View source for Bear Canister Requirements on the Pacific Crest Trail

Bear canisters are required in the Sierra Nevada section of the [[Pacific Crest Trail]]. Technically, they're not required every step of the way from [[Kennedy Meadows South|Kennedy Meadows (South)]] to [[Sonora Pass]] or [[Truckee, California|Truckee]], but those are convenient places to pick up / ship home a bear can in order to comply with the regulations, and it's what many hikers do. As of 2022, bear canisters are required in Desolation Wilderness, near Lake Tahoe.<ref>https://www.pcta.org/2022/bear-canister-required-desolation-wilderness-90789/</ref>

If you're new to thruhiking, you may not be aware that we carry bear cans primarily for the benefit of the bears. "A fed bear is a dead bear." That is, once a bear acquires a taste for people food, they're likely to become problematic and potentially dangerous, and they end up getting put down. Don't feed bears.

Note, there's also a 19 mile section of the trail between Chester and Old Station / Burney Falls in NorCal's Lassen NP that requires bear cans due to bear activity there. It should be noted that most, but not all of Yosemite's approved canisters are accepted by Lassen NP (additional detail below). By the time most thruhikers reach that area, they just hike through it in a day. If you'd rather not, Warner Springs Campground, near Drakesbad Guest Ranch, is just off the PCT and has bear boxes. Staying there reduces the carry to about 16 miles. Read more in a PCTA.org blog post [https://www.pcta.org/2017/bear-canisters-lassen-volcanic-national-park-46640/ here].

Bear-resistant food storage (not limited to approved bear cans) is now required in an approx. 275 mile long section of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington: https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/comments/12ozp53/275_miles_of_the_pct_in_washington_impacted_by/

== Links ==

There's a great bear regulations overview page on PCTA.org that includes a helpful FAQ:

* https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/food/bear-canister-protecting-your-food/

HalfwayAnywhere.com has a helpful review of PCT bear can regs:

* https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-bear-canister-requirements/

''Sierra Nevada Wilderness Food Storage Requirements'' map, from [https://www.sierrawild.gov/ sierrawild.gov]:

* https://www.sierrawild.gov/media/foodstoragemap/Bear-Canister-Required-Area-ver8.pdf

Exhaustive list of which bear canisters are approved by Yosemite NP. If a canister is approved by Yosemite NP, it is likely adequate to comply with regulations anywhere else in the Sierra Nevada.

* https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/containers.htm

Notably, Lassen National Park's approved bear canister list is different from Yosemite's. According to [https://www.nps.gov/lavo/learn/management/backcountryregulations.htm#CP_JUMP_6546376 Lassen NP's website], Lassen NP regulations permit use of any IGBC approved canister. While most of the canisters on Yosemite's list are also on the [https://igbconline.org/programs/bear-resistant-products/ IGBC's list], Yosemite does allow some canisters that are not IGBC approved. Lassen also allows use of [https://www.nps.gov/lavo/learn/management/backcountryregulations.htm some non-canister bear resistant storage containers].
 
Here's the approved canisters page from SEKI (PDF):

* https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/upload/Final-NoYear-Allowed-Food-Storage-Containers.pdf

"What to Do if You See a Bear," according to Yosemite NP:

* https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/scarebears.htm

PCTA.org blog post about the bear can regulations in Lassen Volcanic NP:

* https://www.pcta.org/2017/bear-canisters-lassen-volcanic-national-park-46640/

Sierrawild.gov's bear info overview page:

* https://www.sierrawild.gov/bears/overview/

[[Category: Pacific Crest Trail]]
[[Category: Wildlife]]
[[Category: Bears]]