Lost Valley Pack station is located 90 miles east of Fresno at the east end of Florence Lake in the John Muir Wilderness Area. At certain times of the year, LVPS will spot pack in the John Muir Wilderness along the South Fork of the San Joaquin River between Blayney Meadows and the North entrance to Kings Canyon National Park. There are many fine secluded camping sites along this seven mile section of the San Joaquin River Canyon. All are within a comfortable one day walking distance from the trail head at Florence Lake for most hikers (from 4 to 11 miles).

Spot Packing to a Base Camp is ideal for families and hiking groups whose members include a wide range of ages and/or levles of ability. The packer meets each scheduled party at our corrals at the South end of Florence Lake and hauls your camping equipment, food and personal gear to a previously chosen site, returning for it on a pre-arranged date. The hikers carry lunch in a light day pack and walk at a pace which allows them to enjoy the scenery along the trail.
Trips are scheduled and confirmed well in advance by phone, mail, or email. They are done by horse or mule with a load limit of 150 lbs of your gear per animal. The cost is $125 per day for each pack animal and $250 per packer (one packer is required for every 4 pack animals). ALL OF OUR PARTIES ARE WALKING PARTIES. WE NO LONGER RENT SADDLE HORSES.
**PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Spot Packing allows you to include more comforts (and small luxuries) in your camping gear and cuisine. Larger tents, comfortable beds, playpens for toddlers, solar showers, camp stoves, lanterns, family sized cooking pots and cold chests for a few fresh food items, all make camping with a family more comfortable. Because your gear is packed in and out of a base camp by a packer, you don't have the responsibility of managing and caring for the pack stock during your stay in the wilderness.
A well located Base Camp allows a wide range of activities to suit the needs of all members of each party. For those who wish to stay close to camp, there is great fishing in the San Joaquin or a short hike to golden trout in Salley Keys and Sanger Creeks. Local trails through meadows and woods offer wildflowers and spectacular views. The Pot Holes Gorge and Blayney Hot Springs are unique attractions. (The latter is accessible only when the river is low enough to ford.) Later in the season there are great swimming holes along the river, and there is always the lazy comfort of a hammock and a good book.
For the more ambitious, there are four distinctly different alpine regions suitable as day hikes or easy overnights. Piute Canyon, Salley Keys Lakes and Selden Pass, Evolution Meadow, Lower Goddard Canyon, Heather Lake, Mosquito Pass and Upper Indian Lake are all within reasonable day hiking distance from our canyon.

Contact Us!
42814 Cedar Springs Rd.
Auberry, CA 93602
lostvalleycamp@netptc.net
(Leave Message On Answering Machine)

High Sierra Pack Station is another spot packer. Their main location serves the Edison Lake area but they also have a sper station that packs the Florence Lake area.
The Muir Trail Ranch provides cash drops in the Florence Lake area but provides spot packing only for Ranch guests.
Clyde Pack Outfit provides one and two day Drop Camp services in the Dinkey Creek, Wishon Reservoir and Courtright Lake areas.

Looking for a Yosemite National Park area packer? Yosemite Trails Pack Station - "Located on Highway 41, two miles from Yosemite's south entrance, the Yosemite Trails staff has served visitors from around the world for over 35 years." Services include: trail rides, overnight pack trips, chuckwagon jamboree, horsemanship camp, sleigh rides, and winter trail rides.