View source for John Muir Wilderness

{{Short description|Protected area in the Sierra Nevada of California, US}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox protected area 
| name = John Muir Wilderness
| iucn_category = Ib
| photo = Long Lake in Little Lakes Valley.jpg
| photo_caption = Long Lake in Little Lakes Valley, John Muir Wilderness
| map = USA California#USA
| map_size = 200
| relief = yes
| map_caption = none
| location = [[Fresno County, California|Fresno]] / [[Inyo County, California|Inyo]] / [[Mono County, California|Mono]] / [[Madera County, California|Madera]] counties, [[California]], United States
| nearest_city = [[Fresno, California|Fresno, CA]]
| coordinates = {{coord|36|58|33|N|118|48|42|W|region:US|display=inline, title}}
| area_acre = 652,793
| area_ref = <ref name=wildnet>{{cite web |url=https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=278 |website=wilderness.net |title=John Muir Wilderness |access-date=2021-11-16}}</ref>
| established = January 1, 1964
| visitation_num = 
| visitation_year = 
| governing_body = [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]]
}}
The '''John Muir Wilderness''' is a [[wilderness area]] that extends along the crest of the [[Sierra Nevada]] of [[California]] for {{convert|90|mi|km|-1}}, in the [[Inyo National Forest|Inyo]] and [[Sierra National Forest]]s.<ref name="usfs">{{Cite web |title=United States Forest Service |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/index.shtml |year=2006 |page=Inyo National Forest Wilderness Areas }}</ref>  Established in 1964 by the [[Wilderness Act]] and named for naturalist [[John Muir]], it encompasses {{convert|652,793|acre|km2}}.<ref name=wildnet/> The wilderness lies along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra from near [[Mammoth Lakes, California|Mammoth Lakes]] and [[Devils Postpile National Monument]] in the north, to Cottonwood Pass near [[Mount Whitney]] in the south.<ref name=Adkinson>{{cite book |first=Rod |last=Adkinson |title=Wild Northern California |publisher=The Globe Pequot Press |year=2001 |isbn=1-56044-781-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/wildnortherncali0000adki }}</ref> The wilderness area also spans the Sierra crest north of [[Kings Canyon National Park]], and extends on the west side of the park down to the [[Monarch Wilderness]].

==Geography and geology==
The wilderness contains some of the most spectacular and highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada, with 57 peaks over {{convert|13000|ft|m|-2}} in elevation.<ref name=Adkinson/> The peaks are typically made of granite from the [[Sierra Nevada Batholith]], and are dramatically shaped by [[glacier|glacial]] action. The southernmost glacier in the United States, the [[Palisade Glaciers|Palisade Glacier]], is contained within the wilderness area.<ref name="usfs"/> Notable east-side glaciated canyons are drained by [[Rock Creek (Owens River)|Rock]], [[McGee Creek, California|McGee]] and [[Bishop Creek (Inyo County)|Bishop Creek]]s.<ref name=Adkinson/>

[[File:Palisade Crest.jpg|thumb|left|The Palisade Crest, a major rock-climbing area]]
[[File:williamson tree distant.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mount Williamson]] and [[Mount Tyndall]] in the John Muir Wilderness from near [[Independence Airport]]]]
The eastern escarpment in the wilderness rises from {{convert|6000|to|8000|ft|m|-2}} from base to peak, in {{convert|5|to|6|mi|km|0}}.<ref name=Adkinson/> The Sierra crest contains peaks from {{convert|12000|to|14000|ft|m|-2}} in elevation, including [[Mount Whitney]], the highest peak in the [[continental United States]]. Other notable mountains in the wilderness area include the [[Palisades (California Sierra)|Palisades]] and [[Mount Humphreys]]. [[Mount Muir]] is located 2 miles south of [[Mount Whitney]]. [[Mount Williamson]] is the second-highest peak in the wilderness, at {{convert|14375|ft|m}}: it rises in one continuous sweep of granite from the floor of the [[Owens Valley]] to a peak just east of the main range.

==Ecology==
{{Main|Ecology of the Sierra Nevada}}
The John Muir Wilderness contains the largest contiguous area above {{convert|10000|ft|m|-2}} in the continental United States. It contains large areas of [[subalpine meadow]]s and [[fellfield]]s above {{convert|10800|ft|m|-2}}, containing stands of [[whitebark pine|whitebark]] and [[foxtail pine]].<ref name=Adkinson/> From {{convert|9000|ft|m|-2}} to {{convert|10800|ft|m|-2}}, the wilderness is dominated by [[lodgepole pine]]s. Below the lodgepole forest is forest dominated by [[Jeffrey pine]].<ref name="schoenherr">{{cite book |title=[[A Natural History of California]] |first=Allan A. |last=Schoenherr |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-06922-6 |year=1992}}</ref>

Common animals in the wilderness include [[yellow-bellied marmot]]s, [[pika]]s, [[golden-mantled ground squirrel]]s, [[Clark's nutcracker]]s, [[golden trout]], and [[American black bear|black bears]].<ref name=Adkinson/> The wilderness area also includes [[Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep|California bighorn sheep]] zoological areas, which are set aside for the protection of the species.

==Recreation==
[[File:SabrinaBasin.jpg|thumb|Sabrina Basin in the John Muir Wilderness. Winter conditions linger until June in many years.]]
The wilderness contains {{convert|589.5|mi|km}} of hiking trails,<ref name=Adkinson/> including the [[John Muir Trail]] and the [[Pacific Crest Trail]], which run through the wilderness from north to south. The John Muir Wilderness is the second most-visited wilderness in the United States, and quotas for overnight use have been implemented on virtually all trailheads.<ref name=Adkinson/>
{{clear left}}

==Lakes==
[[File:Blue Lake, Sabrina Basin.jpg|thumb|right|Blue Lake in the Sabrina Basin]]
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Dingleberry Lake]]
* [[Disappointment Lake, California|Disappointment Lake]]
* [[Hell for Sure Lake]]
* [[Loch Leven (California)|Loch Leven]]
* [[Lake of the Lone Indian]]
* [[Mills Lake]]
* [[Nüümü Hu Hupi]]
* [[Pee Wee Lake]]
* [[Lake Virginia (California)|Lake Virginia]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[Bibliography of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Bibliography of the Sierra Nevada]], for further reading

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons and category}}
* [https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=278 Wilderness.net]
* [http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?z=11&n=4147793&e=329374&s=100&size=l&u=7&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25 TopoQuest map]

{{John Muir Wilderness|state=collapsed}}

{{Protected Areas of California|NF}}
{{Sierra Nevada}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wilderness areas of California]]
[[Category:Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada (United States)]]
[[Category:Inyo National Forest]]
[[Category:Sierra National Forest]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Fresno County, California]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Inyo County, California]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Madera County, California]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Mono County, California]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1964]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Mountains of the John Muir Wilderness| ]]