Bears!

[bcla]

We did a similar sounding trip last year. We saw two bears while out hiking and several while in our car. The two while hiking was a grizzly at Grand Teton and a black bear while at Glacier, both were a good bit off in the distance and never seemed to be a threat.

Yosemite was the most strict about locking up any food. We were staying in one of the tent cabins in the valley and our spot was about 1/2 mile from the parking lot, one of the furthest ones. We had brought enough food/snacks/drinks in our car for a 2 month road trip, no way were we going to carry all of that to our campsite to lock it up, nor would it all fit. But we still got a warning sticker on our car and would have gotten a fine had they seen it again. Thankfully they didn't pick up on it until our last night. We did try to bury and cover everything up as much as we could.

Sounds like you stayed at Curry Village, or was it Housekeeping Camp?

Curry Village used to have bear boxes at the parking lot. I think a lot of people preferred those as it was less distance to haul stuff to the bear boxes at the tent cabins. But they don't allow cooking at Curry Village, so there's no particular benefit to having food stored closer to the tent cabins. It might be possible to put up a camp chair outside and eat snacks.

Housekeeping Camp actually allows cooking. Doesn't necessarily create that much of a problem.

There isn't going to be a warning in Yosemite for having food in a trunk. But if it's clearly visible, that's when they start issuing warnings or even fines. I've seen warning citations before because there was something with an odor visible in the passenger compartment. The big fines are reserved for when a bear actually manages to get food. And the absolutely biggest fines are for when they catch someone intentionally feeding a bear.

 

[luv2cheer92]

Sounds like you stayed at Curry Village, or was it Housekeeping Camp?

Curry Village used to have bear boxes at the parking lot. I think a lot of people preferred those as it was less distance to haul stuff to the bear boxes at the tent cabins. But they don't allow cooking at Curry Village, so there's no particular benefit to having food stored closer to the tent cabins. It might be possible to put up a camp chair outside and eat snacks.

Housekeeping Camp actually allows cooking. Doesn't necessarily create that much of a problem.

There isn't going to be a warning in Yosemite for having food in a trunk. But if it's clearly visible, that's when they start issuing warnings or even fines. I've seen warning citations before because there was something with an odor visible in the passenger compartment. The big fines are reserved for when a bear actually manages to get food. And the absolutely biggest fines are for when they catch someone intentionally feeding a bear.

It was Curry Village. We tried to get as much food in the trunk as we could, but there was some still visible. I totally understand the reasoning, and would never have argued it. But it definitely would've been a pain to have to haul all that stuff.

 

[bcla]

It was Curry Village. We tried to get as much food in the trunk as we could, but there was some still visible. I totally understand the reasoning, and would never have argued it. But it definitely would've been a pain to have to haul all that stuff.

Well - once I did a day trip to Yosemite with a friend. We came in two cars and just left one in Mariposa while I drove my car and I think I parked in the Curry Village parking lot. We had a few snacks, but I just covered up the container with a sleeping bag.

I think the rationale behind the replacement of the boxes at the Curry Village parking were that they were old and in poor condition. They were replaced with newer boxes where every tent cabin has one. I believe they can be locked with a padlock. The retired ones in the parking lot might have been shared. I remember they were really large.

 

[jsmith]

We're staying in a hotel in Yosemite. I think to be safe we'll bring all our food items into the hotel with us. And I guess when we leave the car in a parking lot to go on a hike, we'll make sure to take all the food with us so our car doesn't get broken into.

Just put the stuff in your trunk-it will be just fine. I know you have a serious fear but you are way overthinking this. Also if you are that majorly concerned-the BEST bear repellant-the one used by everyone is Alaska to keep large, really dangerous bears away is a chihauhua or other small yappy dog. They warn the bears off before they become a problem.

 

[bcla]

Just put the stuff in your trunk-it will be just fine. I know you have a serious fear but you are way overthinking this. Also if you are that majorly concerned-the BEST bear repellant-the one used by everyone is Alaska to keep large, really dangerous bears away is a chihauhua or other small yappy dog. They warn the bears off before they become a problem.

It might be a little bit alarmist, but the rules at Yosemite, much of Lake Tahoe, and Sequoia-Kings Canyon are that food is not allowed to be stored unattended anywhere in a passenger vehicle at nighttime hours. It's OK with RVs that aren't based on passenger vehicles (a camper van wouldn't count since it has regular vehicle windows). I've seen the videos. The way they do it is pull on the door frame with their claws until the window breaks. Most bears are suprisingly limber and thinner than they look when on all fours and can easily slide through a window. If you've ever seen them on just their back legs, most are actually quite thin. They will then claw through any upholstery to get access to the contents of the trunk.

This is a learned behavior though. Most areas with bears don't have that level of concern.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bears.htm​

Cars, Trucks, and RVs​

You may store food inside your car or truck (out of sight, with windows completely closed) only during daylight hours. You may not leave food in a pickup truck bed or strapped to the outside of a vehicle at any time. Do not store food in your car or truck after dark: use a food locker. Remember to clear your car of food wrappers, crumbs in baby seats, and baby wipes--and even canned food and drinks. Think about packing all your food and related items together for easy removal from your car upon arriving in Yosemite.​

​

Food lockers are available at Curry Village parking lots and at nearly all trailhead parking areas.​

​

You may store food inside your RV if it is made entirely of solid, non-pliable material (i.e., it has no cloth pop-outs). When away from your RV, food must be out of sight and windows and roof vents must be completely closed.​

Nobody is going to look at anyone funny in Yosemite for hauling a tote or even wheeling a cooler to their hotel rooms - even at the Ahwahnee Hotel.

