How to Cache Food on the Wonderland Trail (Complete Guide for 2025)
Are you planning a thru-hike of the Wonderland Trail? While you can carry your food for the entire 93-mile hike around Mount Rainier (6-10+ days of food with over 23,000 ft of elevation gain), I highly recommend setting up a food cache so you don’t have to carry food for your entire Wonderland Trail hike at one time.
In this guide, I’ll go through everything you need to know about caching food on the Wonderland Trail, including:
Where you’re allowed to cache food in Mount Rainier National Park
Instructions for mailing or dropping off your food cache
What kind of container to use and how to label it
What to put in your cache and wether your can cache fuel
My experience caching food on my Wonderland Trail hike in 2024
📌 This guide is current as of summer 2025 and based on both National Park Service guidelines and my personal experience hiking the Wonderland Trail.
Table of Contents:
Make sure to check out my other Wonderland Trail posts:
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What is a Food Cache on the Wonderland Trail?
A food cache is a stash of food you pre-position along your hike of the Wonderland Trail so you can resupply your food mid-hike, which allows you to carry less food at a time. Instead of carrying all your meals for 93-miles/6-10+ days, you pick up your food from designated food cache locations along your hike.
Caching food helps your pack stay lighter and helps you move faster. It is very helpful if you’re planning big mile days or if you’re planning to hike the Wonderland Trail over 8+ days so you don’t have to fit all of that food in your backpack at one time! For example, I carried my first 4 days of food and then picked up my last 2 days of food in Longmire, which made my bag way lighter in the beginning!
You’ll either mail or hand-deliver your food cache in a rodent-proof container to one of the designated food cache locations in Mount Rainier National Park (you can’t just drop it anywhere), where it’ll be stored until you pick it up during your hike.
Groups are limited to a maximum of five 5-gallon containers per official food cache location.
My food cache bucket (on the right) from my hike of the Wonderland Trail in 2024
Where Can You Cache Food on the Wonderland Trail in 2025?
You can’t just drop your food cache off anywhere. Your cache must be mailed to or dropped off at one of the official Wonderland Trail food cache locations that you will pick it up from during your hike. Mount Rainier National Park staff will not transport food caches around the park for you.
In 2025, Mount Rainier National Park allows food resupply caches at the following two official locations:
1. Longmire Wilderness Information Center (WIC)
Location: Google Maps
Cache Storage Location: Your cache is stored indoors at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center (WIC). If dropping off in person, bring your food cache inside and drop it off with the ranger inside.
Pick-Up/Drop-Off Hours: 7:30am–5:00pm
Fuel: You can store fuel at the Longmire WIC separately in a fuel locker (not in your cache container). You cannot mail fuel - it has to be hand-delivered! (more on this below)
2. White River Campground / Ranger Station
Location: Google Maps
Cache Storage Location: If dropping off in person, look for the self-serve food storage bin behind the ranger station at White River Campground
Pick-Up/Drop-Off Hours: Open 24/7 – no ranger needed
Fuel: Fuel cannot be cached at the White River Campground Ranger Station
🗑️ Pro Tip: There are bear-proof trash cans at both of these locations, so you can throw out your trash or packaging before going back to trail.
❌ No Caching at Mowich Lake (Carbon River) in 2025 (or the near future)
Due to the Fairfax Bridge closure, you can no longer cache food or fuel at Mowich Lake (Carbon River) because the bridge closure permanently cut off road access to the area. Do not attempt to cache your food or mail it to the Carbon River Ranger Station near Mowich Lake – your package will not be accepted or returned.
📌 I’ll update this blog post if there are any changes on this in the future. This used to be a spot you could drop a food cache, so if it becomes an official food cache drop location again in the future, I’ll update this post.
How to Mail or Drop Off Your Wonderland Trail Food Cache
🚗 How to Drop Off Your Wonderland Trail Food Cache in Person
Hand-delivering your food cache is a great option if you are local to the area or you are road-tripping to Mount Rainier National Park. It is also the best option if your Wonderland Trail hike is starting soon (less than 2 weeks away) and there isn’t enough time to mail your cache.
When It’s Recommended to Drop Off Your Cache In Person:
If your Wonderland Trail hike starts in less than two weeks: Mailing your cache too close to your start date runs the risk of your cache not arriving on time.
