Quick answer: never leave food, coolers, trash, dirty dishes or scented items such as toothpaste out unattended or in your tent. In developed campgrounds, use the bear box (food locker) or, where rules allow, a hard-sided vehicle with windows closed. In the backcountry, use an approved bear-resistant canister or the method your land agency requires, and cook and store food well away from where you sleep.
Food storage is the part of camping that protects animals as much as people. A raccoon that learns coolers open easily, or a black bear that finds a bag of chips in a tent, starts treating campsites as feeding stations. The National Park Service sums up the consequence in a widely repeated phrase: a fed bear is a dead bear. Bears that become bold around people are often relocated or killed.
The good news is that food storage is simple once it becomes a habit. The same basic rules work for bears, raccoons, squirrels, jays, ravens and mice, with extra steps in bear country and the backcountry. This guide explains what counts as food, which storage options work where, and how to set up a campsite so animals have nothing to learn.
It belongs to our camping food guide, which covers meal planning, cooking and cleanup for the whole trip. Rules vary by park and forest, so always check the regulations for your exact destination before you go.
Why Food Storage Matters
Wild animals are drawn by smell, and many have noses far keener than ours. Bears in particular can detect food from long distances, and they are strong and persistent enough to tear into tents, coolers and even cars with food visible inside. Raccoons are dexterous enough to open latches, unzip packs and pry lids. Squirrels and chipmunks chew through fabric, and ravens and jays can open zippers and plastic bags.
Feeding wildlife, even accidentally, changes behavior. Animals that get human food lose their natural wariness and come back for more. Federal regulations prohibit feeding wildlife in national parks, and many parks fine visitors for leaving food unattended or improperly stored. Those rules exist because a habituated animal is a risk to visitors and to itself.
Human food is also bad for wild animals. Processed food, salty snacks and sugary drinks are not part of their natural diet. Leave No Trace includes this in its principle “respect wildlife,” which asks visitors to store rations and trash securely and never feed animals. Our guide to the seven Leave No Trace principles explains how that principle fits with the others.
Health Reasons
Wildlife can carry disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists raccoons among the wild animals most often reported with rabies in the United States, and it advises never handling or feeding wild animals. Deer mice in some regions carry hantavirus, which spreads through contact with their droppings and urine. Keeping food sealed and packed away reduces the reasons for any of these animals to come close.
What Counts as Food at Camp
Food storage rules cover more than food. Anything with a scent can attract an animal, and agencies generally include the following in their storage requirements:
- All food, including sealed packages and canned goods.
- Coolers, even when empty, since they smell like food.
- Drinks other than plain water.
- Trash, recycling and empty cans or wrappers.
- Dirty dishes, pots, pans, utensils and grills.
- Stoves and cooking gear that hold food residue.
- Dish soap and scrubbers.
- Toiletries such as toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm, lotion and insect repellent.
- Pet food, bowls and treats.
- Bird seed and fishing bait.
A good test is simple: if it has a smell, store it. Car seats with crumbs, child car seats and the floor of a vehicle can also hold food odors, so clean them before a trip to bear country.
Storage Options in Developed Campgrounds
Bear Boxes and Food Lockers
Many campgrounds in bear country provide metal food storage lockers, often called bear boxes, at each site. Use them whenever food is not in active use, including during the day when you leave for a hike. Keep the latch closed while you are cooking nearby, so a bear cannot walk up to an open box. Lockers can be small, so pack food in soft bags or bins that fit inside, and check the locker dimensions on the park website if they are listed.
Hard-Sided Vehicles
Where rules allow, a hard-sided vehicle with windows fully closed and food out of sight is acceptable storage. Rules differ. Some parks do not allow food to be left in vehicles overnight, or require lockers instead, because bears have learned to break into cars. Soft-sided vehicles, truck beds, tents, pop-up campers and car-top carriers do not count as secure storage.
RVs and Trailers
Hard-sided RVs and travel trailers are generally treated like vehicles, so food inside with windows and doors closed is often acceptable. Tent trailers and campers with soft walls are not secure. Do not leave food on picnic tables, in screened rooms or in outdoor kitchens.
Coolers
Most coolers are not bear-resistant. Some models are certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC), but only when they are locked with padlocks or bolts as the certification requires. Even a certified cooler should not be left out where a park requires lockers or vehicle storage.
Picnic Areas and Day-Use Sites
Food storage rules apply at picnic areas, beaches and trailheads too. Keep food within arm’s reach while you eat, pack leftovers away as soon as the meal ends and use the wildlife-resistant trash cans that many parks provide. A cooler left open beside a picnic table while everyone walks to the water is exactly the kind of easy meal that trains animals to approach people.
Storage Options in the Backcountry
Backcountry food storage depends on the area. Read the rules for the specific wilderness or park, because requirements vary and some areas mandate one method.
