Belden Post Office closed

Belden trail angel Laurie J. Braaten reports that the postmaster there has retired and the Belden Post Office is closed. This situation might change but currently Belden has no postal service.

The Braatens can accept hiker resupply packages when they are open late June and July (they close August 1), but have limited storage space to hold packages (please try to keep them small). They can accept ground delivery packages shipped via UPS or FedEx only (no USPS delivery available).

[Hikers Name]
c/o The Braatens at Little Haven
15913 Hwy 70
Belden, CA 95915
Deep canyons in the Belden area. Photo by Dale Edelbaum

Deep canyons in the Belden area. Photo by Dale Edelbaum

Ship no earlier than three weeks before ETA of the hiker. Packages that are not claimed will be not be re-shipped by the Braatens unless the sender contacts & pays the delivery service for reshipping. In such cases the Braatens will need to be notified by the hiker so that we can arrange to have the package available for pickup. The Braatens will not be responsible for storing and preserving the contents of unclaimed packages for longer than three weeks. It would be a great help if hikers who cannot pick up their packages and do not plan to reship them would please contact us and direct us how to dispose of their contents (e.g., give it’s contents to hikers in need, etc.).

The Braatens of Little Haven invite hikers to stay as guests for one night during hiker season, late June and July (they close August 1). They have a small separate unit for hikers with bathroom, shower, and kitchen. Little Haven is approximately one mile east of Belden on Hwy 70. The road is very narrow with fast traffic, so it is not a safe walk. The Braatens are available to shuttle hikers to and from Belden (or the trailhead), please phone Brenda at 530-283-9880 from the Belden pay phone, or your Verizon Cell (no AT&T cell service is available here). There are few rules posted at Little Haven, please read them once you arrive. Note that they have a no drugs and no alcohol policy, and dogs are not allowed in the house (dogs kept outside must be leashed, we have free range chickens). Hikers who want to attend one of the local music festivals at Belden will need to find accommodations elsewhere.

More resupply options in the Belden area:

  • Sierra City [92 miles south of Belden] is the usual resupply point before Belden.
  • Belden does have a very small store. Some years it’s been better than others.
  • It might be possible to hitch to the town of Quincey from Bucks Summit [20 miles south of Belden, 12 miles east].
  • Buck’s Lake [24.6 miles south of Belden, 2.7 miles west of the PCT] has a small store that might have supplies.
  • The town of Chester [45.7 miles north of Belden, 7.5 miles east of the PCT] has grocery stores.
  • Drakesbad Guest Ranch [64 miles north of Belen] accepts hiker resupply packages.