A Man, His Mule, and a Website-

Up and Down the Valley with the 3 Mules Group

A recent visit by a man and his mule in Turlock, Stanislaus County, draws attention to the 3Mules.com website and the story of this organization. Photo: Steve Newvine

There’s something one usually does not see while driving up and down the Highway 99 corridor in the Central Valley.  

A few ago, while waiting at a light at an access intersection to Highway 99 in Turlock in Stanislaus County, I encountered a man with a mule and a website address printed on a saddlebag.

The website 3Mules.com is for the 3 Mules organization. To find out exactly what they are all about, you can just look into the frequently asked questions section of the site.

At that point, one will learn these folks lead mules from San Diego to Sacramento. Once they arrive at the state capitol, they rest and head back to San Diego. They travel as many county back roads as possible.

“In Merced and Stanislaus Counties, we walked on county roads,” said John Sears, who answered my questions via the contact section of the group’s webpage.

While traveling to the state capitol and back, they move between five to twenty miles a day, stay outside, and spend their nights with friends or in public spaces.

That’s where the group’s legal issues begin.

A view of the 3Mules.com webpage featuring some of the mules that make the journey from San Diego to Sacramento and back every year. Photo: 3Mules.com

California Penal Code 647 covers many behaviors but is often referred to by this group as the illegal lodging law. It prohibits overnight use of public lands. Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor, which leads to a court appearance and possibly a fine.  

This does not sit well with the 3 Mules organization, which believes it has the right to use public space to sleep.

They had a legal dispute with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that they settled when it looked like they would not win.

The CHP in San Luis Obispo County stopped one of their mule handlers in 2020. They took him to jail and sent the two mules to animal control. He was released the next day, and the two mules held by animal control were released after a $266 fee was paid.

The group used a GoFundMe campaign to help pay the costs incurred.

A journal page listing expenses from the 3 Mules group. Photo: 3Mules.com

Some argue that the plight facing the 3 Mules group is similar to those who find themselves homeless and either unable or unwilling to accept a shelter bed for the night.  

This group tries to maintain awareness of its advocacy for using public lands, but it also wants people to know more about the lifestyle these men and women have chosen.

Group members' technology, such as cell phones and laptops, have batteries that need to be recharged. This brings 3 Mules members into local libraries or coffee shops.

The group lists finding a place to sleep as their number one challenge. Other challenges include keeping the mules watered and fed and dealing with the results of people who call the local animal control center to claim the mules are mistreated.

They raise money when needed to cover animal care and legal expenses. The group offers accountability with photographs of handwritten journals that track how money raised is used.

“We are not aware of any issues here with the organization,” said CHP Public Information Office Eric Zuniga of the Merced region.  

So, maybe the lifestyle, the mules, and their annual journey from San Diego to Sacramento and back will continue for now.

If taken at their word, the organization just wants to be able to move freely along public roads, be assured they can camp for the night on public property, and enjoy the nomadic lifestyle.

Advocacy for an interstate trail system is a priority in the long term. While raising awareness may take time, this group can wait.

They are in this for the long haul at twenty miles a day, tops. 

-Steve Newvine lives in Merced

He will soon be featured in a McClatchy Media Group story about the famed Palm and Pine in Madera County, which will appear on the Fresno Bee website this summer.

Steve will speak at the Merced-AARP monthly meeting at the Merced Senior Center on June 26 at 10:00 a.m. The group encourages anyone to attend.

His new book, Beaten Paths and Back Roads, is available at the Merced County Courthouse Museum gift shop or online at https://www.lulu.com/shop/steve-newvine/beaten-paths-and-back-roads/paperback/product-emmv6r.html?q=beaten+paths+steve+newvine&page=1&pageSize=4