This article originally appeared on The Trek, which you can read here.
As my PCT thru-hike start date approached in 2025, one of the things I felt most anxious about was resupplying. I followed other prospective PCT hikers online, and it seemed like everyone except me was busy mailing out dozens of resupply boxes.
My husband/hiking partner and I decided that rather than spending hours at home prepping boxes, we would figure it out as we went. We didn’t have any dietary restrictions to be mindful of, and our trail diets consisted of common items like tuna, mac-and-cheese, granola bars, etc. Our rationale was that we could mail boxes to ourselves along the way if needed, but we expected to mostly resupply from town to town.
Our friend, Unfiltered, hiked the PCT in 2022 and made us a spreadsheet with all the places he resupplied. We referred to this spreadsheet as our “Bible” and used it to plan a rough outline for the entire trail. Before we embarked, we prepared some pre-made boxes for locations where we knew we’d need to mail supplies, but we were able to purchase food along the entire trail.
Because Unfiltered’s spreadsheet was so helpful, I created a similar spreadsheet to accompany this article. It includes all the mile markers where we resupplied, along with information about whether we mailed boxes or shopped in town, plus what I would have done differently.
The Ultimate PCT Resupply Strategy
Click the name of each region in the table below for more details about the resupply options in that section. General notes on resupply strategy and how to mail boxes at the end of the post (click here to jump to that section). Miles are based on the FarOut PCT guide.
Highlighted rows indicate locations where mailing a resupply box is recommended due to limited options.
| Region | Town | Mile | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | |||
| Mount Laguna | 45.1 | Resupply at general store in town | |
| Julian | 77.3 | Resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Warner Springs | 109.5 | Mailed a box from home, could have resupplied between the community center and gas station | |
| Idyllwild | 179.4 | Resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Interstate 10 | 209.5 | Took an Uber to Beaumont for Walmart/In-N-Out, worth the expense! | |
| Big Bear | 266.1 | Resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Cajon Pass | 341.9 | Can get a meal or two in McDonald’s | |
| Wrightwood | 363.4 | Resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Acton | 444.3 | Mailed a box from home, could have resupplied in Acton or waited until Agua Dulce | |
| Hiker Town / Neenach Market | 517.6 | Gas staiton resupply, could have mailed a box here for more variety | |
| Tehachapi | 566.4 | Resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Sierra | |||
| Walker Pass | 653.2 | Hitch into Ridgecrest or Lake Isabella, resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Kennedy Meadows South | 703.4 | Resupply at general store/outfitter in town, if mailing snow gear could also mail food | |
| Kearsarge Pass | 790.3 | Hitched into Independence and took bus to Bishop, resupply in town; gas station resupply in Independence | |
| Vermilion Valley Resort | 875.7 | Ate a meal here, has resupply options but very expensive (recommend carrying food from Bishop to Mammoth) | |
| Mammoth Lakes | 904.4 | Full grocery resupply | |
| Tuolumne Meadows | 943.7 | Small general store resupply, could send box; could hitch into Yosemite Valley for larger resupply selection | |
| Kennedy Meadows North | 1018.1 | Resupply at general store, could mail a box for more variety | |
| South Lake Tahoe | 1093.4 | Resupply at grocery store in town | |
| Northern California | |||
| Donner Pass (Truckee) | 1154.5 | Hitched into Truckee, resupply at grocery store in town; could mail a box to Donner Ski Ranch if not going to town | |
| Sierra City | 1196.5 | Resupply at general store, could have sent a box for more variety | |
| Quincy | 1269.6 | Grocery store resupply | |
| Chester | 1332.8 | Dollar General resupply in town | |
| Burney | 1412.8 | Dollar General or local grocery store resupply in town | |
| Etna | 1601.2 | Grocery store resupply | |
| Seiad Valley | 1657.5 | Small general store resupply, could send box for more variety | |
| Oregon | |||
| Ashland | 1719.2 | Resupply at grocery store in town; took bus to Walmart in Medford, mailed boxed up the trail | |
| Mazama Village (Crater Lake) | 1823.3 | Mailed box from Ashland, limited resupply at Mazama Village general store | |
| Shelter Cove | 1908.2 | Mailed box from Ashland, limited resupply at RV park general store | |
| Sisters / Bend | 2002.4 | Hitched into Sisters and Bend, resupply at grocery store in town; mailed boxes up the trail | |
| Timberline Lodge | 2100 | Can get a meal or two at Lodge | |
| Cascade Locks | 2149.8 | Resupply at grocery store in town, took bus to Walmart in Hood River | |
| Washington | |||
| Trout Lake | 2232 | General store resupply | |
| White Pass | 2298.1 | Mailed box from Bend, limited resupply at gas station | |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 2396.3 | Mailed box from Bend, limited resupply at gas station or small grocery store in town | |
| Stevens Pass | 2467.2 | Mailed box from Bend, recomend hitching into Leavenworth or Skykomish and resupplying in town | |
| Stehekin | 2575.1 | Mailed box from home, limited resupply at general store | |
Or access the spreadsheet here:
My 2025 PCT Resupply Strategy: Detailed Breakdown
Below is every location where we resupplied on the PCT in 2025, along with notes on selection, alternatives, and what I’d do differently. For a condensed version of this list, check out the table above or see the spreadsheet version here.
