John Muir Trail Etiquette, Ethics, and Leave No Trace
The John Muir Trail traverses 221 miles of some of the most remote and pristine wilderness in the Sierra Nevada and straddles some of the most scenic mountains in the entire country. It is the perfect backpacking trail, providing the greatest outdoor experience that many will ever encounter, and it’s important that we keep it that way.
The trail receives over 3,500 through hikers every year, along with several thousand more section hikers. The permit system and park rangers play a vital role in maintaining this beautiful wilderness, but there is little they can do once you embark on your journey. This means that it is critical for hikers do everything they can to follow Leave No Trace practices and minimize their impact along the trail and on other hikers.
Leave No Trace is a non-profit organization that shows outdoor enthusiasts how to responsibly enjoy the wilderness so that it stays wild. They teach 7 core principals:
• Plan ahead and prepare
• Camp on hard and durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of other visitors
When people follow these 7 principals, they can minimize their impact along the John Muir Trail so that it remains the incredible backpacking route that it is today. Here at Granite Cliffs, we recognize the extreme importance of following these practices.
Why It’s Important to Leave No Trace
Minimizing our impact on the trail is the only way to maintain its beauty, and it’s the only reason the trail still presents such a wonderful hiking opportunity today. With how popular the trail is, it would quickly become destroyed if people did not act as stewards, and with how much of a lack of information and an abundance misinformation there is, there has already been significant damage. Some people tout ridiculous ways to lighten your pack like not bringing a trowel to dig cat holes, relying on using a tent stake, but finding areas with soft enough soil to do this is nearly impossible along much of the trail.
Few things will ruin your day faster than stumbling across someone else’s poop or dirty toilet paper when you’re setting up camp, and few things suck worse than getting sick on the trail from someone else’s germs that made their way into your campsite or drinking water.
If 3,500 people hike the trail each summer and each one goes to the bathroom daily, that’s ~80,000 number two’s along the trail each summer. When you factor in section hikers, the figure is more like 150-200,000. That’s a lot of poop, and when you consider how slowly things decompose up there due to the rocky soil that freezes solid 7-9 months out of the year, it adds up to a giant problem.
Before leaving for the trail, brush up on basic outdoor bathroom etiquette. Bring a trowel, Ziploc bags for your dirty toilet paper, and learn when and where it’s acceptable to do your business.
Do:
- Bring a trowel, as the ground is very rocky and digging with a tent stake won’t work most of the time
- Go at least 200 feet from all water sources, campgrounds, and trails
- Dig a hole 6-8” deeper than the top of what you put in it, erosion and animals will likely unearth anything shallower
- Do your best to find soft ground and not trample sensitive vegetation
- Pack out your dirty toilet paper in a Ziploc bag and keep it in a private place inside your pack
- Try to plan your business based on the terrain, i.e. go before you start heading up passes so the ground is softer and there are more spots
Don’t:
- Wait until you absolutely have to go before you start looking for spot
- Not dig a hole, dig a shallow hole, or go under a rock
- Go anywhere near a campsite or water source
- Leave your dirty toilet paper for others to find
Note: From Crabtree Meadows to Whitney Portal is the ‘Whitney Zone’, aka the no-poop zone. You must pack out ALL solid waste, which means you should carry a wag bag for this section. Yes, it’s gross, but an alpine peak covered in poop is even more gross.
Choosing an Appropriate Campsite
The four main wilderness areas along the trail all have their own regulations about campsites, but the general consensus is to camp on hard durable surfaces not immediately next to water sources, and to not crowd your neighbors.
Do:
- Camp 200 feet or more from water (100 feet in Yosemite)
- Camp on hard, durable surfaces
- Choose preexisting campsites whenever possible
- Disperse, set up away from other campers
- Leave your campsite the way you found it
Don’t:
- Camp close to water sources
- Camp on vegetation or in meadows
- Set up right next to other campers or in large groups
- Damage vegetation
- Stack rocks or build walls to block wind
Campfire Regulations and Practices
Campfire regulations are constantly changing along the trail based on location and current fire danger. During dry years, total fire bans will be in effect for most of the trail. For all sections, fires are permanently banned above 10,000 feet (9,600 in Yosemite) due to the scarcity of wood and its importance to the ecosystem. Anytime you plan to have a fire or use a stove, you are required to obtain a valid fire permit prior to leaving for your trip.
