Do you need to carry bear spray in Yosemite?

(Bear spray/pepper spray is not allowed in Yosemite.) If you have food out and are having trouble scaring the bear away, pack up all your food and leave the area.



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Food storage canisters are required in parts of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Inyo, Sierra and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests, and in all of Yosemite, Desolation Wilderness, Lassen Volcanic National Parks and are necessary in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

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The chances of seeing a bear on a trail is very slim. Those trails are packed in May, and the bears avoid humans. There are always dumb people every year who leave food in their car, or don't use a bear proof food storage box outside their tent, and the bears break in. Never interrupt an eating bear!

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Once in hibernation, bears in Yosemite typically don't become active again until late March or April.

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Take a lunch or snacks that includes trail mix and energy bars. Other essentials would be a backpack, sunscreen, sunglasses, a windblocker hat, all weather gloves, and extra socks. Footwear: Warm, waterproof (preferably Gore Tex) hiking boots are essential to keep your feet dry. Gaiters are a definite plus.

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16 Big mistakes to avoid in Yosemite National Park
  • 1 - Arriving without a plan! ...
  • 2 - Giving yourself just a day. ...
  • 3 - Thinking the waterfalls are flowing all year round. ...
  • 4 - Heading to Glacier Point for Sunset. ...
  • 5 - Visiting Tunnel View in the middle of the day. ...
  • 6 - Avoiding the epic hikes. ...
  • 7 - Arriving at midday.


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Mountain lions—also called cougars, pumas or panthers—roam Yosemite's mountains and valleys. These important predators, native to the Americas, are a natural part of the Yosemite landscape.

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These large individuals of the Mountain Coyote are the present day wolves of the Yosemite region. No true wolf is known to have occurred anywhere in middle California since about 1870.

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