The John Muir Wilderness is a wilderness area that extends along the crest of the Sierra Nevada of California for 90mi, in the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Established in 1964 by the Wilderness Act and named for naturalist John Muir, it contains 581000acre. The wilderness lies along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra from near Mammoth Lakes and Devils Postpile National Monument in the north, to Cottonwood Pass near Mount Whitney in the south. The wilderness area also spans the Sierra crest north of Kings Canyon National Park, and extends on the west side of the park down to the Monarch Wilderness.Geography and geologyThe wilderness contains some of the most spectacular and highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada, with 57 peaks over 13000ft in elevation. The peaks are typically made of granite from the Sierra Nevada Batholith, and are dramatically shaped by glacial action. The southernmost glacier in the United States, the Palisade Glacier, is contained within the wilderness area. Notable eastside glaciated canyons are drained by Rock, McGee, and Bishop Creeks.
