JMT permit rules

Yep. Also possible to get a walk in for the JMT from happy isles, since abandoned reservations are recycled and handed out the morning of.

Probable? That’s a whole nother story. Depends on how much time you’re willing to spend in line. While walk ins for the following day start to be passed out at 11 am, it’s likely there will be a line in place well before 11. Especially for really popular trailheads.

I believe, if I ever do the JMT in a continuous trip, that I would simply get permits from Inyo trailheads. One going the other direction over Donahue and ending at Happy Isles, and with a YARTS ride over the pass to Mammoth, another going in at Agnew to make a left turn and continue south on the JMT. But then, I’m possibly less of a purist than most and have already done the section from Happy Isles to Donahue, repeatedly, over the years.

There are no walk-in permits being issued from Happy Isles anymore. All 20 permits are reservation only. The only way you can get a walk-in permit is if someone cancels. That is not particularly likely.

There are walk-in permits from Tuolomne Meadows, 10 each day. Getting those will require a lot of waiting in line very early.

I think you may be able to get a permit leaving Yosemite from Mono or Parker Pass and connect up with the JMT later, although they may not be issuing Whitney permits for that. But if you’re going to do that, you may as well just get your permit just  north of Yosemite in a National Forest.

I did the JMT a few years ago before the entire permit change. Don’t get me wrong; it was an amazing trip. However, if I had to do it again, I’d probably just do the Sierra High Route and avoid the crowds and permitting mess. You can catch the rest of the JMT on your PCT thru-hike…

i only live about 4 hours from Yosemite and I can take risks on getting in line early enough.

I plan on taking a 21 year old with me, so I would like to show him the original route.  I will be picking up my daughter at Red’s Meadow,  She has already done Happy Isle to Red’s and will have to get out after MTR.   but the idea of the Sierra High Route is tempting.  I will have to think about that one.

Thanks

Join the Yahoo JMT group or the Facebook group. They are both run by the same people and both have extremely comprehensive and accurate listings of permit options for he JMT.

After several failed attempts to get a HI permit last year, I did what Adam G suggested and got a permit for Mono/Parker Pass. Camped at Alger Lakes after Parker and Koip Passes on the first day. Joined up with the JMT midday on the second day via the Rush Creek trail. Convenient, beautiful hike, almost no other people, nice elevation on the first day… I’d happily do it again if getting permits remains as difficult.

I just got a pass entering at rush creek  there were a lot of permits we are not hiking the whole trail so it didn’t realy matter where  we started