Bear-Resistant Canisters
Hard-sided bear canisters are required in many popular backcountry areas. Canisters are light enough to carry in a pack and are designed so a bear cannot open or crush them. The IGBC tests and lists certified products, and some parks keep their own approved lists. Store the canister at least 200 feet from your tent on flat ground, away from cliffs or water where a bear might roll it.
Bear-Resistant Bags
Some soft bags made of high-strength fabric are certified for use in certain areas. These bags weigh less than canisters but are not approved everywhere, and food inside can still be crushed. Check that the bag is allowed where you are going.
Hanging Food
Hanging food from a tree was the classic method for decades. Agency guidance commonly calls for hanging food at least 10 feet off the ground and about 4 feet from the trunk. Bears in some areas have learned to defeat hangs, and suitable trees are not always available, so many parks now recommend or require canisters instead. Where hanging is allowed, practice the technique at home before relying on it.
Food Storage Poles and Lockers
Some backcountry campsites provide food storage poles, cables or metal lockers. Use them where they exist.
Setting Up a Bear-Aware Campsite
How you lay out camp matters as much as where you put the food. In the backcountry, a common approach is to separate the sleeping area, the cooking area and the food storage area by at least 200 feet, with the cooking and storage areas downwind of the tents. Grizzly country calls for greater distances, and agencies there often recommend around 100 yards.
- Cook and eat away from the tent, and never eat or keep snacks inside it.
- Change out of clothes that picked up strong food smells before bed, and store them with the food if required.
- Wash dishes right after meals, strain dishwater and dispose of it away from camp.
- Pack out all trash. Never bury or burn food scraps or packaging.
- Keep a clean camp, wiping up spills and picking up crumbs.
Developed campgrounds follow the same principles on a smaller scale. Keep the cooking area tidy, put everything away after every meal and before bed, and never leave food out while you are away from the site, even briefly. Our guide to campsite safety basics covers other wildlife and weather precautions.
Food Storage on Day Trips From Camp
Leaving camp for a hike or a drive is when many food storage problems happen. Before you go, walk through the site and put away everything on the list above, including the cooler, the dish bin and the trash. Zip the tent closed with no snacks inside. Carry trail food in a closed pack and keep the pack with you during breaks, since squirrels, jays and ravens raid unattended packs at trailheads and picnic areas. Pack out wrappers and crumbs from lunch spots the same way you would at camp.
A Nightly Checklist
- Cooler, food bins and drinks in the locker or vehicle.
- Trash bagged and taken to the dumpster or stored with food.
- Dishes washed, dried and stored.
- Toiletries and scented items stored with food.
- Picnic table and cooking area wiped clean.
- Pet food and bowls put away.
A two-minute walk around the site before bed, ideally with a headlamp, catches the stray granola bar or juice box that would otherwise invite a visitor.
Raccoons, Squirrels and Small Animals
Raccoons are the most common food thieves at many campgrounds, even far from bear country. Mostly active at night, raccoons are good at opening latches and zippers, and quick to learn which campsites leave food out.
- Store all food in a vehicle or locker at night, not on the picnic table or in a cooler outside.
- Use trash cans with secure lids and take trash to the campground dumpster before bed.
- Keep pet food inside and pick up bowls after meals. Our guide to camping with dogs covers pet food and other dog-specific gear.
- Close packs and tents when you leave camp, since squirrels and chipmunks will chew through fabric to reach snacks.
- Do not leave food in open bins or under a canopy overnight.
Ravens and jays are daytime raiders. Both birds are clever enough to open unattended bags and pick apart packages, so keep food covered and supervised during meals.
What to Do if an Animal Gets Your Food
If a bear or another animal gets into your food, do not try to take it back. Keep a safe distance, make noise from a distance to discourage it, and report the incident to a ranger or campground host. Rangers track these events because they show which areas and animals are becoming habituated.
After the animal leaves, clean up remaining food and trash thoroughly so it does not return, and review how the food was stored. Learn from the mistake and store everything properly from then on.
Where grizzlies live, carry bear spray, know how to use it and keep it within reach, as the National Park Service recommends. Follow the specific guidance for the area on how to respond to bear encounters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store food in my tent?
No. Food and scented items in a tent attract animals to where you sleep. Store them in a bear box, a hard-sided vehicle where allowed, or an approved canister.
Is a cooler bear-proof?
Most coolers are not bear-resistant. Some are certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, but only when locked as the certification requires. Follow park rules, which often require coolers to be stored in a locker or vehicle.
How far should food be from my tent in the backcountry?
A common guideline is at least 200 feet, with cooking and food storage areas downwind of the tents. In grizzly country, agencies often recommend about 100 yards.
Does toothpaste attract bears?
Yes. Bears are attracted to scented items, including toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen and lip balm. Store them with your food.
How do I keep raccoons out of my campsite?
Store all food, coolers and trash in a vehicle or locker at night, secure trash cans, pick up pet food and never feed them.
Leave a Reply