Where Do Most Thru Hikers Mail Food to Resupply on the Colorado Trail (CT)?

Each year we are asked by hikers planning a CT thru-hike if we can mail their food resupply. We sure can!

The Colorado Trail (CT) is a 485-mile (781 km) trail that spans southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. Considered by hikers to be breathtaking and challenging, much of the trail stays above the tree line, offering expansive views and vibrant displays of wildflowers. Snow will be present at higher elevations, which can make travel difficult. The Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF), which maintains the Colorado Trail, recommends hiking the CT between July and September to avoid the mud and snow seasons. Most thru-hikers hike from east to west since the snow melts on the eastern portion of the trail first. Most thru-hikers spend roughly five weeks hiking the trail.

Relying on mailed resupply boxes will be necessary for towns with limited food services. A choice of two routes in the middle (Collegiate East and Collegiate West) will dictate resupply for that portion.

Here is where Outdoor Herbivore mails most food to hikers thru-hiking the CT. See Resupply Towns by the Colorado Trail Foundation for a complete list. Remember that this information can change as businesses move and shut down. We recommend calling the company before mailing a box to ensure they still accept and hold shipments. This information was accurate for 2023.

Platte River Outfitters – Baily, CO; CT mile 41 + 8 miles off trail. Popular first food resupply for international hikers; FEDEX/UPS MAIL ONLY.
Platte River Outfitters
41 Country Rd 68
Bailey, Colorado 80421
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Post Office – Frisco, CO; CT mile 104 + 4 miles off trail;
General delivery
35 W MAIN ST
Frisco, Colorado 80443
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Twin Lakes General Store – Twin Lakes, CO; CT mile 176 + 1.5 miles off trail;
Twin Lakes General Store
6451 E State Highway 82
Twin Lakes, Colorado 81251
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Mt Princeton Resort (Collegiate East) – Hot Springs, CO; CT mile 230 (on the trail);
Mt Princeton Resort
15870 County Road 162
Nathrop, CO 81236
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Monarch Mountain Lodge (Collegiate West) – Monarch, CO; CT mile 251 + 1.5 miles off trail;
Monarch Mountain Lodge
22720 W US HWY 50
Salida, CO 81201
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Monarch Crest Campground – Salida, CO; CT miles 289 + 2 miles off trail; FEDEX/UPS MAIL ONLY.
Monarch Crest Campground
C/O Your Name
24500 US Hwy 50
Salida, Colorado 81201
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Molas Lake Campground – Silverton, CO; CT mile 410 + 1 mile off trail; FEDEX/UPS MAIL ONLY.
Molas Lake Campground
C/O Your Name
65560 US Hwy 550 N
Silverton, CO 81433
Comments: CT HIKER ETA MM/DD

Collegiate West vs. East.

Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The trail splits in the Collegiate Peaks for 75 miles near Twin Lakes (mile 178) and Salida (mile 253) from Denver. There are two parallel route options at the split – East or West.

The eastern side of the Collegiate Peaks stays at a lower-elevation and is drier. Collegiate West, shared by the Continental Divide Trail, is more remote and stays at higher elevations. Most thru hikers opt to take the Collegiate West route.

What to Order from Outdoor Herbivore

Outdoor Herbivore’s combo meals take the guesswork out of meal planning and save you time and money. Our multi-day combos provide you with three high-calorie meals daily, so all you have to do is supplement with trail snacks. Our five day combo is the most popular purchase among Colorado Trail hikers. Many hikers choose this with a few high-calorie snacks such as CinnaMonkey Chomps, Cheezy Squeezy, Instant Hummus, Hillcrest Harvest Mix, and Ginger Berry Fusion.

Outdoor Herbivore’s 5-day combo contains 5 breakfasts, 5 no-cook lunches, and 5 hot entrees weighing 4 lbs (1.8 kg) and coming in at 8,200+ calories. This is not enough calories for hikers in mountainous terrain and we recommend adding 5 – 10 snacks to eat between meals or adding tortilla/pita bread to eat with the no-cook lunches which tend to be lower in calories than the hot entrees. Minimizing food pack weight requires calorie-dense food. Look for meals/snacks with 124 Calories per ounce | 438 Calories per 100 grams | 1832 kJ per 100 grams. Outdoor Herbivore’s Calorie Dense Snacks and Meal List

Grab and Go 5 day backpacking meal combo — 5 days of backpacking meals. Total weight = 4 lbs and 8,300 calories

When and How to Order

Many CT 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 CT, most orders will arrive within 5 business days after you submit them. 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 10 calendar days before your noted Estimated Date (ETA) to ensure the package arrives in time.

Did something happen, and you need to leave the trail? If you need to cancel or reschedule your order, let us know before your order ships. We’ll update your schedule or give you a refund.

Tips for Mailing CT Food Orders With Outdoor Herbivore

If the destination is a Post Office/General Delivery/PO Box, please select our ‘Best Rate’ service. Best Rate orders will ship Priority Mail or USPS Ground and arrive within 5 business days.
If a location accepts UPS/FedEx only, you must make sure you select FedEx Ground as your shipping option. If your resupply receives UPS only (this is rare), select 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.
Provide an Estimated Date (ETA) that you will arrive to get your food order in the Order Comments field. We will mark this date on your package and use this date to dispatch your shipment. Your ETA does not have to be exact. Post offices and businesses will hold your order for up to 30 days.
In a rush? If you need your package delivered sooner than 5 days, please use the FedEx 2 Day service choice to cover the expedited fees. Make sure to tell us your ETA in the comments so we can confirm the timeline is possible. If it is not possible, we will contact you by email or phone. Note: if you select FedEx 2-Day shipping for PO/General Delivery address, we’ll ship it Priority Mail Express.

Example of Sending Yourself a Delivery to Frisco Post Office on Outdoor Herbivore’s Checkout

Tell us your estimated pickup date in the Order Comments on the checkout page. This is very important because we use this information to schedule your shipment.

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

Here’s a breakdown of our shipping cost by order subtotal.

Order Total	“Best Rate” Price to a Colorado Business	FedEx/UPS Price to a Colorado Business
Less than 16 ounces	USPS First Class Rate (arrives within 5 business days)	$8 – $12 (depending on weight and zipcode)
$20 to $49.99	$7.99 (arrives within 5 business days)	$8 – $12 (depending on weight and zipcode)
$50 to $199.99	$9.99 (arrives within 5 business days)	$11 – $20 (depending on weight and zipcode)
$200 and above	Free Economy Ground (arrives in 7 business days) OR $9.99 Priority Ground (arrives in 5 business days)	$13 – $20 (depending on weight and zipcode)

Helpful CT Resupply Planning Websites

Eating Healthier on the Trail with Outdoor Herbivore

Outdoor Herbivore has you covered if you like to eat well on the trail or are vegan/vegetarian. Our backpacking meals are made in California with natural and organic ingredients. Our company was founded by backpackers passionate about health, animal welfare, and the environment. You can find more information on the page, food resupply mailing services. Please call or email if you need help planning your trail menu for your Colorado Trail thru-hike!