If you have a car or are already road-tripping.
If you are picking up your wilderness permit at one of the food cache ranger stations (Longmire WIC or White River): You can conveniently drop off your cache at the same time (this is what I did).
When It’s Not Recommended:
If your hike starts more than two weeks from now, mailing might be easier (especially if you’re from out of town).
If you are flying in and don’t have a rental car or a way to get around Mount Rainier National Park, mailing would make more sense.
Cache Drop-Off/Pick-Up Hours & Locations:
Longmire Wilderness Information Center (WIC):
Location: Google Maps
Drop-Off/Pick-Up Hours: 7:30am–5:00pm
Where: Drop your cache off with a ranger inside the building.
White River Campground Ranger Station:
Location: Google Maps
Drop-Off/Pick-Up Hours: Drop off anytime
Where: Place your cache in the food storage bin behind the ranger station.
📌 FYI: The drive between Longmire WIC and White River Ranger Station is about 1.5 hours one-way.
Suggested Timing for Drop-Off
Option 1: Day Before Your Hike Start Date (Best)
If you can car-camp at a nearby campground or stay near Mount Rainier, arrive the day before your hike start date. This gives you time to drop off your caches and pick up your permit without rushing.
Option 2: Same Day That Your Wonderland Trail Hike Starts
If you are dropping off your caches the same day your hike starts, make sure you plan your Wonderland Trail permit so that your first day is a short mileage day. Having a shorter first day will allow you to have enough time to drop off your cache(s), pick up your permit, and still make it to camp the first night of your permit.
Logistics to Keep in Mind
There is no shuttle service for delivering caches. You’ll need a car and to drive around to drop off your food caches.
The drive between the Longmire WIC and White River Ranger Station is about 1.5 hours one-way, so plan accordingly if you're placing caches at both locations.
📬 How to Mail Your Wonderland Trail Food Cache (with Mailing Addresses)
If you plan on mailing your food cache, make sure it arrives at least 2 weeks before the day you plan to pick it up during your Wonderland Trail hike. Mail delivery to Mount Rainier National Park can sometimes be slow and unpredictable, so sending it early is important to make sure your cache arrives on time.
Mailing Guidelines
Make sure to use the correct mailing service for each location, which I specify below!
When your cache arrives, rangers will log your cache in a Food Cache Logbook and place it in the specified pick-up location before your scheduled arrival.
Unclaimed caches will not be mailed back (if your food cache isn’t picked up within two weeks after your trip’s end date, it will be donated to a local food bank).
Label your cache container clearly with:
Full Name of permit holder
Location the cache will be picked up
Date the cache will be picked up
Permit Number (same as your reservation number)
📦 Longmire WIC Food Cache Mailing Address
Mail via only UPS or FedEx – do not use USPS!
Mount Rainier National Park
1 NPS Warehouse
Longmire, WA 98397
ATTN: Longmire WIC
📦 White River Food Cache Mailing Address
Mail via UPS, FedEx, or USPS.
Mount Rainier National Park
White River WIC
70002 SR 410 East
Enumclaw, WA 98022
📌 For the White River cache, the above address is for mailing only - don’t try to go here to drop off your cache in person or pick it up. If you mail your cache, it will be transported to the White River Campground Ranger Station for pickup. If you are dropping off your cache in person, see the previous section for drop-off/pick-up location and instructions.
How to Pack and Label Your Wonderland Trail Food Cache
Cache Container:
You are required to use a rodent-proof plastic container with a secure lid as your food cache. A lot of groups use a 5-gallon plastic bucket that you can typically find at a hardware store (a container with a handle is preferred).
Try to minimize your cache container size by choosing a container is only as big as it needs to be to fit the amount of food you are caching. For example, since I solo hiked the Wonderland Trail and my food cache was only for a 2-day section, I used a 2-gallon bucket instead of a 5-gallon bucket because a 5-gallon bucket would have been way too large for the amount of food I was caching.
Each group is limited to a maximum of five 5-gallon buckets or containers at each food cache location.
📌 Packing Tip: To make sure the lid wouldn’t come off, I also taped my lid down with packing tape.
🪣 Wondering what happens to your cache container after pickup? After picking up my cache, I didn’t want to throw out my bucket because that felt like a waste. But the ranger at the Longmire WIC happily took it as a donation. They reuse buckets for trail maintenance projects, like hauling rocks on the trail.
