Of all the challenging long-distance thru-hikes in the U.S., few are as difficult as the John Muir Trail. Though hiking trails such as the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail are just as ...

The hike recalls the famous camping trip in 1903 when John Muir took Theodore Roosevelt to see the Grizzly Giant in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove. That hike initiated the birth of several national ...

From there, hikers can get to the Lower Fern Creek Trail and, finally, the bustling main loop at Muir Woods. That said, I fully endorse the easier and more direct route through Muir Woods.