John Muir Wilderness - Definition

Typical terrain in the John Muir Wilderness

The John Muir Wilderness is a wilderness area that extends along the crest of the Sierra Nevada of California, USA for approximately 100 miles (150 km), in the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Established in 1964 by the Wilderness Act, and named for naturalist John Muir, it contains 581,000 acres (2350 km²). The wilderness extends from Reds Meadow (near Mammoth Mountain) in the north, to south of Mount Whitney. The wilderness area also spans the Sierra north of Kings Canyon National Park, and extends on the west side of the park down to the Monarch Wilderness.

The wilderness contains the most spectacular and highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The peaks are typically made of granite from the Sierra Nevada batholith, and are dramatically shaped by glacial action. The southernmost glacier in the United States (the Palisades Glacier) is contained within the wilderness area.

The John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail run through the wilderness, in addition to numerous local hiking trails.

The wilderness area also includes California Bighorn Sheep Zoological Areas, which is set aside for the protection of the species. People cannot enter these areas during calving season, and dogs are prohibited at all times.

Notable mountains in the wilderness area include:

• Mount Whitney
• The Palisades
• Mount Humphreys

See also:

• List of guidebooks about the Sierra Nevada
• Biology of the Sierra Nevada