Required Cache Label Information:
On the outside of your food cache container, make sure to include the following info:
Full Name of permit holder
Location the cache will be picked up
Date the cache will be picked up
Permit Number (same as your reservation number)
I wrote this information clearly on a piece of paper and taped it to the outside of my cache container (if you have a printer, you could type the information and print it):
What to Put in Your Cache
Your cache should include anything you will need to restock during your hike, especially if you're resupplying for multiple days.
Once you have your Wonderland Trail permit and campgrounds secured, plan your food caches by mapping out where the two cache locations fall along your hike. Determine how many days and miles of hiking you’ll cover between each spot to pack your food caches accordingly.
Definitely include enough meals for the hiking days you are resupplying for, but you can also include some fun bonus snacks (like an entire bag of chips like I did or a can of soda if you’re not mailing your cache) and anything else you might need, including non-food items like replenishing your First Aid Kit, an extra portable battery, etc.!
Everything you pack in your cache should be shelf-stable since there is no refrigeration available.
Since you don’t have to carry whatever you put in your cache until pickup day, this is your chance to include a few bulkier or heavier treats that wouldn’t make sense to carry your entire Wonderland Trail hike.
While caches are stored securely at designated locations, I wouldn’t store anything super valuable in your cache, just in case.
Consider Including:
Backpacking meals (shelf-stable, freeze-dried, or dehydrated)
Snacks: bars, trail mix, jerky, dried fruit, chips
Drink mixes: electrolytes, coffee, powdered drink packets
Toilet paper or wipes
Backup power bank or extra batteries
Baggies for trash
Bandaids, medicine, etc.
Extra clothes you might want (backup socks, etc.)
Extra contact lenses if you need them
Treats for a morale boost (a soda, your favorite candy, etc.)
📌 Pro Tip: Pack your cache as if you’re opening a surprise care package halfway through your hike! It should be practical and include all the basics you need for your hike, but you can also make it a little exciting. I included a big bag of my favorite chips, which I looked forward to the day leading up to my cache pick-up date and I happily munched on when I picked up my cache.
Can You Cache Fuel?
You cannot mail fuel, but you can cache fuel only at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center (WIC) in a special fuel locker. Here is how it works:
Fuel must be stored separately (not in your food cache container)
The Longmire WIC will store your fuel in a special fuel locker
You must hand-deliver the fuel (it cannot be mailed)
On my Wonderland Trail hike, I did not cache fuel. I carried enough fuel for my entire hike (I started with a full fuel can).
📌 Tip: Later in the season, the Longmire WIC sometimes has extra white gas and occasionally extra fuel canisters, too. They’re happy to give you the fuel for free if they have it, so it never hurts to ask – just don’t rely on it.
My Wonderland Trail food cache (when I picked it up from Longmire WIC). Candy, chips, and more! YUM!
My Wonderland Trail Caching Strategy & Experience
On my 6-day hike of the Wonderland Trail in August 2024, I only cached food at the Longmire WIC, which I dropped off in person.
Here’s What I Did:
I drove from where I live in Washington State to the Longmire WIC early in the morning of my permit’s start date.
At Longmire WIC, I dropped off my cache and picked up my wilderness permit that I had reserved ahead of time (permits are required for the Wonderland Trail).
Then I drove to White River, where I started my counterclockwise hike of the Wonderland Trail.
I carried 4 days of food to start my hike.
On the morning of Day 5 of my Wonderland Trail hike, I picked up my cache at Longmire WIC, which had enough food for the final 2 days of hiking.
This setup worked wonderfully for me. I loved not having to carry 93-miles of food at one time and it was fun having some tasty treats waiting for me in Longmire.
Final Thoughts on Food Caching
Caching food on my Wonderland Trail hike made a huge difference and I highly recommend caching food if you can! Yes, it takes a little extra planning, but it means you don’t have to carry as much food at one time and you can have some yummy treats to look forward to when you pick up your cache.
Planning Your Wonderland Trail Hike?
Make sure to check out my other Wonderland Trail posts:
How to Get a Wonderland Trail Permit in 2025: The Ultimate Guide
My 6-Day Wonderland Trail Itinerary: A Day-by-Day Breakdown of my Thru-Hike
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