Where to Resupply on the John Muir Trail
When you look at a map of the John Muir Trail, it looks pretty remote for most of the trail. And it is! But there are still ample opportunities to re-stock on essential snacks and supplies. Read on to learn all about the resupply options along this remote mountain trail.
Yosemite Valley
SOBO Mile: 0 | NOBO Mile: 211
Services: Restaurants, Grocery/ Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up, Showers ($), Laundry (coin-operated), Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation
Resupply: You are probably starting or finishing your hike here. Either way, you can pick-up a resupply box for FREE if you send General Delivery to the USPS (only for packages shipped via USPS). You can buy IsoPro fuel at the store, and if you are not a picky eater, would easily be able to find enough backpacking food to get you to Tuolumne Meadows or Red’s Meadow.
Mail your resupply via the United States Postal Service (best option: Flat Rate Priority Box) to:
(Your Name)
c/o General Delivery
Yosemite, CA 95389
Make sure to include “ETA: (your estimated arrival date)” on the package. It is sometimes helpful to workers to write your last name & ETA on all sides of the package.
Positives: You can find pretty much anything you want in the Valley! Lots of food options (personal favorites are the Curry Village pizza and the Ahwahnee breakfast buffet), and grocery options in case you forgot to pack an essential snack or toiletry. They won’t have anything too fancy or specific: think small-town grocery store, but usually I can find anything I’m craving. Your wilderness permit will allow you to camp one night before/ after your trip at the Valley backpacker’s campground ($6/person) - CASH ONLY! There is also a free shuttle system that can take you pretty much anywhere in the Valley. Curry Village is a good place to loiter, even though its a lodging spot. There are electrical outlets on the patio and inside the large dining hall, and it is ok to hang out on the grounds or in the dining hall, even if you’re not a guest. You can take YARTS to get you out of the Valley.
Challenges: Services are spread throughout multiple vendors in the Valley. Most of the services can be found at Housekeeping Camp, Curry Village, and Yosemite Village. Most lodging and car camping needs to be reserved ahead of time, though sometimes you can get lucky on a same-day reservation at Curry Village and the campgrounds. Cell phone service and WiFi can be pretty limited in the Valley, but good enough in certain locations to get a phone call out. There are still some pay phones to use as well. Hitchhiking is difficult within the National Park, but not impossible (easiest to get a ride with park employees).
Tuolumne Meadows
SOBO Mile: 23 | NOBO Mile: 188
Services: Hot Food, Grocery/ Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up, Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation
Resupply: You can pick-up a resupply box for FREE if you send General Delivery to the USPS (only for packages shipped via USPS). You can buy IsoPro fuel at the store, along with some snacks & toiletries. IMPORTANT: If Tuolumne Meadows facilities are not open, your box will be delivered to the Yosemite Valley Post Office. Packages will be held for 14 days after the ETA date.
Mail your resupply via the United States Postal Service (best option: Flat Rate Priority Box) to:
(Your Name)
c/o General Delivery
Tuolumne Meadows, CA 95389
Make sure to include “ETA: (your estimated arrival date)” on the package. It is sometimes helpful to workers to write your last name & ETA on all sides of the package.
Positives: Everything you need at Tuolumne Meadows can be (pretty much) found in one place! The grill has decent food, and the store has lots of hiker snacks. You can send a resupply package to the post office location here, which is right in-between the store and grill. When the visitor center is open, outlets are available. There is also an outlet in the wilderness permit office bathroom. Backpacker’s campground available in the normal campground ($6/person/night) - CASH ONLY!
Challenges: Very poor cell phone service, though AT&T worked enough for a phone call next to the wilderness permit office. The only lodging available needs to be reserved in advance, and they are rustic canvas cabins without electricity. They do have showers for guests, though. Facility opening dates vary greatly with snow. They can open anytime from early June - mid July, and sometimes do not open at all for the summer. They generally close by the end of September.
Alternative: You can take YARTS to Lee Vining, which has more lodging and grocery options, or even Mammoth Lakes, the largest town near the JMT.
The Tuolumne Meadows store-post office-grill all in one!
Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center. The Visitor Center is larger and closer to the Cathedral Lakes trailhead.
Red’s Meadow
SOBO Mile: 59 | NOBO Mile: 152
Services: Restaurant, Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up ($), Showers ($), Laundry (coin-operated), Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation
Resupply: You can ship a box or bucket to Red’s Meadow for $40, plus shipping costs. Or, you can drop off a resupply at the resort, which they will hold for $3/day. You must follow the specific directions on Red’s Meadow’s website to send a resupply. The general store does not carry enough backpacking food to resupply from, and they have minimal toiletries. Everything in the store is expensive (i.e. a bandana costs $7).
Positives: Red’s Meadow, while expensive, is super convenient and hiker friendly. The store, cafe, showers, flush toilets, water fountain, and charging station are all within 50 yards of one another. The store will make change for you with quarters for the shower. There is a hiker box, so check there before paying for soap. The hiker bunk rooms, if you wish to pay for them, are sparse but nice to have, especially if you have lots of electronics to charge. The food at the restaurant is decent. There is cell phone service here for AT&T and Verizon. The Red’s Meadow/ Devils Postpile Shuttle runs on the Minaret Summit Road, and for a fee, you can take it into Mammoth Lakes. Locals & tourists here are friendly, and you could hitchhike relatively easily too.
Challenges: Camping is not at the resort itself, but run by the forest service, for a fee (cash only - $25/6 people at a site). There are signs pointing the way to camping by the bathrooms at Red’s. The campground has a bear problem due to irresponsible car campers. Staff is friendly towards hikers, but if you are a hiker reserving a room/ hiker bunk, make sure you are being charged correctly for the amenities listed on the website for your chosen room. Facilities usually open mid-June to the end of September.
Alternative: Take the shuttle or hitchhike from the resort into Mammoth Lakes for more lodging, food, and resupply options. Mammoth Lakes is easy to navigate around due to the free town trolley. You could also hike 3.5 miles into the town by taking the Mammoth Pass Cutoff Trail south of Red’s Meadow. The trail ends at the Twin Lakes trailhead, where you can take the free shuttle into Mammoth Lakes proper.
Normally you can eat inside the restaurant at Red’s Meadow, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was served to-go. The shuttle to Mammoth Lakes was also not running during the pandemic.
Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR)
SOBO Mile: 88 | NOBO Mile: 123
Services: Restaurant, Convenience Store, Package Pick-Up ($), Showers ($), Laundry ($), Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, OK to Loiter, Lodging, Satellite Internet ($), Camping (free!), Trash dumping, Shuttles to get to the resort ($), FREE first drink for thru-hikers
Resupply: VVR accepts resupply boxes/ buckets for a $30 fee, paid when you arrive at the resort. Follow the directions on their website to a T in order for everything to be good when you arrive. They are in a very remote location. Resupply could be possible here. There is a good hiker box to go through, and hiker food in the store: chips, bars, mountain house meals, knorr sides, mashed potatoes, ramen, peanut butter, etc. Just check the expiration dates on the packages.
Positives: Like Red’s, everything you need at VVR is within 50 yards of each other. Less walking on “town days” is always great. Free camping for thru-hikers is right next to the picnic area/ store. The food is really, really good. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all fantastic. If you want some recs: the Selden Pass breakfast and Fish Tacos for lunch! Dinner is a rotating menu/ nightly special. The tab system was a plus for us, everything was calculated perfectly. Very hiker-friendly staff and resort guests. When the ferry is running, it is very convenient. Services tend to run longer here, from late May - late October, unless natural disasters (fires) close the place down.
Challenges: When the ferry isn’t running, getting to VVR is a bit of a pain and involves hiking 5+ extra miles, one way, no matter which way you come or go. Electricity goes out around 10 pm since they are on a generator, so be aware when charging devices/ staying in a room, and make sure all of your chores are done early. There have been reports of people being overcharged/ shorted here, though I did not experience these issues. There is no cell service in the main area, but there is AT&T down by the lake. There is no WiFi, but satellite internet is available for a fee. If you needed to exit the trail here, it would be very difficult to get back to civilization.
