The official rule is the final word.We summarize it to make it easier to find, but rangers go by the land manager's own rule, and rules can change during a season. Check the land manager's page before your trip.
All places we've checked
Washington
How this works
- Where rules come from. Park rules, national forest orders, and state wildlife agency advice.
- How we check them.Only on the agency's own pages, at least once a year, and every rule shows the day we checked it.
- Required means the rule says you must. Recommended means the agency advises it. Allowedmeans it's one of the accepted ways.
- Places nest.A camp inside a park, or a wilderness inside a forest, shows the rules of both, the most specific first, then your state's advice.
- Bear-resistant, not bear-proof.The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee says its certification doesn't guarantee a container can never be breached.
- See all places we've checked.
Sources & last checked
- Olympic National Park: Wilderness food storage (opens in a new tab)
checked
- North Cascades National Park: Food storage requirements (opens in a new tab)
checked
- Mount Rainier National Park: Wilderness guidelines and regulations (opens in a new tab)
checked
- Crater Lake National Park: Backcountry FAQ and regulations (opens in a new tab)
checked
- Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest: Food storage order (opens in a new tab)
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- Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest: Respect wildlife (opens in a new tab)
checked
- WDFW: BearWise outdoor safety tips (opens in a new tab)
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- ODFW: Help keep bears wild (opens in a new tab)
checked
- Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee: Bear-resistant products (opens in a new tab)
checked
Source: Olympic National Park: Wilderness food storage, North Cascades National Park: Food storage requirements, Mount Rainier National Park: Wilderness guidelines and regulations, Crater Lake National Park: Backcountry FAQ and regulations, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest: Food storage order, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest: Respect wildlife, WDFW: BearWise outdoor safety tips, ODFW: Help keep bears wild, Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee: Bear-resistant productslast checked
Every source we use is on the Credits page.
Related guides
- Bear Country Camping: Food Hangs and CanistersBears wake up hungry, and your granola smells like dinner from a quarter mile. Here's how food storage actually works in the backcountry — canisters, hangs, and the habits that keep both you and bears wild.
- Bears in May: Food Odors, Camp Setup, and What “Surprised” Actually Looks LikeExpect bears on the move when calories wake up before peak berries: store food and scented items per local law (lockers, canisters, hangs where allowed), cook and clean away from sleep sites when possible, make noise in brushy corners, and know the difference between a curious glance and a predatory press—your yell and your exit plan matter.
- When Bears Wander: What a Eugene Encounter Teaches Us About Wildlife SafetyA Eugene man's DIY capture of a wandering black bear shows what not to do. Covers why amateur relocation is risky, how to bear-proof your home and campsite, and what to do if you meet a bear face to face.
About this tool
Do you need a bear canister, or will a hang do? Can you leave food in the car at the campground? The answer depends on who manages the land, and the rules differ between national parks, national forests, and state lands.
Pick a park, forest, wilderness, or trailhead in Washington or Oregon to see what's required or recommended for storing food, trash, and scented items, where the rule comes from, and links to the official pages. When more than one rule covers a place, like a wilderness inside a national forest, you'll see each one with its source.
We check every rule against the agency's own website at least once a year and show the date we last checked it. Rules can change during a season, so confirm with the land manager before you go. If we haven't checked a place yet, we'll say so and point you to the agency instead of guessing.