The best way to protect bears and other wildlife from losing their wildness is by preventing them from getting human food and trash in the first place. One of the most important ways you can protect bears in Yosemite is by using bear-resistant food storage lockers consistently and correctly. Taking the time to store food and trash appropriately at all times is the most important way to protect wildlife in Yosemite. Thank you for helping protect Yosemite bears by storing your food and using your bear food storage locker correctly!
A large American black bear laying down eating garbage. Credit: J. Hadley
A little history on the much used, though often overlooked metal box in Yosemite’s campsites.
Bear-resistant food storage lockers were invented in Yosemite in 1977 to provide a safe place for visitors to store food. Prior to these lockers, people attempted various methods to prevent food theft by bears. The most popular food storage method at that time was to put items away inside a vehicle. Unfortunately, for the bears (who injured themselves breaking into cars), and car owners (who not only lost their sustenance but also were hit with the costly car repair), this proved to be a flawed method.
Enter prototype lockers placed in White Wolf Campground on Tioga Road. These steel metal boxes used latches to prevent bears from opening them. With the advantage of thumbs, people could open the box, but bears were locked out. Over the years, latching systems and locker shapes were perfected along with bear-resistant trash cans and dumpsters (with help from the bears showing people the containers weaknesses). These receptacles spread their way across the park and are now some of the most important pieces of infrastructure protecting Yosemite’s wildlife. Innovations in bear-resistant infrastructure have decreased property damage caused by bears from a high of over $659,569 in 1998 to only $2,484 of property damage by bears in 2024. More importantly, food lockers and bear-resistant trash infrastructure have prevented human injury and saved bears’ lives.
What is the biggest problem with food lockers today in Yosemite Valley?
People do not use them correctly or consistently! So far in 2025, bears got into food from lockers 10 times in Curry Village. Most of these incidents were caused by people not closing and latching lockers when they stepped away—whether to the bathroom, inside their tent cabin, or for any other reason. If a locker is not fully latched, food is not safe from bears!
A ranger walks away from an open bear-resistant food storage locker in a campsite after educating campers (behind ranger) to keep the locker closed at all times. Credit: J. Hadley
How do you use a locker correctly?
Food lockers must be kept closed and latched at all times, even if only stepping away for a second! Treat lockers like a refrigerator: open it, remove an item, and close it (and latch it). Anything that a bear may consider food must be stored inside, except for when those items are being used or within arm’s reach. Always pull out on the closed door after latching to ensure it is completely shut and food is safe from bears.
What counts as food that must be stored in a food locker?
For bears, food is anything with a scent or calories. This includes all food, unopened cans, food waste (like corn cobs or watermelon rinds), drinks, condiments, dirty napkins, trash, toiletries, toothpaste, candles, soap, coolers, dirty dishes, and recycling, among other items. All coolers from all companies (even those certified as bear-resistant) must be stored in food lockers at all times.
When should you use a food locker in Yosemite?
While in the front country, food must be stored anytime your food is not within arm’s-reach, in a hard sided building, or an RV with windows and doors closed! All campers must store their food in food lockers. No food is permitted in vehicles overnight (except in hard-sided recreational vehicles). During the day, food may be stored in a vehicle as long as the food or cooler is out of sight and the vehicle is locked with the windows all the way shut. Unfortunately, bears still break into vehicles to get food. Earlier this year, a bear broke into a vehicle causing more than $2,000 in damage to a single car. Anyone backpacking must store excess food they are not taking with them on their hike in shared food lockers that at trailhead parking (backpackers may store food in bear-resistant food container instead of a food locker).
A bear and her cub on a log behind a campsite with a tent and a bear-resistant food storage locker. Credit: J. Hadley