Do:
- Have the smallest fire possible
- Get a fire permit beforehand (it’s necessary even to use a canister stove)
- Use existing fire rings
- Pour water on the ashes until they are cold enough to touch
- Only burn small pieces of dead and down wood
- Avoid having a fire if you can
Don’t:
- Have a fire above 10,000 feet anywhere along the trail (or above 9,600 in Yosemite)
- Build a fire during a fire ban
- Build a fire anywhere with dry vegetation or pine needles in close proximity
- Gather standing wood or burn pieces too large to fit inside the fire ring
- Have a bonfire. They get out of control FAST when the wind picks up, and a forest fire out there could very easily kill people.
Prevent Bears and Other Wildlife From Getting Your Food
Black bears live along the entire length of the trail, and even if you don’t see one, I guarantee they see you. Bears can smell sealed food packages from far away, and for this reason you are required to carry and use a bear canister to store your food in. The canister does not hide your food, but rather makes it impossible for the bear to eat it even if they jump up and down on it (which they will). Bears that learn to associate people with food sources are dangerous and are often euthanized by rangers for safety reasons.
Do:
- Store all food and food-scented items in your bear canister anytime you are not using them
- Place your bear canister 100 feet or more from campsites
- Wedge your bear can between rocks or trees, or at least where it won’t roll away
Don’t:
- Store food and food-scented items outside your bear can
- Leave food out around camp, even if you stay within sight of it
- Place your bear canister near cliffs, water sources, or where it might roll away
- Hang your food instead of using a bear can, bears know how to climb trees
TIP: Stack rocks on top of your bear can so it makes noise if a bear knocks it over. This scares the bear and alerts you if a bear is trying to get your food, at which point you can scare it off by making loud noises.
Minimalism really shines here. Regular soap is a no-no, and biodegradable soap still needs to be kept both to a minimum and out of water sources. Biodegradable soap does not break down the same way in water as it does in soil, and if it does get into a water source, it fuels the growth of bacteria and certain toxic algae. This kills fish and makes people sick, even if they filter the water. As a general rule, if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t put it in the water.
Do:
- Use only biodegradable soap and use as little as possible
- Dispose of soapy water in a cat hole at least 200 feet from all water sources, much like going to the bathroom
- Clean with hand sanitizer instead of soap whenever possible
Don’t:
- Wash or bathe in a water source
- Use regular soap or shampoo
- Rinse off sunscreen in a body of water
Bathing Tip: Give yourself a ‘hobo shower’ with a we bandana or baby wipes, and use a large plastic bag or portable wash basin to carry water away from lakes and rivers
Dishes Tip: Don’t use soap! I just use my fingers, some water, and a little sand for abrasive action if necessary. This removes solids very well, and boiling water in the pot afterwards kills any bacteria if you feel like a rinse with clean water isn’t enough.
Be courteous! There’s no secret code out there, it’s really just a matter of being respectful of the fact that everyone else is out there to enjoy the wilderness too. For many, it’s an opportunity to get away from everything about society that is hectic, loud, or unpleasant.
Do:
- Carry out all trash
- Yield to large groups, uphill hikers, and mule trains
- Be respectful of other people’s space
- Wear headphones if you listen to music
- Be friendly! Most hikers are friendly and happy to chat or share information
Don’t:
- Litter
- Play music or make loud noises that might disrupt others
- Camp immediately next to someone else if you can at all avoid it
- Go to the bathroom where someone else is going to find it
To learn more about Leave No Trace practices or to become involved, visit their website at lnt.org
Hi! I’m Gary. I’m the mountain-enthusiast and gearhead behind Granite Cliffs. My goal is to provide the inspiration and information you need to go outside and explore. This is my Adventure Portal.