Southern California
Mount Laguna: Resupply at Mount Launguna Store. This small general store had staples for hikers like ramen, instant mashed potatoes, Pop-Tarts, and more. The Post Office is next door, so this is also a viable option for mailing a box. We found everything we needed at the store, though. Some people chose to make their first resupply at Lake Morena at mile 20, but we opted to start with more food and arrived at Mount Laguna on our 4th day.
Julian: It was a long hitch from Scissors Crossing, but well worth it. We found everything we needed for resupply between 2 Foot Adventures and the local grocery store. Don’t forget to get your free slice of pie at Mom’s!
Warner Springs: We mailed boxes to the post office. In hindsight, we could have easily resupplied between the offerings at the Community Center and the local gas station. The prices for supplies at the Community Center were a little high, but proceeds support the hiker-friendly Community Center. Note: Paradise Valley Cafe is located one mileoff-trail at mile 151.8 between Warner Springs and Idyllwild. Many hikers also stop there for a burger, and the cafe also accepts resupply packages.
Idyllwild: The first larger town hikers come to, Idyllwild has several grocery options to choose from, so resupply is easy and convenient.
Interstate 10: Many hikers go into the town of Cabazon here. We got an Uber from Tamarack Road to Beaumont, CA, a bit further west on I-10 from Cabazon, instead. There is a Walmart next to an In-N-Out, so it was an easy choice to veer off trail and experience more of the “culture.”
Big Bear: Another large town with ample grocery stores and restaurants.
Cajon Pass (McDonald’s): Worth noting as a resupply option just because so many hikers pack out burgers from this iconic location.
Wrightwood: A small community with a local grocery store. There were plenty of restaurants and great places to eat in town, plus a hiker hangout area at the hardware store. The grocery store is on the pricey side, but it has everything you’d need.
Acton: We mailed ourselves a box and camped at the Los Angeles Camping & RV Resort (formerly the KOA). Many of our friends hitched into the town of Acton, where they resupplied at a store.
Because of the expensive handling fee for boxes, I wish we hadn’t mailed stuff here. The campground does have a decent general store with hiker staples, but I’d recommend either hitching into Acton or waiting until the next town (Agua Dulce) to resupply. In Agua Dulce, the trail goes through town and walks right by a grocery store.
Hiker Town/Neenach Cafe & Market: We did not mail ourselves boxes here, but in hindsight, it would have been a good place to send a box. Hiker Town is a legendary stop, and in recent years, the owners have also purchased a small gas station down the road called the Neenach Cafe & Market. We resupplied here, but it truly was just a gas station, so options and variety were limited.
Tehachapi: The last easily accessible major town for several hundred miles. Because of the easy access to Walmart and other large chains, this could be a good spot from which to mail yourself boxes up the trail. We didn’t go that route and just carried what we needed to get to Walker Pass.
Sierra
Walker Pass: There are several towns to hitch to from Walker Pass, the most common being either Lake Isabella or Ridgecrest. We took the longer hitch to Ridgecrest and were glad we did! It’s a large town with tons of restaurants and chain stores like Walmart.
Kennedy Meadows South: A milestone on the PCT, KMS marks the end of the desert section and the entry point to the high Sierra. The tiny community of KMS comes alive during hiker season, and many hikers mail themselves supplies here.
