Piute Canyon Trail

Piute Canyon Trail (Trail #30E01) is a long-distance hiking route in the John Muir Wilderness near Bishop, California, linking Piute Pass to the John Muir Trail just above the confluence of Piute Creek with the San Joaquin River. The route starts with a descent from the pass into Humphreys Basin, then continues down through Piute Canyon toward its junction with the JMT.

At the top end, expect high-country terrain in and around Humphreys Basin: the trail drops out of the pass area into a broad basin and keeps you at altitude for a while before turning into a canyon descent. The route runs through open, high-alpine areas and then progressively transitions toward forested sections as it loses elevation.

Midway through, Piute Canyon Trail follows the drainage, bringing you along or near Piute Creek as the canyon narrows and the character shifts from high-basin hiking to a steeper, more rugged descent. Hiking along Piute Creek sets up the most intense “canyon” feel of the day, including sections where the trail stays relatively close to the stream corridor.

As you work down, you’ll cross the braided streams in the Hutchinson Meadow area where French Canyon meets Piute Canyon. After leaving the meadow, the descent continues with Piute Creek guiding the route, and the canyon walls come closer together as the trail presses deeper into the canyon.

The surface is dirt, and the trail is appropriate for hikers comfortable with sustained climbing/descending over high elevation. Route length is about 11 miles one-way (point-to-point), and the mapped total is 19.09 km (~19.1 km).

For logistics, overnight travel in the John Muir Wilderness requires wilderness permits, while day hikers do not need a permit. Expect winter-sensitive access conditions on nearby forest roads, and plan around rapid weather changes at high altitude. Overall, the route is best treated as a wilderness backpack day (or an easy day only if you’re segmenting well), with Leave No Trace practices and water/streamside spacing in mind.

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