To talk about this trail we must first talk about the man who gave it its name, John Muir, arrived in San Francisco in 1868 where he stayed and fought for the preservation of natural heritage areas such as Yosemite Park. He founded the Sierra club in 1892 and began creating hiking trails for people to enjoy the beauty of nature. Finally in 1938, one hundred years after his birth, John Muir's journey was finished. This trail and the man behind it certainly have a great history, but the beauty that the trail displays to hikers is what truly makes this trail magnificent. Hikers will pass through many different terrains as they traverse the JMT, hikers will see many waterfalls that are directly on the trail or that can be seen by making small detours to select locations or natural monuments such as Devils Postpile National Monument. Hikers will also need to be able to go to high altitudes as they will be hiking on high peaks such as Junction Peak, Mount Whitney, Diamond Peak and many others. But they will also have the opportunity to be located in a variety of national parks such as Yosemite National Park or Sequoia National Park, “the General Sherman tree stands 275 feet tall and has a circumference of more than 100 feet. Many “smaller” trees can be found here too. (gorp.com). But with so many different environments, adventurers may need different permissions. Travelers will need three different permits; they will need two wilderness permits and one permit to allow them to light campfires in California. The first two permits are wilderness permits, these permits are limited to avoid having too many hikers on the trail at one time and to protect the environment. The official route goes from the Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney and...... middle of paper......which cook very elaborate dishes. But it is also important to maintain a balanced diet by getting enough calories and protein to keep you going, but some weight loss is expected. The JMT is perfect for almost all levels of hikers, but is most appropriate for hikers with some experience. of experience and people who are training to do the PCT since they share a lot of miles. But even a novice hiker could overcome the JMT in no more than 35 days if he walks at an adequate speed. Works Cited Schauer, Steve and Claire. “The Complete Guide to the John Muir Trail.” Website, November 11, 2013 http://johnmuirtrail.org/index.html March 18, 2014. Pacific Crest Trail Association, “John Muir Trail” website, 2014. http://www.pcta.org/discover-the- trail/john-muir-trail/ March 18, 2014. “Hiking the John Muir Trail” website, 2009. http://www.jmt-hiker.com/index.html March 18 2014.