The general store has a respectable selection of freeze-dried meals and hiker staples like bars, beef jerky, ramen, etc. Triple Crown Outfitters had the largest selection of food items. 2 Foot Adventures also has a mobile shop that was parked at the general store in 2025.
We mailed ourselves our snow gear here but relied on the stores to purchase food for the section. If you plan to summit Mount Whitney, it’s important to pack out an extra day of food for that side quest!
Kearsarge Pass: Most hikers choose to exit the Sierra at Kearsarge Pass and descend into one of the towns at the base of the mountains. If you need to bail before Kearsarge, there are trails that put you out closer to the town of Lone Pine.
The vast majority of hikers push from KMS to Kearsarge and resupply in either Independence or Bishop. The small community of Independence doesn’t have much to offer other than quaint restaurants and gas-station resupply, so many hikers either hitch, arrange a shuttle, or take a bus into the larger town of Bishop.
We took the bus into Bishop and were so glad we did! The town is lovely and has many grocery store options to resupply at, along with several outfitters for gear needs.
Vermillion Valley Resort: Another memorable location on the trail, VVR quickly becomes a vortex and is an expensive resupply option because of its remote location. We chose to carry more food from Bishop to Mammoth Lakes so we wouldn’t have to spend quite as much on a resupply at VVR, but we still budgeted to eat several meals here.
VVR has a small general store with items like granola bars, Honey Buns, Pop-Tarts, etc., and also has a fantastic restaurant serving up hiker-sized portions. The restaurant is pricey, but well worth it in the backcountry of the Sierra!
Mammoth Lakes: The town of Mammoth Lakes is a large town catering to summer tourists. There are plenty of stores to resupply at, hostels/hotels to relax in, and a variety of restaurants.
Note for 2026: hikers normally hitch to Mammoth Lakes on Reds Meadow Road. That road is being rebuilt and may not be open all the time this summer. Reds Meadow Resort, located just off the PCT at this same mile marker, will still be operating in 2026, and it accepts packages and has a small store and restaurant on-site. You can still shuttle to Mammoth Lakes when the road is open (see planned schedule here), or you can hike in via the 3.5-mile Horseshoe Lake Spur Trail at mile 904.4.
Tuolomne Meadows: Deep in the heart of Yosemite National Park, the Tuolomne Meadows general store is less than half a mile off the trail. The store has enough supplies to fill your food bag, but not a lot of variety. There is also a small restaurant/grill here, so it’s a nice spot to get a hot meal.
We ate a meal and did a light resupply. Many hikers either hitch or catch a bus down into Yosemite Valley from here, where there is a full-service grocery store and several restaurants.
Kennedy Meadows North: Their general store has a wide variety of food to choose from, and the restaurant was delicious.
South Lake Tahoe: The last large town until Oregon, SLT has everything a hiker could need and more. There are multiple grocery stores to shop at, several outfitters to visit, and plenty of restaurant options (and casinos to boot!).
Looking ahead, SLT would be a good place from which to send a box to Sierra City.
Northern California
Donner Pass: Some hikers skipped going into the town of Truckee from Donner Pass, but we were glad we did. Truckee is a cool mountain town with a variety of grocery stores and a plethora of dining options. If you don’t want to go into town, another option is to mail a box to the Donner Ski Ranch (and get your free 40-ounce beer!).
Sierra City: The general store has a grill and hiker staples for resupply. Like most of the small general stores, the prices are high. In hindsight, we should have mailed ourselves a box here from South Lake Tahoe when we had access to more variety.
Quincy: The charming and quaint town of Quincy is a long hitch off trail, but worth it for the resupply options. There are several small stores in town to choose from. Other hikers hitched into the smaller community of Bucks Lake for resupply or pressed on into Belden, where they mailed packages either to the Belden Town Resort or the Caribou Crossroads Store. Both these locations have small general stores, but we were happy with our choice to resupply in Quincy.
Chester: Many hikers skip Chester altogether, but we went in solely to resupply at the Dollar General. It was worthwhile to us not to have to do a larger food carry, but it is out of the way, and a DG resupply isn’t anything special.
Burney: The small town of Burney also doesn’t have much variety, but there is a grocery store and a Dollar General, plus several small restaurants to get your town food fix. Other hikers skipped town altogether and stayed at the Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, which has resupply options.
