Thousand Islands Lake - John Muir Trail, USA

I still believe this is the most beautiful trail in the world - the John Muir Trail in California.

The John Muir Trail stretches over 200 miles through the Sierra Nevada mountains, from Yosemite National Park to the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. It still blows my mind that you can hike the entire route without crossing a single road, seeing a power line, or passing a building, while more than 15 million people live within a 200-mile radius of the trail.

To me, this is what true wilderness protection is really about.

I took this photo on my third night on the trail, shortly after leaving Yosemite National Park and crossing Donohue Pass. That evening, I arrived at Thousand Island Lake, an incredibly scenic place with beautiful views across the water toward Banner Peak rising in the background at nearly 13,000 feet.

It took me over an hour to find the perfect campsite I was looking for, and I’m very glad I kept searching. The next morning, as the sun slowly rose over the lake, I made a coffee and sat down to watch the first light hit the mountains and water around me.