Sierra vs. Inyo Permits for the JMT: Which Entry Fits Your Plan?

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger · Field Notes · 2026-09-17

Illustration: Permit Ranger

Sierra vs. Inyo National Forest: Which JMT Permit Can You Actually Get?

If you're planning a John Muir Trail thru-hike or section hike from the north, your permit comes from one of two forests: Sierra National Forest (fs.usda.gov) or Inyo National Forest (fs.usda.gov). Both open the same high-country corridor, but they differ sharply in how hard the permits are to get, which trailheads they cover, and how much itinerary flexibility they buy you. The short answer: Inyo trailheads dominate the JMT's most popular access points and are correspondingly harder to get; Sierra trailheads offer legitimate JMT entries with notably better odds on several routes.

How Permits Are Released in Each Forest

Both forests run the same release structure: Rolling 6-month window: 60% of quota opens 6 months ahead, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific. The remaining 40% (traditional walk-up quota, sold online) drops 14 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific. The mechanics are identical on the Inyo side - Rolling 6-month window: 60% of quota opens 6 months ahead, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific. The remaining 40% drops 14 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific. - so the release schedule does not distinguish one forest from the other. What distinguishes them is demand.

Fees are also comparable. Sierra National Forest charges $6 per reservation plus $5 per person ($15 per person for Mt. Whitney Zone exits). Inyo National Forest charges $6 per reservation (non-refundable) plus $5 per person ($15 per person in the Mt. Whitney Zone). Budget accordingly, but don't let fees drive your trailhead choice - the spread is small.

What actually drives the choice is a combination of where you want to start, which permits remain available when you're looking, and how much trail mileage you're willing to add to reach the JMT from your trailhead.

The Inyo Side: Iconic Access, Brutal Demand

Inyo trailheads sit on the eastern Sierra escarpment, giving hikers some of the most direct access to the JMT and the Kings Canyon high country. That directness is exactly why demand is punishing.

The hardest Inyo permits to get

Big Pine Creek North Fork carries a daily quota of 25 people/day and a demand score of 100/100. Cancellation odds are very low - dates are usually fully booked. This is the textbook fully-booked trailhead: permittee-controlled days are gone the moment the six-month window opens, and the walk-up release two weeks out fills within minutes. Do not build an itinerary around this trailhead unless you have a concrete backup.

North Fork of Lone Pine Creek tells the same story - quota of 10 people/day, demand of 98/100. Plan to be competing with a lot of people for very few spots.

Minaret Lake is similarly pressured, with a daily quota of 10 people/day and demand at 96/100. It accesses the Ansel Adams Wilderness and provides a legitimate path to the JMT, but it books hard. Cancellation odds are not favorable.

John Muir Trail North of Devils Postpile - the John Muir Trail North of Devils Postpile entry - has a daily quota of 10 people/day and demand at 89/100. That entry is particularly popular with hikers doing a Mammoth-area section. Expect it to go fast.

River Trail (River Trail) runs a larger quota of 30 people/day but demand sits at 93/100. A bigger bucket fills fast when demand is proportionally high.

Mid-tier Inyo options worth targeting

Bishop Pass -South Lake (Bishop Pass – South Lake) has a daily quota of 36 people/day, demand at 73/100, and cancellation odds that are low - most dates book up well ahead. It's a legitimate JMT gateway via the Dusy Basin approach, and the larger quota gives you more inventory to watch. Still books well ahead, but it's more gettable than the North Fork or Minaret Lake entries.

Piute Pass (Piute Pass) runs a daily quota of 30 people/day and demand at 82/100. Piute leads into the backcountry above Bishop and connects to the JMT via the French Canyon drainage - a longer approach, but more permit inventory to work with.

Kearsarge Pass (Kearsarge Pass) is one of the highest-quota Inyo entries at 60 people/day per day, though demand runs at 78/100. Kearsarge is a popular re-supply and bailout point rather than a pure start, but it functions well as a thru-hike entry if your schedule puts you south of Forester Pass first.

