

At this point in our write up, we are going to take you back to the intersection where the Shadow Lake Trail meets the John Muir Trail. In the photo to the left, you see the bridge crossing taking the hiker south on the John Muir Trail, and up to Ediza Lake and the climbing camps for Ritter and Banner.
If you want to make the Ansel Adams Wilderness Loop toward Garnet Lake and Thousand Island Lake, then you do not cross the river, but go North on the John Muir Trail as shown in the photo to the right. This will take you past the Lakes as mentioned and you will eventually meet up with the River Trail in the Thousand Island Lake area, that will return you to the Agnew Meadows Trailhead where we began our adventure.
So, if you are a backpacker or hiker, you may want to take a side trip up to beautiful Ediza Lake and cross the plank bridge as shown above, and then backtrack down and then go north to Garnet Lake and Thousand Island Lake, or you may want to just skip Ediza Lake, and go for the loop right away and head for the returning River Trail at the Thousand Island Lake area.