JMT North of Devils Postpile Gear Checklist
The John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile runs through the Ansel Adams Wilderness past Shadow, Garnet and Thousand Island lakes and over Island and Donohue passes. The Forest Service requires a bear canister the whole way and bans fires and twig stoves high up. People who wrote about this stretch carried a canister sized for a week of food, a tent that holds in wind, a map for the side trips that leave the trail, and a plan for snow on the passes in a big year.
What shapes your gear on John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile
- How the permit is released
- From May 1 to November 1, the Forest Service releases 60% of each trailhead's quota six months before the entry date. The other 40% appears at 7 a.m. Pacific two weeks out, and a canceled permit goes back on the calendar within 24 hours.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Permits
- Where camping is closed
- Shadow Lake is closed to camping, along with the ground between Shadow Creek and the trail. Garnet Lake and Thousand Island Lake are closed within a quarter mile of each outlet.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
- Group size
- The wilderness limit is 15 people. Large groups cannot exceed it even with separate permits.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
- Heights along the way
- A hiker who walked Lyell Canyon to Red's Meadow in 2004 put Donohue Pass at 11,056 feet and Island Pass at 10,205 feet. An Outbound write-up puts Garnet Lake at 9,710 feet and the Agnew Meadows trailhead near 8,400 feet.
From David Noble and The Outbound
- Getting to the trailhead
- The Outbound write-up has hikers leave a car at Mammoth Mountain Village and ride the service shuttle to the Agnew Meadows lot.
From The Outbound
- Snow on the passes
- In a heavy-snow year one party could not cross some of the passes as planned and went up and down drainages instead. That pushed their week past 50 miles.
What the agency requires on John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile
A bear-resistant container
Inyo requires food and scented items to be stored in a container that prevents access by bears in the Mammoth Lakes and Rush Creek area, which the Forest Service says includes the John Muir Trail to Yosemite.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
A gas or liquid-fuel stove
North of the Mt Humphreys and Mt Emerson ridgeline, no fire is allowed all year at any spot over 10,000 feet. The Rush Creek, Thousand Island Lake and Garnet Lake area is closed to fire too. Gas, petroleum and liquid-fuel stoves are fine, but twig, trash and other solid-fuel stoves are not.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
A printed, signed permit
Reservations are canceled as no-shows unless the permit is printed, picked up or marked for late arrival. Permits must be signed and carried by the group in the wilderness.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Permits
An existing campsite away from water
Pick a site that is already in use and sits at least 100 feet from trails and water. Your permit does not assign a site.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
A way to bury waste
Outside the Mt. Whitney Zone, solid human waste goes in a hole 6 to 8 inches deep, 100 feet or more from campsites and water.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
What hikers carry on John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile
A canister that fits a week of food
One hiker's pack started at 43 pounds with a camera, a bear canister and food for seven days in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. He trained with 40 pounds of water on stairs and quit his old habit of tossing everything in just in case.
Traction for snow on the passes
The same week had extra winter snow. With no crampons the group could not cross from Iceberg Lake to Lake Cecile and walked around instead, then watched another hiker cross the snow on foot.
A tent or shelter that handles wind at the lakes
A couple who camped at Thousand Island Lake on the trail in 2005 found it extremely windy. On the last night of their 2025 trip, creaking from a tangle of fallen trees in the wind kept them awake.
A map and a way to navigate off the trail
The 2025 couple took an unmaintained trail from Thousand Island Lake to Garnet Lake, and navigation and terrain slowed them. A guided group left the trail for Lake Catherine by faint trail and boulders, and they climbed a steep plateau before sunrise.
A headlamp for an early start
A guided group started at 3:30 a.m. to watch sunrise from a peak near Carson Peak with hot drinks. A hiker on the last day left very early to reach Devils Postpile before lunch for a milkshake and pie.
A rod and a few lures
A 2009 party fished from Thousand Island Lake to Lake Ediza, and one brook trout from Lake Ediza lifted morale for a camper tired of granola bars. A reader of an Outbound write-up said one lake was loaded with trout. Check current fishing rules before you pack a rod.
From Calipidder and The Outbound
Mosquito protection for the lakes
A hiker on the 2004 route found the west shore of Gladys Lake relatively mosquito free compared with the other side, and camped there. Bring a head net for lake camps in bug season.
From David Noble
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile
Going without crampons in a snowy year
Without them the party missed the direct route between Iceberg Lake and Lake Cecile and added mileage. A hiker who watched someone walk it in the snow said the crossing was possible.
Everything that went in just in case
The same hiker said he had always thrown everything in, regardless of weight, and for the first time weighed each item. The week still had thin air, big climbs and more than 50 miles.
An expectation of a quiet campsite on a weekend
On a busy Saturday night near Lake Ediza a 2009 party woke to a large group that pitched beside them at a site with several tent pads. Plenty of other legal sites were empty along the trail.
From Calipidder
Gear questions for John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile
Do you need a bear canister on the John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile?
Yes. The Forest Service requires a bear-resistant container in the Mammoth Lakes and Rush Creek area, and it lists the John Muir Trail to Yosemite as part of that area.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
Can you have a campfire on the John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile?
Not in much of it. North of the Mt Humphreys and Mt Emerson ridgeline, no fire is allowed all year at any spot over 10,000 feet, and the Rush Creek, Thousand Island Lake and Garnet Lake area is closed to fire too. Gas and liquid-fuel stoves are allowed.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
Can you camp at Shadow Lake on the John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile?
No. The Forest Service closes the lake and the ground between Shadow Creek and the trail to camping. Garnet and Thousand Island lakes are closed within a quarter mile of the outlet.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
How big can a group be on the John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile?
The wilderness limit is 15 people, and separate permits do not let a larger group split up to get around it.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
Can you bring a dog on the John Muir Trail north of Devils Postpile?
Dogs are allowed on trips that stay in the National Forest. They are prohibited on trips that visit Yosemite wilderness, so a hike that continues to Happy Isles cannot include one.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
Sources
- Wilderness Permits · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Wilderness Regulations · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Backpacking along Rush Creek to Thousand Island and Garnet Lakes, August 12-15, 2025 · Linda Gass photo essays, Linda Gass · Trip report
- Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows, Day 3: Thousand Island Lake to Shadow Creek (August 1, 2009) · Calipidder · Blog
- Hike 1, Yosemite to Mammoth (2004) · David Noble, David Noble · Trip report
- Sierra Trip (Agnew Meadows to June Lake) · Backpacking Light forums · Forum thread
- Ansel Adams Wilderness · Backcountry Post forum · Forum thread
- Backpack to Garnet Lake, Mammoth Lakes, California · The Outbound · Blog