JMT Resupply: Mailing Food on the John Muir Trail

[updated for 2026]

JMT Highlights

• Distance: 211 Miles
• Average Days on Trail: 20 Days
• Point to Point: Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney
• Typical Direction: North to South, starting at Yosemite and ending at Mount Whitney Summit.
• Highest Point: Mount Whitney – 14,505′ (4,421 meters)

Bear Canister Requirements

More information about bear canister requirements is available at Yosemite National Park and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks.

Resupply by Mail: How to Send Packages to Yourself on the JMT

Post Offices

There is no pickup fee if you mail your order to a post office for pick-up. A photo ID is required that matches the name on your parcel. If you are not a U.S. resident, a passport or visa is sufficient.

Yosemite Valley Post Office (typical start of the JMT at Happy Isle)

Yosemite Valley is located in Yosemite National Park, and if you are headed Southbound on the JMT, you will likely start hiking here at Happy Isles. You can also have a mail resupply sent to the post office, which is ideal if you don’t want to travel with all of your food. Note: You must specify the 2nd line shipping street address as 9017 VILLAGE DR to distinguish this post office from the other post office in Tuolumne Meadows!

Address packages to:

Your Name
General Delivery
9017 Village Dr.
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389-9998

Outdoor Herbivore Customers: add “PCT Hiker ETA: MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly.  

Tuolumne Meadows Post Office (about 1 mile from the JMT, 22 miles from Happy Isle, and 200 miles from Whitney Portal)

Address packages to:

Your Name
General Delivery
Tuolumne Meadows Post Office
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

Outdoor Herbivore Customers: please add “PCT Hiker ETA: MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method.

Mammoth Lakes Post Office (8 miles from the JMT, 60 miles from Happy Isle, and 161 miles from Whitney Portal)

Mammoth Lakes is a pleasant town to visit, grab a beer and a bite to eat, and resupply. There are many restaurants and larger grocery stores where you can buy food. You can also receive resupply packages here. If you don’t want to deal with bussing to the city of Mammoth Lakes, consider the popular alternative resupply location – Red’s Meadow Resort.

Address packages to:

Your Name
General Delivery
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Outdoor Herbivore Customers: add “PCT Hiker ETA: MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method.

Independence Post Office (20+ miles from the JMT, 174 miles from Happy Isle, and 47 miles from Whitney Portal)

The town of Independence requires hitching a ride or hiring a private shuttle from Onion Valley. A resupply package may be mailed to the post office. If you don’t want to deal with getting to Independence, consider the popular alternative resupply location – Mt. Williamson Motel.

Address packages to:

Your Name
General Delivery
Independence, CA 93526

Outdoor Herbivore Customers: add “PCT Hiker ETA: MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method.

Non-Post Office Locations (Red’s, VVR, MTR, Williamson)

You can send resupply orders to several businesses, i.e., lodge/campground/store on the JMT. Please be aware that you must sign up and pay a separate fee to these businesses if you want them to receive and hold your order. Because these locations are remote, mail service is slow and limited. An employee must likely travel to the nearest town to fetch your package and transport it back to the lodge/store for storage. Your fee covers this process. 

You must pay this fee several weeks ahead of your arrival, so please carefully plan accordingly by checking the links below for specific instructions and the most updated information. When you place an order with OH, we presume you have done your homework! 

Red’s Meadow Resort (1 mile from the JMT, 60 miles from Happy Isle, and 161 miles from Whitney Portal)

Red’s Meadow is located near the trail and offers rooms or cabins as well as a restaurant. Grab a meal, ice cream, or drink at their Mule House Cafe or purchase supplies from the general store. You can also sign-up to receive mail delivery. 

Red’s Meadow does not receive deliveries. For a fee, the resort will pick up your delivery at the Post Office in Mammoth Lakes and store it at the General Store until you arrive.

