Two years ago, the USDA Forest Service’s Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) issued forest orders requiring the use of hard-sided bear canisters in Desolation Wilderness and in January 2024, the LTBMU issued another forest order requiring the use of bear-resistant containers in all other areas. The purpose of these forest orders is to protect the lives of visitors and to help keep Tahoe bears wild.

“Bear canisters work. These food storage requirements are a great step in the right direction for protecting hikers and bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) Trail Information Manager, Jack Haskel. “The PCTA encourages everyone, whether you’re on the PCT or not, to do their part by carrying canisters in Desolation Wilderness and bear-resistant containers is other areas throughout the Lake Tahoe Region.”

As a reminder, the 2022 forest order requires overnight visitors to use hard-sided bear canisters to secure all human food and garbage while in Desolation Wilderness, including when hiking the Pacific Crest and Tahoe Rim trails.

The 2024 forest order requires the proper storage of human food and garbage that is not personally attended within 100ft to be stored in bear-resistant containers. The forest order also requires the use of wildlife-resistant dumpsters and food lockers (bear boxes) provided at National Forest campgrounds.

In recent years, bears in Desolation Wilderness and other areas of the Tahoe Basin have become more aggressive in their search for food, relying on human food and garbage sources rather than their natural food sources leading to increased interactions between humans and bears.

Bears have an incredible sense of smell and are attracted to anything scented or edible. Improper storage and disposal of human food and garbage is the leading cause of human-bear conflicts at Lake Tahoe. Bears that become dependent on human food and garbage lose their natural fear of humans, which can lead to the injury of a person or euthanasia of the bear.

For more information on bear canisters including frequently asked questions (FAQs), visit the Desolation Wilderness News: Food Canisters Required for Backpackers webpage.

For helpful information and tips for keeping Tahoe bears wild, visit TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.