Categories: FAQsResupply

Where Do Most Hikers Receive Mail Drops on the PCT?

Customers often ask us what food is best to order for a Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hike and where most hikers receive mail drops. The majority of hikers have resupply boxes mailed to towns with limited food services. The most common locations Outdoor Herbivore sends PCT orders to:

Post Office – Warner Springs, CA; PCT mile 110 + 1 mile off trail
Kennedy Meadows General Store – Inyokern, CA; PCT mile 703 + 1 mile off trail
Post Office – Independence, CA; PCT mile 790 + 24 miles off trail
Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) – Lakeshore, CA; PCT mile 877 + 5 miles off trail
Post Office – Mammoth Lakes, CA; PCT mile 903 + 8 miles off trail
Post Office – Tuolumne Meadows, CA; PCT mile 942 + 1 mile off trail
Post Office – Sierra City, CA; PCT mile 1198 + 2 miles off trail
Post Office – Crater Lake, OR; PCT mile 1830 + 5 miles off trail
Shelter Cove Resort – Crescent, OR; PCT mile 1912 + 1 mile off trail
Timberline Ski Lodge – Timberline, OR; PCT mile 2107 + 0 miles off trail
Kracker Barrel Store at White Pass – Naches, WA; PCT mile 2303 + 1/2 mile off trail
Post Office – Snoqualmie Pass, WA; PCT mile 2402 + 1/2 mile off trail
Post Office – Stehekin, WA; PCT mile 2574 + 11 miles off trail (check for bus)

Keep in mind that this is a partial list of resupply mail drop locations. See these resources for a complete list of PCT resupply locations –

Planyourhike has a full list of resupply points organized by mileage
The halfmile PCT notes
PCT Resupply by the Pacific Crest Trail Association

What to Order

Outdoor Herbivore’s 5-day and 7-day meal combos are popular for PCT thru-hikers. The combo meals take the guess-work out of meal planning and save you time and money. Our multi-day combos provide you three high-calorie meals per day, so all you have to do is supplement with trail snacks.

When and How to Order

Many PCT hikers place orders while taking a zero (rest) day in town. If you are placing orders while hiking the trail, please order at least 1 week before you need your food! We ship from Northern California, and because of our proximity to the PCT, most orders will arrive 3 to 4 business days after you submit them. Areas with specific resupply instructions (i.e., VVR, Muir Trail Ranch, Red’s Meadow Resort, Parchers Resort, Shelter Cove Resort, Elk Lake Resort, and Stevens Pass) may take longer. If you put orders ahead of time on our website (more than 30 days out), we’ll hold your order at our location and ship your package 7 calendar days before your noted Estimated Date (ETA) to ensure the package arrives in time.

Most hikers have food mail drops sent General Delivery to the Post Office using our ‘Best Rate’ shipping service. The ‘Best Rate’ service is our cheapest shipping option and uses USPS Priority Mail to anywhere on the PCT that accepts USPS. Some resupply locations (i.e., businesses and resorts) will not receive USPS and have specific instructions for the shipping carrier. For instance, if a place accepts FedEx only, you must make sure you select FedEx as your shipping option. We check to make sure orders get shipped correctly to your resupply destination, and if we notice you’ve made a mistake in addressing your order, we’ll let you know about it ASAP.

Tips for Mailing your PCT Food Orders while hiking the Trail

If the destination is to a Post Office/PO Box/USPS, please select our ‘Best Rate’ service. Best Rate orders arrive within 5 business days.
Provide an Estimated Date (ETA) you want the package delivered for pick-up in the comments field. We will use this date to make sure your order arrives when you need it. Post offices will hold your order for up to 30 days, so you have some flexibility on your schedule.
If you need your package delivered sooner than 5 days, please use FedEx as the service choice to cover the expedited fees. We’ll not necessarily use this service, but this flags the order, so it gets priority shipment. Make sure to tell us your ETA in the comments so we can confirm the timeline. Note: if you select FedEx 2-Day shipping for PO/General Delivery address, we’ll ship it Priority Mail Express. FedEx and UPS do not deliver to PO Box or Post Offices.
If you need a package overnighted, please call to confirm this is possible. We generally can only do 2-day express.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your order, tell us 7 days ahead of your ETA or before it ships.
PCT business locations such as VVR, Muir Trail Ranch, Red’s Meadow Resort, Parchers Resort, Shelter Cove Resort, Elk Lake Resort, and Stevens Pass have specific shipping instructions and order hold fees. For instance, if a location accepts FedEx only, you must make sure you select FedEx as your shipping option. If your resupply receives UPS only (this is rare), please pay for FedEx Ground service and let us know in the checkout comments ‘Ship UPS only’, and we’ll ship it UPS. Note: paying for FedEx Service will cover the additional fees UPS charges for rural deliveries. Most places that accept UPS can also take FedEx.

Example: Sending Yourself a Delivery to Warner Springs Post Office

Name: Joe Smith
Address Line 1: GENERAL DELIVERY
City/State/Zip: Warner Springs, CA 92086
Comments: PCT hiker ETA 25-March

Use the comments field on the checkout page to tell us your estimated pickup date. This is very important because we use this information to schedule your shipment.

How much does it cost to send a PCT mail drop order from Outdoor Herbivore? How long does it take?

It depends on your order amount. Here’s a breakdown of our shipping cost by order subtotal.

Order Total	Best Rate Shipping Price and Delivery to all lower 48 U.S. States
less than $20	USPS First Class Rate (arrives within 5 business days)
$20 to $49.99	$7.99 (arrives within 5 business days)
$50 to $199.99	$9.99 (arrives within 5 business days)
$200 and above	Free Economy Ground (arrives in 7 business days) OR $9.99 Priority Ground (arrives in 3 – 5 business days)

How does a bounce box work?

If you have an order shipped to a post office and don’t need it or can’t pick it up, you can opt to “bounce” or forward your box to another post office location further down the trail. Bouncing is free to do if 1) the package was mailed using USPS priority mail, 2) the box is sent to a post office, 3) the box remains unopened. It can only be bounced for free to another post office, not to a residence, business, campsite/hotel. You can often bounce a box a few times (3 – 4 places) before you must collect it. If you are not sure of your hiking schedule, consider sending packages to a post office so that you can bounce it, if needed. Have the package tracking number when calling the post office. You will need the tracking to request forwarding. When you ask the postal clerk at the counter or by phone to bounce your box, explain that you are a thru-hiker and clearly tell them, “I need to have my priority mail parcel bounced forward to a different post office location.” If you are at the post office counter, do not leave the counter with your box or open it. Once you walk away with the parcel or open it, it is considered in your possession, and you will be charged a fee to bounce it.

Eating Healthier on the PCT with Outdoor Herbivore

If you are health-conscious, vegan/vegetarian, or need a break from eating junk food, Outdoor Herbivore has you covered. Our dried meals are made in California with whole food organic ingredients. Our company was founded by backpackers passionate about food, health, animal welfare, and the environment.

More Helpful PCT Resupply Planning Websites

Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Guide – a helpful guide written by Maggie ‘Chuckles’ Wallace from The Trek.
Halfwayanywhere PCT Resupply – several helpful article sources and surveys of past PCT hikers.
Around the PCT with no car – a list of public and private transportation options for PCT hikers.
Outdoor Herbivore’s Resupply Services
Shipping Mail to Thru-Hikers