Red’s Meadow Resupply Instructions

• Signup Required: Yes
• Fee: Yes; $40 up to 25 lbs
• 5-Gallon Bucket Required: No
• Carrier: USPS Priority Mail
• Signup Form & Fees: See Red’s Meadow Resupply Info. International travelers should use the Book Online option.

Address packages to:

Your Name
Red’s Meadow Resort
P.O. Box 395
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

If placing an order from Outdoor Herbivore to Red’s Meadow, be sure to include the following: 

• Please submit your order at least 10 days before your ETA, and let us know your estimated pick-up, “ETA MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method.
• Choose ‘Best Rate’ shipping on our website, which will ship USPS Priority Mail.

Vermilion Valley Resort (5 miles from the JMT, 88 miles from Happy Isle, and 133 miles Whitney Portal)

Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR) is located on Edison Lake and is about 5 miles off the trail, or you can take a boat shuttle (seasonal). VVR has accommodations, showers, laundry and also operates a store and restaurant. You can also just sign-up to receive a delivery. 

VVR does not receive deliveries. For a fee, the resort will pick up your delivery in the nearby town of Lakeshore and store it at the resort until you arrive. 

Vermilion Valley Resupply Instructions

• Signup Required: No
• Fee: Yes; $40 (June – Oct) up to 25 lbs.
• 5-Gallon Bucket Required: No
• Carrier: FedEx/UPS Preferred; USPS Priority Mail must be sent General Delivery to the Post Office address.
• Signup Form & Fees: edisonlake.com

Address packages to:

Your Name
c/o VVR China Peak Landing
62311 Huntington Lake Road
Lakeshore, Ca. 93634 

If placing an order from Outdoor Herbivore to send to VVR, include the following: 

• Submit your order 14 days before your ETA and let us know your estimated pick-up, “ETA MM/DD” in the order comments, so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method.
• Choose UPS shipping on our website; VVR prefers packages to be sent via FedEx/UPS (rather than USPS).

Although VVR does not prefer you send packages to the post office, it is possible to send a mail drop General Delivery to the Lakeshore Post Office. Make sure to include ‘c/o VVR’ in the address line; otherwise, VVR will not know to pick up your order from the Post Office. If you want your Outdoor Herbivore order to ship here, choose ‘Best Rate’ shipping, which will ship USPS Priority Mail. Please submit your order at least 14 days before your ETA and let us know your estimated pick-up, “ETA MM/DD” in the order comments. 

Address for ONLY USPS Priority boxes:

Your Name
General Delivery
c/o VVR
Lakeshore, California 93634

Muir Trail Ranch (2 miles from the JMT, 111 miles from Happy Isle, and 111 miles from Whitney Portal)

Muir Trail Ranch (MTR) is a popular resupply point since it is a short distance off the trail, plus there are no other resupply options nearby. MTR has a small store and offers food to those staying the night. 

Muir Trail Ranch does not receive deliveries. For a fee, the ranch will pick up your delivery at the Lakeshore post office and store it at the ranch until you arrive. You must sign up for the resupply service on their website. Outdoor Herbivore will need a copy of your pick-up ticket to ship there. You must also purchase a 5-gallon sealed bucket from Outdoor Herbivore if you want us to send your food to MTR. MTR will only accept buckets (No Boxes). Cardboard shipping boxes aren’t durable enough for the long journey back to the ranch. 

MTR Resupply Instructions

• Signup Required: Yes
• Fee: Yes; $95 per bucket, up to 25 lbs.
• 5-Gallon Bucket Required: Yes
• Carrier: USPS Priority Mail
• Signup Form & Fees: See MTR Resupply

Address packages to:

Your Name
Muir Trail Ranch
P.O. Box 176
Lakeshore, CA 93634

If placing an order from Outdoor Herbivore to send to MTR, include the following: 

• Add a 5-gallon bucket to your cart.
• Choose ‘Best Rate’ shipping on our website. We’ll ship it USPS Priority Mail so it arrives correctly.
• Submit your order at least 21 days before your ETA and let us know your estimated pick-up, “ETA MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method.
• Email us the pdf file of your pick-up ticket after you place your order. We need to tape your ticket when we ship your bucket, so it is identifiable by MTR personnel.
• If for some reason, you ordered more food than will fit in the bucket, we will contact you. Generally, you can fit 30 – 35 of our single-size meals (15 – 18 double-size meals) and a few snacks in a bucket. A 5-gallon bucket will hold more food than the largest bear canister. Any of our combo meals, including the 5-day, 7-day, and 10-day will fit fine with room to spare for a few more snacks or meals.