Etna: The long hitch into town is worth it because of the charming atmosphere of Etna. The local grocery store is pricey, but it has a good variety of food.
Shasta: We did not resupply here, but the town of Shasta at mile 1501.2 is a popular resupply stop for hikers, offering full grocery stores, outfitters, and restaurants. The towns of Castella and Dunsmuir are closer to the trail on I-5 but much smaller.
Seiad Valley: The final resupply option in California is a small general store that caters to hikers. There isn’t much variety aside from ramen, mashed potatoes, etc., but it’ll do if you aren’t picky. If you want more variety and selection, this would be a good location to mail a resupply package.
Oregon
Ashland: A large town with several grocery stores and fantastic restaurants. We chose to take a bus to Medford, OR, to shop at Walmart for a more inexpensive variety. From Ashland, we mailed ourselves boxes to Crater Lake and Shelter Cove, so we technically bought 3 resupplies here.
Crater Lake: Inside Crater Lake, many hikers detour to Mazama Village to visit the general store and campground. The store had limited supplies, and we were glad we mailed ourselves boxes here instead.
Shelter Cove Resort: This lovely RV park had all the amenities, plus a decent general store. We were glad we mailed ourselves a box, but could easily supplement with stuff from the store.
Sisters/Bend: From Highway 20, we connected with a trail angel to take us into Sisters to pick up a friend’s package at the post office. We didn’t explore Sisters much aside from getting a meal, but it was a mid-sized town that many hikers resupply in if they don’t want to visit the larger city of Bend.
Another trail angel gave us a ride into Bend, where we spent several days on a “bender in Bend.” From Bend we planned our resupplies for all of Washington, bought our resupply at Walmart, and mailed multiple boxes ahead. It was a full day of shopping, organizing, and mailing, but we were glad we did it.
Timberline Lodge: The Lodge is worth noting as a resupply because it is one of the most famous meals on the entire trail. We stopped by for the breakfast buffet, but many hikers eat 2-3 meals here. The Lodge also accepts resupply packages, and some folks hitched into the nearby town of Government Camp if they needed access to a grocery store.
Cascade Locks: The final town in Oregon and the gateway to Washington! There is a local grocery store in town and a gas station that works for resupply options. For more variety, we took the bus to Hood River and resupplied at Walmart.
Washington
Trout Lake: The tiny town of Trout Lake is very hiker-friendly and has a thriving trail angel community. We resupplied at the general store, and they had a great selection given how small and remote the town was.
White Pass: Much to our dismay, the Kracker Barrel is a gas station and not the southern food chain (sorry to burst your bubble if you were hoping for biscuits and gravy). Because we knew there would be limited variety, we mailed a box here, and I would recommend future hikers do the same.
Snoqualmie Pass: This community is based around the ski resort and had limited options in 2025. For that reason, we mailed a box to the Chevron in town. There is a small local grocery store, and many hikers resupplied successfully between that and the gas station.
Stevens Pass: Hikers have several options when they get to Stevens Pass. You could send a box to the resort, or hitch into Leavenworth or Skykomish. We initially hadn’t planned to go into town, so we mailed a box to the ski resort. When we learned about the Bavarian-themed village of Leavenworth, we hitched down the mountain into town for an unplanned zero.
Leavenworth had multiple grocery stores to resupply at (and more beer and pretzels than we could consume!). We had friends who hitched into Skykomish and reported that they resupplied at the local deli.
Stehekin: This was our final resupply on the PCT! The remote town of Stehekin is accessible only by foot or boat, and for that reason, resupply can be tricky. The vast majority of hikers mail themselves boxes here, and the hiker box is absolutely stacked. There is a general store with an okay selection, but we were glad we sent a box.
After Stehekin, some hikers chose to hitch from Harts Pass into Mazama to resupply at the general store before reaching the monument, but we went straight through and didn’t arrive in Mazama until after finishing.
Mailing Boxes vs. Shopping In-Person: What Worked Well for Me
We used three different strategies for resupplying along the trail: preparing boxes pre-trail, shopping in trail towns, and mailing ourselves boxes from the trail. Rather than sticking to just one of those strategies, we blended all three to make sure we had what we needed as we traveled north.
