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Why now?

Ironically, the creation of the John Muir Trail in 1915 through some of the most remote wilderness in America was a successful call to action for a national conservation policy, but exposed an immense and vital ecosystem to sustained human-caused damage. Traveling 213.7 miles from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney, the JMT traverses nearly a dozen highest elevation passes across the Sierra Nevada, 2.8 million acres of California’s prime environmental asset.

The cost has been considerable and is growing rapidly. A little more than 100 years later, human-caused damage is apparent along the 220-mile length and 20-mile width of the mountainous wilderness defined by the JMT. The effects of climate change are compounding with severe weather extremes and wildfire impacts. This is the highest crest of the Sierra Nevada, the source of our fresh water, the lifeblood of immense agricultural production below its watershed, fragile wildlife habitat, and exquisite natural beauty—some say mile-for-mile the most beautiful trail in the world.

Visitor use along the John Muir Trail has risen with such sustained volume that it risks degrading the natural processes of the wilderness itself. The JMT is world-renowned and has become a “bucket-list” destination. We have very little data to rely on but can see the damage along stream banks and meadows from mega-camp sites and expanding social trails throughout the region. Bridges and durable stream crossings are failing, which force bypass routes that badly damage aquatic terrain. Public facilities at trailheads use 30-year-old technology and are not sustainable even when repaired. Major public access points are a patchwork of opportunistic designs and construction.

The Conservancy is funding wide-scale restoration of the damaged terrain, focusing on the vast aquatic system of wetlands, meadows, fens, rivers, and lakes. This fragile area must be restored to robust ecological health in order for it to sustain the impacts of climate change, which are most severe in these high elevations. Second, we are funding improvements to infrastructure across the region, public facilities at trailheads, master site plans at major public access points and re-supply locations, and introducing new technologies for more sustainable, holistic designs. Finally, through our JMT Internship Program, we are adding undergraduate research students in environmental fields to the effort, adding valuable data collection while inspiring their environmental leadership.

Wide-scale restoration. Improved infrastructure. Environmental leadership. This approach will ensure the region’s ecological health and sustainability for generations to come.