South Lake to Muir Hut

The route from South Lake to Muir Hut is a nearly 40-mile out-and-back in the Eastern Sierra. It connects the Bishop Pass Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail (PCT/JMT), turning around at Muir Pass. This is a fine, short backpacking trip or an ambitious trail run. If backpacking, be bear aware and bring a canister. See permit information below. 

Parking at South Lake is free, and there is a designated lot for overnight users. The trail skirts the northeast corner of the lake, where hikers should note the impressive rock walls holding the trail. Trail building is an art. The journey to Bishop Pass is a nearly 6-mile climb, passing a number of objectively gorgeous lakes before a push of steep switchbacks to the crest. The pass, at 11,950 ft., sits just west of Mt. Agassiz, and offers a look into the Dusy Basin below. A long, scenic descent follows, a section that you may curse on the way back up. The Le Conte Ranger Station is situated at the junction here in Le Conte Canyon, where the Bishop Pass Trail meets the PCT/JMT. Head north to begin climbing again, passing Little Pete Meadow and Big Pete Meadow along the Middle Fork of the Kings River. Muir Hut, at the top of Muir Pass (11,939 ft.), is our destination for this route, though there are endless adventures in the vicinity. Muir Hut was built by the Sierra Club in 1930, and serves both as an emergency shelter in a treeless landscape and a memorial for John Muir. The hut is situated between Wanda Lake and Helen Lake, named after Muir’s daughters.  

Hikers will pass through the John Muir Wilderness in Inyo National Forest and enter Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. Wilderness permits are required for backcountry camping, which can be found at www.recreation.gov. For more information regarding advisories, weather, road conditions, campgrounds and more, check out the Inyo National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo, and the Sequoia-Kings Canyon website at https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm. Practice the principles of leave no trace, and take action to defend threatened wilderness areas (wildernesswatch.org).