The Wind River High Route vs. the John Muir Trail: one is just better

I did both routes in the last two summers, and the constant praise for the JMT feels off. The Wind River High Route in Wyoming has maybe a tenth of the people, no permit lottery, and terrain that makes you think instead of just walk. The JMT felt like a line at a national park after the first week, especially near Muir Trail Ranch. Has anyone else switched to less crowded alternatives and found the experience way better?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.paige13d ago

Switching to the Wind River range changed backpacking for me. The need for real route finding keeps you engaged in a way a marked trail just can't. That sense of solving the land beats following a line of people any day.

lee_gibson13d ago

Bring a good map case you don't mind getting wet, because you'll be checking it constantly in those river crossings. Learning to read the land instead of signs makes the trip way more rewarding, even when you backtrack a bit. That feeling of figuring it out yourself beats any guidebook.

christopher40213d ago

A buddy of mine who guides out west said the same thing last year. He called the JMT a conveyor belt and now only takes small groups into the Winds. The permit mess alone is enough to make you look elsewhere. There's a real difference between hiking a trail and actually traveling through wild country.