Cottonwood Lakes (Cottonwood Lakes) and Cottonwood Pass (Cottonwood Pass) both serve the southern JMT approach toward Guitar Lake and Whitney. Cottonwood Lakes carries a generous quota of 60 people/day with demand at 87/100; cancellation odds are low - most dates book up well ahead. Cottonwood Pass runs set per zone by recreation.gov (check the permit page for current numbers) per day with demand at 85/100 and cancellation odds of low - most dates book up well ahead. These are real options if you're hiking the JMT south-to-north or doing a Whitney-area section - and with quotas this size, cancellations do surface.

Lower-demand Inyo entries that reach the corridor

Shadow Creek (Shadow Creek) carries a daily quota of 30 people/day with demand at 91/100. It accesses the Mammoth Lakes area and merges into the JMT/Ansel Adams zone - worth watching for openings.

John Muir Trail South of Devils Postpile (JMT South of Devils Postpile) has a quota of 10 people/day and demand at 75/100. Less pressure than its northern counterpart.

Sabrina Lake (Sabrina Lake) runs 25 people/day per day with demand at 76/100 - a reasonable starting-point for a Bishop area approach into the backcountry.

Little Lakes Valley (Little Lakes Valley) sees demand at 80/100 against a daily quota of 25 people/day. The valley itself is stunning and the trail eventually climbs toward Morgan and Mono passes.

For genuinely open Inyo permits, look at entries like Birch Lake (Birch Lake, demand 4/100), Gibbs Lake (Gibbs Lake, demand 9/100), Upper Buttermilk (Upper Buttermilk, demand 0/100), and Yost / Fern Lakes (Yost / Fern Lakes, demand 5/100). These don't put you on the JMT directly, but they open wilderness terrain that experienced planners can use to build toward the corridor on a less-contested path.

The Sierra Side: Less Famous, More Gettable - With Caveats

Sierra National Forest trailheads approach the JMT from the west, which means longer approaches through more remote country before you reach the main corridor. That's the trade: more miles, but a meaningfully better shot at a permit.

The hardest Sierra permits

Willow Meadow/Dinkey Lake (Willow Meadow/Dinkey Lake) sits at peak demand - 100/100 - with a daily quota of 30 people/day. This is as hard to get on the Sierra side as the top Inyo entries. Don't count on it.

Cliff Lake carries a daily quota of 20 people/day and demand at 98/100. Cancellation odds are very low - dates are usually fully booked. Very competitive.

Florence (Florence) runs a larger quota of 35 people/day per day but demand is at 95/100. The larger pool provides some opportunity, but it still books heavily.

Bear Diversion carries a daily quota of 10 people/day and demand at 93/100, with cancellation odds of very low - dates are usually fully booked. Cross it off unless you're specifically targeting that corridor.

The Sierra sweet spot: moderate demand, real JMT access

This is where the Sierra side earns its place in a serious permit strategy.

Fernandez (Fernandez) offers a daily quota of 21 people/day with demand at 73/100. The Fernandez Trail pushes into the Ansel Adams Wilderness and eventually connects to the JMT south of Thousand Island Lake - a beautiful, less-trafficked approach. The similarly-positioned Chiquito/Quartz entry carries cancellation odds of low - most dates book up well ahead and is worth watching alongside Fernandez if you're targeting this corridor.

Isberg There will be bridge construction in the area near Hemlock Crossing from 7/6 - 8/15 2026. Hemlock Crossing will be closed to camping during this time. carries a daily quota of 22 people/day and demand at 66/100. The Isberg route is a legitimate JMT connector via the upper San Joaquin drainage. The permit page notes bridge construction near Hemlock Crossing that closes that camping area during a portion of the season - check the listing on recreation.gov for current closure details before finalizing your camp plan.

Mono Creek (Mono Creek) runs 30 people/day per day with demand at 78/100. Mono Creek is one of the more direct Sierra-side routes toward the JMT in the Silver Divide area. Note that the fact sheet explicitly flags two nearby trailheads - Mono Hot Springs (Mono Hot Springs- Please note, this trailhead does not access the upper Mono Creek drainage or the JMT/PCT corridor) and Mono Meadow (Mono Meadow- Please note, this trailhead does not access the upper Mono Creek drainage or the JMT/PCT) - as not accessing the upper Mono Creek drainage or the JMT/PCT corridor. Don't confuse them when booking on recreation.gov.

