This Sierra Route Was Just Named One of National Geographic’s Top 100 Hikes of a Lifetime

If you thought the John Muir Trail was the ultimate Sierra Nevada challenge, National Geographic just raised the bar.

The magazine named the Sierra High Route one of its top 100 hikes of a lifetime, putting this 195-mile off-trail route through California’s high country alongside some of the most legendary treks on the planet.

Unlike the well-marked JMT, the Sierra High Route is largely cross-country, following a path pieced together by legendary hiker Steve Roper in the 1980s. It runs roughly parallel to the Muir Trail but stays higher, weaving through remote basins, over granite passes and across alpine terrain that most backpackers never see.

The route connects the areas above Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia, passing through some of the most spectacular and isolated landscapes in the Lower 48. There are no trail signs, no maintained campsites and no cell service for virtually the entire stretch. Navigation skills, off-trail experience and serious physical fitness are all non-negotiable.

Most people who attempt the Sierra High Route do it in segments over multiple seasons rather than in one continuous push. The terrain is demanding even for experienced backcountry travelers, with steep talus fields, snow crossings and river fords depending on the time of year.

The best window for travel is typically late July through September, when snowpack has melted enough to make the high passes navigable. Permits are required for overnight trips in the wilderness areas the route passes through.

If you are looking for solitude in the Sierra, this is where you find it.