 

[RamblingMad]

If you’re worried about bears, stick to the parks in AZ and UT.

 

[bcla]

If you’re worried about bears, stick to the parks in AZ and UT.

There are bears in Arizona and Utah.

 

[Colleen27]

Not sure where you plan to camp but some of the National Parks where Bears are most active-Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier at least, allow hard sided campers only-so you may want to read up on camping in specific locations-this also applies to Forest Service campgrounds out side of National Parks where there is alot of bear activity ( the campground Colleen27 refers to above is one of several with proximity to Yellowstone on the North Fork of the Shoshone River where the Forest Service, not BLM, does not allow tent or soft sided pull behind campers)

Some campgrounds are hard sided only but they do have campgrounds that you can use tents. I've camped in a tent trailer in all three parks. I also have a fear of bears so I sleep better in my hard sided trailer now.

Most of the campgrounds, even in places with a lot of bears, allow tents and soft-side campers most of the time. I'm only aware of a couple of federal lands campgrounds that are permanently hard-side only, like the one I mentioned upthread and another that's actually in Yellowstone, but I have read a lot about other campgrounds imposing hard-side only rules at specific times based on local bear activity, sometimes on fairly short notice. At Glacier, it often seems to coincide with berry seasons because the bears go where the berries are ripening which brings them into closer proximity with some of the campgrounds in the park.

 

[bcla]

Most of the campgrounds, even in places with a lot of bears, allow tents and soft-side campers most of the time. I'm only aware of a couple of federal lands campgrounds that are permanently hard-side only, like the one I mentioned upthread and another that's actually in Yellowstone, but I have read a lot about other campgrounds imposing hard-side only rules at specific times based on local bear activity, sometimes on fairly short notice. At Glacier, it often seems to coincide with berry seasons because the bears go where the berries are ripening which brings them into closer proximity with some of the campgrounds in the park.

I'm familiar with some campgrounds that are RV only because they're almost completely paved. Ones like Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone. However, they don't allow soft-sided campers either, so who knows what their rationale is.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishingbridgecg.htm

Not sure about Trailer Village RV Park in Grand Canyon NP. They don't say anything about hard or soft sided, but I don't think they have much space for a tent.

 

[RamblingMad]

There are bears in Arizona and Utah.

I doubt you’re going to run into them on most trails. I’ve never seen any in the Grand Canyon, Zion, or Bryce.

I have seen bears in Glacier, Banff, and Tetons. Think parks that border Canada. And these have been Grizzly, not black bears. I’ve seen a few in Yosemite.

 

[bcla]

I doubt you’re going to run into them on most trails. I’ve never seen any in the Grand Canyon, Zion, or Bryce.

I have seen bears in Glacier, Banff, and Tetons. Think parks that border Canada. And these have been Grizzly, not black bears. I’ve seen a few in Yosemite.

Those aren't heavily forested areas though. The areas around Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon are forested and have quite a few bears. Quite a few people visiting those parks might camp in the surrounding areas. And bears do sometimes wander. At Grand Canyon it's more likely in the North Rim, but there are occasional lightning in the South Rim. Most likely they're wandering from Kaibab National Forest in the surrounding area.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/uwcnf/learning/safety-ethics/?cid=STELPRDB5085986
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/...00000000&ttype=detailfull&cid=stelprdb5163007
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/kaibab/recreation/hiking/?cid=stelprdb5163007&width=full

 

[Colleen27]

I'm familiar with some campgrounds that are RV only because they're almost completely paved. Ones like Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone. However, they don't allow soft-sided campers either, so who knows what their rationale is.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishingbridgecg.htm

Not sure about Trailer Village RV Park in Grand Canyon NP. They don't say anything about hard or soft sided, but I don't think they have much space for a tent.

That's the one in Yellowstone that I couldn't think of the name of that I know is hard-side only. They don't have tent sites... but they also don't allow pop-ups with canvas sides, campervans with rooftop tents (my setup) or campervan conversions with the canvas pop-up sleeping loft. And they do say right in their description that it is because of grizzly activity in that area.

There are plenty of other places that just don't have suitable space for tenting - a number of the places we're camping in Alaska aren't much more than parking lots, with no grassy areas or natural surfaces for staking a tent - but those do usually still allow RVs/trailers with canvas elements.

 

[bcla]

That's the one in Yellowstone that I couldn't think of the name of that I know is hard-side only. They don't have tent sites... but they also don't allow pop-ups with canvas sides, campervans with rooftop tents (my setup) or campervan conversions with the canvas pop-up sleeping loft. And they do say right in their description that it is because of grizzly activity in that area.

There are plenty of other places that just don't have suitable space for tenting - a number of the places we're camping in Alaska aren't much more than parking lots, with no grassy areas or natural surfaces for staking a tent - but those do usually still allow RVs/trailers with canvas elements.

I don’t buy the grizzly rationale. Bridge Bay Campground is just down the road.