Bear Ridge offers 10 people/day per day with demand at 83/100 and cancellation odds of low - most dates book up well ahead. It requires a longer approach but provides genuine access to the Bear Creek drainage and upper JMT country.

Crown/Rancheria (Crown/Rancheria) sits at demand 90/100 with a daily quota of 10 people/day and cancellation odds of very low - dates are usually fully booked. The Crown/Rancheria corridor approaches Mono Hot Springs–adjacent terrain and pushes into the backcountry efficiently from the west.

Maxson (Courtright) (Maxson/Courtright) has a daily quota of 25 people/day with demand at 85/100. Courtright Reservoir is one of the better Sierra-side staging areas for a Kings Canyon high-country approach - and with a bigger quota, there's more inventory to work with than at many entries.

Potter Pass (Potter Pass) carries the highest Sierra quota in this comparison at 36 people/day per day, with demand at 88/100. That quota size matters: more cancellations surface, and the two-week drop can deliver real inventory.

Lower-demand Sierra entries

Several Sierra trailheads see light enough demand that permits are often bookable without heroics.

Billy Creek - daily quota of 30 people/day, demand 17/100, odds good - most dates stay bookable. Good availability for a trailhead this far into the national forest.

Cassidy/Miller - 10 people/day per day, demand 10/100, odds good - most dates stay bookable. Consistently bookable.

Hells Half Acre (Hells Half Acre) - 10 people/day per day, demand 4/100. One of the lightest-pressure trailheads in the dataset. Know that access requires navigating less-maintained approach roads.

Logan Meadow (Logan Meadow) - 10 people/day per day, demand 4/100. Another genuinely open entry.

These aren't consolation prizes. They're the permits you can actually get, and experienced JMT planners use them as the foundation of a workable itinerary rather than gambling on sold-out eastern entries.

Building a Realistic JMT Permit Strategy

If you want the iconic eastern entry: Target Inyo trailheads with larger quotas - Bishop Pass/South Lake, Cottonwood Lakes, Kearsarge Pass - and set alerts for the two-week walk-up drop. Cancellations happen on high-quota entries more often than on tight entries because there are simply more reservations that could be canceled. A cancellation alert watching these entries around the two-week mark is exactly the right move: you cannot refresh a booking page for weeks on end, but software can.

If you want the permit you can actually get: Build your itinerary from Sierra-side entries - Fernandez, Isberg, Mono Creek, Potter Pass - and accept a longer first day or two before hitting the JMT. The approach mileage is real, but so is the permit.

If you're doing a point-to-point: Match your entry forest to your direction of travel. Southbound thru-hikers starting near Yosemite will encounter Sierra and Inyo permits in sequence. Northbound hikers from Whitney can use Cottonwood Lakes or Cottonwood Pass (Inyo) and exit via permits managed by other jurisdictions. Plan each segment before you finalize anything.

The two-week window is real inventory: Both forests release a portion of quota just two weeks out. On high-quota entries - Kearsarge Pass, Cottonwood Lakes, Potter Pass, Bishop Pass - this drop is worth a serious attempt. Know the entry trailhead's exact name on recreation.gov. The search box will not forgive a typo at the moment slots open.

Permit Ranger watches both forests continuously. If you're targeting a high-demand entry like Big Pine Creek North Fork or Cliff Lake, set a cancellation alert and let the monitoring run. We alert you the instant a slot opens - we never book for you - so you'll need to be ready to act fast when a notification arrives.

For a full breakdown of all permit logistics, see our Sierra National Forest permits and Inyo National Forest permits pages. If your JMT plan takes you through Sequoia and Kings Canyon, SEKI permits are a separate system worth understanding before you finalize camp locations near the park boundary.

The Honest Summary

Inyo trailheads are closer to the JMT but significantly harder to get. Sierra trailheads require more approach miles but offer meaningfully better permit odds on most entries. The best JMT permit strategy is not "apply for the trailhead I want and hope" - it's "identify the highest-quota, lowest-demand entry that still puts me in the right section of trail, and build the itinerary around that."

Demand scores and quotas in this article are live-updated from Permit Ranger's database. If the numbers have shifted since you first read this, the tokens above will reflect current conditions.