How Many People Hike The Jmt Per Year?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The trail has been described as “America’s most famous trail”; the trail sees

about 1,500 thru-hiking attempts each year

(including Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers), many fewer than the number of attempts on comparable walks such as the southern portion of Appalachian Trail or the Way of St. James.

How many people go hiking per year?

Characteristic Number of participants in millions
2019


49.7
2018 47.86 2017 44.9 2016 42.13

How hard is it to hike the JMT?

Get to know this 210.1-mile point-to-point trail near Yosemite Valley, California.

Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 101 h 48 min to complete

. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring.

How many days does it take to hike the JMT?

The John Muir Trail is roughly 211 mile long (if you’re following the true JMT trail the whole way). And people typically hike this from anywhere between

10 days (speed freaks) to 30 days (leisurely)

.

Does JMT include Mt. Whitney?

The John Muir Trail


The popular John Muir Trail extends 220 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney

. Most hikers prefer to start in Yosemite, allowing themselves to acclimate gradually to the increasing elevations as they move south toward 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney.

How much does it cost to do the JMT?

Assuming you are hiking alone, live pretty close to the trail, have all the gear you need and want to eat pretty well; you can expect to shell out

at least $825

to hike the JMT.

Has hiking become more popular?


Hiking is now the fourth most-popular outdoor activity in the U.S.

, after running, fishing and biking, according to The Outdoor Foundation’s 2018 Outdoor Participation Report. The report noted that 44.9 million people hit the trails in 2017, up from 30 million in 2006.

What is the average age of a hiker?

Hiking demographics show that

36 is the average age of a hiker

and the median age is 30 years old. Hiking is popular amongst all ages and typically hikers range from 13-70 years old. Research reveals that 59.4% of hikers are male and 40.6% are female.

What age group hikes the most?

Most active age group:

Surprisingly, the survey found that the most active hikers are in the age-group of

25-34

, against the seemingly more obvious choice of the 18-24 age group, which came in second.

Should I hike the JMT?

Although it’s possible to hike the JMT as early as mid-June for those equipped for snow travel,

the best time to hike is generally late July through early October

. This is highly variable year-to-year and it really depends on the season’s snowfall. There are pros and cons to hiking in each month.

Can you section hike the JMT?


The JMT can be done in segments or as a thru-hike

, many opting for the latter. Pre-planning is critical to a successful JMT thru-hike, and advance permits are required. Most hikers take around three weeks to complete the journey following the trail southbound (SOBO) from Yosemite Valley.

How can I hike 20 miles a day?

Is the JMT part of the PCT?


For most of its length, the John Muir Trail uses the Pacific Crest Trail

. There are three places where the JMT and PCT are different: Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows, Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow and Crab Tree Meadow to Mt. Whitney. For approximately 170 miles, the JMT travels the Pacific Crest Trail.

What is the longest hiking trail in North America?

Rank Hiking Trail Route Length 1

American Discovery

6,800+ total; 5,057 miles (Southern Route alone); 4,834 miles(Northern Route alone)
2 Great Western Loop 6,800 miles 3 Eastern Continental 5,400 miles 4 North Country 4,600 miles

Where does the JMT start and end?

The John Muir Trail is also a land blessed with the mildest, sunniest climate of any major mountain range in the world. The trail is 211 miles long and runs (mostly in conjunction with the PCT) from

Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, in California

.

Can you hike the JMT in winter?

The John Muir Trail is gorgeous in winter, but

hiking it can be dangerous once the temperature dips

. If you’re truly looking for solitude on the JMT, the time to come is winter, when snowfall and chilly temperatures — which often drop below freezing — deter many would-be hikers.

Does JMT overlap PCT?

The John Muir Trail covers 210.4 miles, from Happy Isles, in Yosemite Valley (elevation 4,000 ft.), to Mount Whitney (elevation 14,505 ft), and

overlaps with the PCT for approximately 160 miles

. The JMT was completed in 1938, though construction started in 1915 (and scouting began in the late 1800s).

Can you hike the JMT with a PCT permit?

If you have a PCT long-distance permit,

you don’t need an additional permit to hike on the portion of the John Muir Trail that’s also the PCT

. If you’re wanting to camp on the JMT between Crabtree Meadows and the summit of Mount Whitney, you’ll need an additional permit from Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park.

Where is the resupply on the JMT?

  • Tuolumne Meadows. The well-stocked Tuolumne Meadows Store caters to JMT travelers. …
  • Red’s Meadow and Mammoth Lakes. …
  • Vermillion Valley Resort. …
  • Muir Trail Ranch. …
  • Kearsarge Pass and the Hwy 395 corridor. …
  • Hired resupply services.

Does PCT go through Yosemite?

Although the Pacific Crest Trail extends all the way from the Mexican border to the Canadian border (2,650 miles),

some of the finest sections of trail go through Yosemite National Park, from the Donohue Pass in the southern part to Dorothy Lake Pass at the northern border

.

What state is Mt. Whitney in?

Mount Whitney, highest peak (14,494 feet [4,418 metres] above sea level) in the 48 coterminous U.S. states. It is the culminating summit of the

Sierra Nevada

. In eastern California on the Inyo-Tulare county line, the peak is at the eastern border of Sequoia National Park, immediately west of the city of Lone Pine.

How big is the hiking industry?

The global hiking gear and equipment market size was estimated at

USD 4.5 billion in 2019

and is expected to reach USD 7.4 billion by 2027. What is the hiking gear and equipment market growth? b. The global hiking gear and equipment market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.3% from 2019 to 2027.

How many hikers are there in the world?

In short, there are

over 118.26 million

people who hike globally and the global market size for hiking is $12.24 billion.

What percent of lost hikers are found?

22, 2019, 5:00 a.m. How would you survive getting lost while hiking?

Less than a quarter

of lost hikers found their own way out of their predicament, according to a study of more than a hundred news reports about individual incidents.

How many people attempt a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail?

Approximately three million people visit the Trail every year.

More than 3,000 people

attempt a thru-hike of the entire A.T. each year, with about a quarter of those completing the Trail.

How much money does it take to hike the Appalachian Trail?

How much does it cost to hike the Appalachian Trail? The average cost of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail ranges from

$5,000 to $7,000 for a 5- to 7-month hike

; that amount includes gear, trail resupply, and town expenses. Expect to spend about $1,000 a month per person.

How old are people who hike the PCT?

The great majority of PCT thru-hikers are from

20 to 40 years old

, so most of the forum discussions are aimed at recommendations from and for hikers in this age range.

Kim Nguyen
Author
Kim Nguyen
Kim Nguyen is a fitness expert and personal trainer with over 15 years of experience in the industry. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and has trained a variety of clients, from professional athletes to everyday fitness enthusiasts. Kim is passionate about helping people achieve their fitness goals and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.