bag
- Plastic bowl (≥ 6 inches)
- Plastic cup (≥ 8 oz)
- Spoon or spork
Optional
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- Toiletries (hair brush, chapstick, menstrual products…)
- Camera
- Hiking shorts
- Money (for souvenirs or guide gratuity)
- Sleepwear
- Fishing gear
- Pen and paper
- Personal first aid kit items
- Pocket knife
- Reading material
- Sports bra
- Swimsuit
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Make sure not to bring unnecessary items which will only make your backpacks heavier, as you’ll be carrying your backpacks with you the whole way through.
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Group sizes and pricing
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- For this backpacking tour of the John Muir Wilderness Trek, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
- It takes a minimum of 2 people for this tour to operate, while the maximum is set at 10 participants.
Backpacking the John Muir Wilderness Trek can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join backpacking the John Muir Wilderness Trek on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To get to Clovis in California, the starting point of your tour, most people fly into Fresno Airport (FAT). Make sure to fly in a day prior to the start of the tour, as pre-trek accommodation in a hotel will be organized for you.
Then on Day 1, your guides will coordinate transportation from Central California (Fresno/Clovis area) and the Shaver Lake Cabin. Pick-up from Central California will be between 8 and 9 am, while the pick-up from Shaver Lake Cabin will be at 10 am. This is included in the price of the tour.
The exact departure time will be confirmed on a trek-by-trek basis. The Fresno/Clovis area is a 3-hour car drive from the Bay Area, roughly 4 hours from Southern California. While food is not included in the front-country, your guides will stop for food and to refuel before reaching the trailhead. The goal is to reach the trailhead around lunch time.
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
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