The JMT Resupply Guide

Resupply is the single biggest logistics problem on the John Muir Trail. Between Happy Isles and Whitney Portal, the JMT covers roughly 210 miles of designated wilderness with no towns, no stores, and strict bear-canister rules that cap how much food any one hiker can physically carry at once. Most people can fit six to seven days of food in a standard canister. A typical JMT finish takes 18–22 days. The math doesn't work without at least one — usually two — food drops along the way.

This guide walks through your realistic options: the four on-trail resupply points, the one gateway town most people use, and how to actually send a bucket to Muir Trail Ranch. If you want to skip resupply entirely, there is a carry-it-all plan — and we'll cover when it's reasonable.

Quick reference

Option	Mile (SOBO from Happy Isles)	Type	Notes
Tuolumne Meadows Post Office	~23	USPS general delivery	Seasonal (typically late June–Oct); closed mid-2020s for reconstruction — verify.
Red's Meadow Resort	~60	Private resupply hold + small store	Short side trip from JMT. Hot showers + burgers.
Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR)	~88	Private ferry + hold	Off-trail via Edison Lake ferry. The classic zero-day stop.
Muir Trail Ranch (MTR)	~110	Private bucket hold	The most-used midpoint resupply. Bucket-only, 5-gal max.
Mammoth Lakes (gateway)	~60 via shuttle from Red's	Town — any service	Grocery, gear, Amazon returns, doctor visits.

Every SOBO thru-hiker ends up making the same basic decision: one drop at MTR, or two drops (Red's + MTR). We'll cover the tradeoffs after the option-by-option breakdown.

Tuolumne Meadows (mile ~23)

The first resupply opportunity, sitting at a logical ~1-day-out mark. Classic use is for NOBO hikers who start at Whitney and stretch their food to Tuolumne as the last resupply before Yosemite Valley. SOBO hikers rarely use it — you simply haven't eaten enough food yet to justify stopping.

The catch: Tuolumne Meadows general store, post office, and grill complex has been under reconstruction for several years. Check the current season's status on the Yosemite NPS site before planning around it.

Red's Meadow Resort (mile ~60)

About 2.5 miles off the JMT proper via a marked spur, Red's Meadow sits at Devils Postpile National Monument. It's an extremely popular SOBO stop for three reasons: the general store is well-stocked enough for basic resupply even without a mailed bucket, they hold pre-mailed resupply packages, and they offer hot showers and a restaurant that serves one of the best trail burgers in the Sierra.

It's also the easiest way to town: the shuttle from Red's Meadow to Mammoth Lakes runs daily through summer (~45 min one-way), which means you can grab anything the general store doesn't carry in Mammoth, sleep in a hotel, and be back on trail in 36 hours.

Send a bucket:

YOUR NAME — JMT hiker (arrival date: MM/DD)
Red's Meadow Resort
PO Box 395
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Call ahead; Red's has a hold fee.

Vermilion Valley Resort (mile ~88)

VVR is a classic JMT institution — a private resort on Edison Lake reached by a free ferry ride from Bear Ridge, 4 miles off the JMT. It holds resupply buckets, serves hot food, and offers your first hiker shower and laundry since Red's.

VVR is the alternative to MTR — most hikers pick one, not both, because they're only ~22 miles apart. Choose VVR if you value comfort and socializing (the place has serious thru-hiker culture); choose MTR if you want a bucket-only, in-and-out resupply with zero lost miles.

Muir Trail Ranch (mile ~110)

If you're going to do one resupply, this is it. MTR sits near the midpoint of the trail in a stunning Sierra meadow, with hot springs a short walk away. They hold pre-mailed resupply buckets — and only buckets.

MTR's hard rules:

• Bucket only. They will not accept a cardboard box. They sell 5-gallon HDPE buckets with gamma-seal lids for about $20 if you want to buy one locally and mail it filled.
• Size and weight caps. One bucket per hiker, 5-gallon max, 25-pound max packed weight. Most hikers mail ~22 pounds of food.
• Arrive by horse packer. Your bucket gets packed in by mule 2–3 weeks before you arrive. Mail it 3+ weeks ahead.
• Hold fee (~$90 per bucket as of the last posted rates). Pay online through their website at the time of booking.

Address format (confirm the current season's instructions with MTR directly before shipping):

YOUR NAME — JMT hiker (arrival date: MM/DD)
c/o Muir Trail Ranch
P.O. Box 176
Lakeshore, CA 93634

After MTR you have ~100 miles and one Whitney summit to the trailhead. That comfortably fits in a standard bear canister.

The carry-it-all option

A small number of hikers — usually fastpackers finishing in 12 days or less — skip resupply entirely. It's feasible only with the right gear:

• A large canister: typically a Wild Ideas Bearikade Expedition (17.9 L) or the BearVault BV500 Journey (11.5 L) combined with careful repacking to get 8–9 days of compact food inside.
• Very dense, low-volume food: ~1.3 L per day rather than the typical 1.6 L. That means no original packaging, no trail mix in bags, minimal ramen.
• Willingness to start at ~45–50 lb base plus food if you're going ultralight on everything else, which is most of the weight of a typical full pack.

For most 18–22-day hikers, one resupply at MTR is dramatically more pleasant than lugging 12 days of food over Forester Pass.

Packing a resupply bucket

Rules of thumb that save people real pain:

1. Pack your bucket in a single evening, not over a week. Otherwise you over-index on what looked tasty when you last shopped instead of what you actually want after 7 days on trail.
2. Over-pack on calories. Most hikers realize by day 8 they want more, not less. Aim for ~3,500 calories per day in the bucket.
3. Coffee, salt, and real food. The three things every MTR hiker complains they under-packed. Include instant coffee, an extra salt shaker, and at least one "real" meal (foil-packed salmon, cheese, olive oil) per day.
4. Bucket weight matters. Weigh your packed bucket. Over 25 lb and MTR will charge extra — or reject it. Aim for 22.
5. Label the inside. Tape a note with your name + arrival date to the underside of the lid so the crew can confirm it's yours on arrival.

Choosing your canister

Your resupply plan and canister choice are tightly linked — a smaller canister forces more resupply; a bigger one enables longer carries between drops. See the JMT Bear Canister Guide for full SIBBG-approved options, volume sizing, and rental vendors near the trailheads.

Typical pairings:

• One-drop plan (MTR): 7-day carry out of Happy Isles, then 4–5 day sections on either side of MTR. A BV500 Journey (11.5 L) fits.
• Two-drop plan (Red's + MTR): 4–5 day carries throughout. A BV475 Trek (9.7 L) or Bearikade Scout (9.0 L, lighter) works.
• No-drop plan: 17–19 days. Requires a Bearikade Expedition (17.9 L) and extreme food discipline.

Worked example: typical SOBO schedule

Leg	Miles	Days	Canister days	Resupply
Happy Isles → Red's Meadow	60	5	5	Red's pickup
Red's Meadow → MTR	50	4	4	MTR bucket
MTR → Whitney Portal	100	8	8	—

Three carries, two resupplies, never more than 8 days of food — reasonable for a BV500 Journey and light planning overhead.