Muir Trail Ranch (MTR)
SOBO Mile: 110 | NOBO Mile: 101
Services: Convenience Store (minimal), Package Pick-Up ($), Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, Camping (free), Trash dumping
Resupply: There are very specific directions to follow to resupply at MTR. It costs $85 to pick up your package here, and it must be shipped in a hard-sided bucket. You must read their website & pay in advance. You cannot buy food here. There are some toiletries/ first aid supplies and fuel to restock on if you need to. Usually, MTR has large hiker bins that you can rummage through, so if you are not picky, you could resupply from those.
Positives: MTR is very close to the JMT, just about a mile off trail. The services are sparse, so you probably won’t waste time or money by staying here too long. The camping is off the property. Follow signs to Blayney Hot Springs. Camping is on the left, before crossing the river. The hot springs are also really beautiful and great to soak in.
Challenges: Few amenities like the lack of showers and laundry or even a cold drink can make this a tortuous stop. Paying guests have access to more amenities, but it is difficult to book a cabin here. While I found the staff to be friendly, they are definitely not super hiker-friendly or overly accommodating to hikers like VVR. Though, the whole COVID resupply station they built was super nice and I assume they will be using it in future years as well. There have been colloquial reports of hikers being chased away from the resort if they are not picking up a resupply, but with the new resupply building that is more removed from the ranch, this might be less of a problem in the future. Transportation from here is virtually non-existent. You would have to hike 5 miles, then take a water taxi across Florence Lake, and have a private shuttle set up to meet you on the other side. MTR is extremely remote. Facilities are open from mid-June to the end of September.
Mt. Williamson Motel & Basecamp
SOBO Mile: 180 | NOBO Mile: 31
Services: Breakfast, Fuel for purchase, Package Pick-Up ($), Showers ($), Laundry ($), Hiker Box, Electrical Outlets, Lodging, Trash dumping, Shuttles to get to the motel ($)
Resupply: Mt. Williamson operates on a combo of three services: 1. Lodging/ Re-supply package, 2. Shuttle 3. Resupply Only. Resupply-only is a $75 fee per package hold. Read their website about their service packages and costs.
Positives: For paying guests, this is an all-in-one pit stop for your resupply. They’ll pick you up from the Onion Valley trailhead, bring you back to the motel, do your laundry for you, let you take a shower, give you a bed to sleep in, and process your re-supply package. Then they’ll serve you a hot breakfast and drive you back to the trailhead in the morning. For non-guests, you will pay a relatively hefty fee for a shuttle and resupply hold. I’ve heard great things about how friendly the owners are, and their whole business model is centered around JMT thru-hikers.
Challenges: I’ll just say it: this resupply involves a long side trail up to Kearsarge Pass and down to Onion Valley, about 14 extra miles of hiking round trip, and a couple thousand feet of elevation gain going back to the JMT. The detour itself is a full day or more for most JMT hikers, so you should evaluate if it is worth it to you to leave the trail to resupply here. The shuttle they run is limited in times. You must arrive by 3 pm, and go back to the trail after 8 am.
Alternatives: The motel is located in the town of Independence, where there are other motels, some restaurants, and a gas station to resupply. You could also hitchhike or take the ESTA to Bishop, a large town to the north with hotels, motels, restaurants, grocery stores, and gear shops.
Lone Pine
SOBO Mile: 211 | NOBO Mile: 0
Breakfast from the Alabama Hills Cafe. Delicious and huge portions!
Services: Restaurants, Grocery/ Convenience Store, Lodging, Laundromat ($), Camping ($), Trash dumping, Public Transportation
Resupply: Lone Pine has one grocery store, which is fine enough for a hiker resupply. Call hotels/ motels before sending a package. There is a US Post Office in Lone Pine that packages can be sent to for general delivery.