1. Pre-Trail: Prep Large-Batch Items
Before leaving for Campo, we stocked up on staples we knew we’d eat: ramen, mashed potatoes, tuna, beef jerky, Breakfast Essentials, and more. We sorted everything into clearly labeled boxes (i.e., “dinner” or “snacks”). When we asked family to mail us resupply boxes, we could simply specify what we wanted (i.e., three dinners from the “dinner” box), rather than having them assemble meals from scratch.
This worked better than prepacking boxes because it allowed for more flexibility. If you have dietary restrictions and want more variety than typical “hiker diet” foods, mailing boxes will probably be your best bet.
2. On Trail: Purchase Resupplies Town to Town
This strategy carried us through most of the trail. We simply hiked from one resupply point to the next.
For example, when we arrived in Hiker Town, we checked how many days it would take to reach Tehachapi and bought that amount of food. In Tehachapi, we repeated the process for Walker Pass.
As the trail progresses, you get better at estimating how much food you need. I’ve both overestimated (arriving in town with days of extra food) and underestimated (rationing meals near the end of a stretch). Like anything, you improve with experience.
It’s also worth noting that prices along the PCT can be high, especially in small, remote communities. These stores aren’t price gouging—it simply costs more to transport goods to these locations. Still, it’s something to factor into your budget. Expect to spend more at small general stores than at large grocery chains.
3. On Trail: Mail Boxes Ahead
Some sections of the PCT are more remote, with limited resupply options. Using our friend’s spreadsheet, we identified these areas and chose to assemble and mail boxes ahead from larger towns.
We did this twice: once in Ashland, OR, and once in Bend, OR. In both cases, we took a zero day to shop, organize, and ship our food.
This strategy required more effort and planning but ensured we had enough food (and more variety) for remote sections.
Here’s what one of those days looked like:
In Ashland, we took a bus to Medford to shop at Walmart. We were preparing for three sections: Ashland → Crater Lake, Crater Lake → Shelter Cove, and Shelter Cove → Bend. We estimated four days per section (12 total days of food).
At Walmart, each of us bought 12 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 12 dinners, and 12 days’ worth of snacks. We packed what we could into our backpacks and carried the rest in grocery bags back to our motel. There, we sorted everything into individual boxes, then brought them to a shipping store to package and send.
It was a lot of work in one day, but it paid off in both food security and variety.
How To Address Resupply Boxes
If you’re mailing a box to a business, hostel, or trail angel, make sure to follow their specific instructions (often listed in FarOut comments). You can also call ahead to confirm the correct mailing instructions. Many locations charge a holding fee (typically $5–$20), so it’s smart to carry cash.
It is common for hikers to rely on General Delivery to send boxes to local post offices. Most post offices will hold packages for up to 30 days, so don’t send boxes too far in advance. Remember to always bring an ID when picking up packages, no matter where you are.
How to address a box (when shipping to a business, hostel, etc):
Hold for PCT Hiker, ETA: (your expected arrival date)
Your LEGAL name
Your phone number
Business address
Example (mailing box to Kennedy Meadows General Store):
Hold for PCT Hiker (ETA: June 1, 2026)
Anna McKinney Smith
(555)555-5555
c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store
96740 Beach Meadow Rd
Inyokern, CA 93527
How to address a box for General Delivery (when shipping to a post office):
Your LEGAL name and ETA
Your phone number
General Delivery
Town, State, Zip Code
(Do not include post office’s street address)
Example (mailing box to Stehekin Post Office):
PCT Hiker Anna McKinney Smith (ETA: September 1, 2026)
(555)555-5555
General Delivery
Stehekin, WA 98852
There’s no single “right” way to resupply on a long trail. As long as you’re eating enough to fuel your body, you’re doing it right. Your strategy will evolve, and mistakes are part of the process. What works for some people may not work for you, but you will eventually find a system that meets your needs. Your tastes and preferences will likely change as you hike, so leave room for flexibility and spontaneity.
I know that without Unfiltered’s suggestions, we would have figured out resupplying as we went. I’m so grateful we got a former hiker’s insights, and my hope for this article is that it will offer a valuable perspective to help future hikers make more informed decisions.
Experience is the best teacher, and you’ll get plenty of it on your journey from Mexico to Canada.
Magic in the Mountains 
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