Mt. Williamson Motel (7 miles from the JMT, 173 miles from Happy Isle, and 47 miles from Whitney Portal)

Mt. Williamson Motel does not receive deliveries. For a fee, the motel will pick up your delivery and store it at the motel storeroom for your arrival. Similar to MTR, 5-gallon buckets are required for all orders (no Boxes). Please purchase your bucket when you place your order with Outdoor Herbivore. This hotel offers many hiker package deals that include accommodation and transportation from the Onion Valley Campground to the Motel. See their website for more information.

Mt. Williamson Motel Resupply Instructions

• Signup Required: Yes
• Fee: Yes; $120 for non-guests (see Hiker Extras section of the website)
  
• 5-Gallon Bucket Required: Yes
• Carrier: USPS Priority Mail
• Signup Form & Fees: mtwilliamson

Address packages to:

Your Name
Mt. Williamson Motel & Base Camp
P.O. Box 128
Independence, CA 93526-0128

If placing an order from Outdoor Herbivore to send to Mt. Williamson Motel, include the following: 

• Add a 5-gallon bucket to your cart.
• Choose ‘Best Rate’ shipping on our website.
• Submit your order at least 21 days before your ETA and let us know your estimated pick-up, “ETA MM/DD” in the order comments so we can schedule your delivery accordingly. Please also tell us if you do or do not have reservations at the motel. The order comments field will appear on the shipping address screen after you select the shipping method. You can also email us your completed Williamson’s resupply form. If you do not send this to us, we’ll complete the form for you (using the info you tell us in your order comments) and tape it to your bucket when we ship it out. This information is required by Williamson Motel personnel to identify and store your resupply.
• If for some reason, you ordered more food than will fit in the bucket, we will contact you. Generally, you can fit 30 – 35 of our single-size meals (15 – 18 double-size meals) and a few snacks in a bucket. A 5-gallon bucket will hold more food than the largest bear canister. Any of our combo meals, including the 5-day, 7-day, and 10-day will fit fine with room to spare for a few more snacks or meals.

We are supplying JMT/PCT hikers for 2026. Have any other questions? Please ask us using our contact form.

Helpful JMT Resources:

Elizabeth Wenk’s Comprehensive John Muir Trail Guide – a comprehensive guidebook for planning a hike on the John Muir Trail.
Organizing your JMT Resupply – the Pacific Crest Trail Organization is a great starting point for planning your JMT hike.
John Muir Trail Maps by NatGeo – contains digital and physical maps. 
JMT Pocket Atlas  – “Erik the Black” pocket maps and helpful site. 
A Complete Guide to Resupply on the John Muir Trail – The Trek has a wealth of information about the JMT.
Apply for Southbound JMT Permits– a how-to guide on applying for your Southbound JMT permits by Bearfoot Theory.
Official JMT website – this site contains useful information on the history of the JMT.
Halfmile’s PCT Notes – handy notes for hiking the PCT/JMT.

Related Posts:

• How to use the Post Office for General Delivery Mail: Tips for Hikers & Travelers
• Expert Tips For Planning Backpacking Meals And Mail Drops For a Successful AT Thru Hike
• Where Do Most Hikers Receive Mail Drops on the PCT?
• Better for Backpacking: Dehydrated or Freeze-Dried Food?
• Where Do Most Thru Hikers Mail Food to Resupply on the Colorado Trail (CT)?