Mail your resupply via the United States Postal Service (best option: Flat Rate Priority Box) to:
(Your Name)
c/o General Delivery
Lone Pine, CA 93545
Positives: Lone Pine is a relatively walk-able resupply town and is very hiker friendly. The town sees a ton of tourism from Death Valley, the JMT, PCT, rock climbers, and of course, Mt. Whitney hikers. The Alabama Hills Cafe serves amazing food with huge portions, and the town has multiple gear/ sporting goods shops if you need to grab any last minute supplies before your hike. The ESTA also runs through Lone Pine, which can be helpful for transportation before and after your hike. The permit office for walk-up permits is also in Lone Pine.
Challenges: None, really, but it is decently far away from Whitney Portal. It is possible to hitch hike to the portal, or the East Side Sierra Shuttle can help get you there.
Alternatives: You would have to go north to Bishop, CA for a larger town with more amenities.
Resupply Strategy
Everyone’s resupply strategy will be different on the John Muir Trail, and it really depends on time of year hiking, hiking pace, direction, and amount of amenities wanted. Some people will stop at every resupply location, some will want to limit their time in “town” as much as possible.
On my hike, we did a full SOBO from Yosemite Valley to Whitney Portal, taking 25 days. We picked up resupply food at Tuolumne Meadows, Red’s Meadow, VVR, and MTR. Our longest carry was MTR to the finish line. I would definitely do the resupply differently in the future.
Like most hikers, we packed too much food in our resupply. In fact, we were not originally planning to stop at VVR, but when we couldn’t fit 11 days of food for 2 people into our MTR bucket, we decided to ship the rest to VVR and figure it out on trail. More on resupply food planning in an upcoming post. This truly was a waste of money, but we liked VVR much better than MTR.
We made the right decision to not exit at Kearsarge Pass for resupply. I think 11 days was the absolute maximum amount of food we could handle from MTR - Whitney, and if it was going to take any longer, Kearsarge Pass would have been warranted.
If this is your first long hike, I truly believe that planning for a SOBO resupply is more difficult than a NOBO resupply because you have to make a lot of guesses about how your body will react and adapt (or not) to thru-hiking (in terms of resilience, hiker hunger, or lack of hunger), especially in the last 100 miles.
What would I do differently for a SOBO resupply?
Tuolumne Meadows
Red’s Meadow
Muir Trail Ranch (MTR)
Biggest changes: I would not send a resupply package to VVR. This doesn’t mean you can’t go there - if you want to go for a shower, town food, etc. you still can - but you won’t feel tied down to going there and picking up a package. If we didn’t send a package there, we probably would not have gone because the ferry was not running. When the ferry is out, you have to hike 6.5 miles to VVR. If the ferry was running, I would probably go there, even if I didn’t send a package, because the hiker amenities are great! Also, if you are not planning for a VVR stop, but realize you’re running out of food, VVR is the last place you can buy hiker snacks & meals before MTR or Kearsarge Pass, so it is a good contingency plan, and you should stay attuned to the ferry schedule in case you need to detour. I would not plan to detour to Kearsarge Pass/ Independence going SOBO, unless you are planning to take more than 11-12 days from MTR to Whitney Portal. From the Kearsarge Pass junction, if you are an average hiker (~10 miles per day), you are only 3 more days from finishing the whole hike. Adding on this detour will add another 1 - 1.5 days to your trip.
How would I do a NOBO resupply?
Kearsarge Pass/ Independence/ Mt. Williamson
Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR)
Red’s Meadow
I would 100% exit at Kearsarge Pass going NOBO if I was starting from Whitney Portal or Cottonwood Lakes/ Horseshoe Meadows. You’ll want to give yourself a break at the beginning of this hike if you’re going NOBO: plan for less miles and for your body to acclimate. Doing Mt. Whitney and Forester Pass, and then the climb from Vidette Meadow to the Kearsarge Pass intersection is a lot of climbing, and has the highest elevations of the trip! The extra miles to Onion Valley is worth it, in this case. I would also skip MTR if going NOBO, since the amenities are so-so. But, if you are running out of food, and MTR has hiker boxes available, keep it in mind. Tuolumne Meadows can easily be skipped on a NOBO hike. If you are an average hiker, you can finish the trail to Yosemite Valley in 1 - 1.5 days from Tuolumne. If the store and grill are open, buy a yummy ice cream to celebrate your progress, and keep on going!