Teacher Resources: Visiting the Park

Yosemite National Park is the home of a large and healthy black bear population; however, their foraging habits have been changed by the availability of human food, mainly in Yosemite's campsites and parking lots. Some people call it a “bear problem,” but bears are not to blame.

Visiting the Park
Not Visiting the Park

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Before You Arrive:
A Special Resource Message — Don’t Be Bear Careless

Humans have been responsible for altered bear behavior through carelessness and improper food storage. Driven by their powerful sense of smell, black bears are drawn to human food. After bears get this food, they continue to seek it out from backpacks, picnic tables, ice chests, tents, and even visitors’ cars and trailers. Their instinctive fear of people fades, and they may become aggressive. Each year bears cause thousands of dollars in property damage in their search for human food and garbage. When bears become too aggressive and destructive, they sometimes have to be killed.

We need your help in breaking the link between Yosemite’s black bears and human food. The bears’ natural foraging habits must be restored. To do this we must eliminate all sources of human food for bears — garbage, groceries, handouts. The park service is currently using bear resistant garbage containers and educating visitors about this problem with flyers and warning signs in all high use areas.

Your Responsibility

Store all food in a bearproof food locker. Bears have the ability to recognize familiar shapes, such as coolers and grocery bags, and have an excellent sense of smell.

If you are camping, store all food in the metal lockers provided and keep them locked at all times. Never leave food unattended in a picnic area or campsite and dispose of garbage properly.

For backcountry travel, rent or buy bear-resistant portable food canisters.

Useful links to help plan your visit:

Resource Education Fee Waivers | Permit Application | Educational Visits