How All-Inclusive Pack Trips at Balch Park Pack Station Work

Balch Park Pack Station's all-inclusive pack trips are priced per person, per day, with the rate dropping as your group grows: $350 per person per day for 2 guests, $300 for 3–5 guests, and $250 for 6 or more. Trips are customized to your group and must be requested through the station's online form, with dates limited to June through September. The pricing covers the trip itself; the station's published rates do not itemize what is included, so confirm details when you book.

Pricing Tiers at a Glance

Two things follow from this table. First, the trip is priced by the day, not as a flat package, so a longer trip multiplies the daily rate. Second, the per-person cost falls by $50–$100 as the group gets larger, which makes the 6+ tier the most economical per head.

What "All-Inclusive" and "Customized" Mean Here

The station describes these as customized pack trips "designed just for you," and its site lists them alongside day rides, "glamping" trips, and pack trips into the Golden Trout Wilderness and Sequoia National Park. The published rate is a per-person, per-day figure rather than a menu of separate add-ons.

The site does not break down what the daily rate covers (meals, camping gear, stock, guide, and so on). Treat "all-inclusive" as the station's own label and ask directly what a given trip includes before you commit.

How to Request a Trip

1. Choose your dates. The request form notes June–September only, so plan within that window.
2. Fill out the request form on the site with your first and last name, email, phone, the service you want (select the pack trip option), your requested date, and trip details.
3. Submit and wait for a response. The form is a request, not an instant booking; the station follows up to plan the trip.
4. Confirm the plan and inclusions with Tim and Dianne Shew, the family that owns and operates the station, before finalizing.

A Worked Example

Suppose four people want a two-day trip. At the 3–5 guest tier, that's $300 per person per day × 2 days = $600 per person, or $2,400 for the group. The same trip with six people drops to $250 per person per day, or $500 per person and $3,000 total — more overall, but $100 less per person.

Related Services and Rates

If you're comparing options, the station also publishes:

• Day rides: 1 hour at $65 per person (minimum 2 guests); 2 hours at $125 and half day at $165 (minimum 4 guests).
• Stock spot trips: $100 per animal per day for 1 day, $150 per animal per day for 2 days, covering destinations such as Hockett, Maggie's and Blossom Lakes, Wet Meadow, and Pecks (8 hours or more in and out).
• Packer: $200 per day for a guide on a 1-day spot trip, $250 per day on a 2-day trip.

These are separate from the all-inclusive trips and are useful if you only need animals or a packer rather than a fully planned experience.

Before You Book

• Dates are seasonal. The request form accepts June–September only.
• Group size drives the price. If you're near a tier boundary, adding a guest or two can lower everyone's per-person cost.
• Ask what's included. The site gives rates but not an itemized list, so get the specifics in writing when the station responds to your request.