Bearproof Your Food and Smelly Things
Bearproof food storage lockers in Yosemite.
Grant Ordelheide
Sharing a habitat with Yosemite’s bruins means taking care to keep these wild animals wild. Follow these precautions while in bear country.
Food Storage In Campgrounds and Tent Cabins
- After dark, pack everything that has a scent—including food, soap, toothpaste, and trash—inside the bear lockers provided. Only remove items when you’re using them.
- Never leave food or other smelly items in your car, truck bed, or roof compartment overnight. Bears can and do break into cars.
Food Storage In Backcountry Campsites
- Pack food and scented items in a park-approved bear canister. At night, place the canister 100 yards from the tent. Find a list of approved containers at www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/containers.htm
- Don’t hang your food from a tree. Yosemite bears are experts at raiding bear bags (and it’s against park rules).
