LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Starting July 18, all overnight visitors going into Desolation Wilderness will need to have bear canisters for all food and scented items. Forest Service order No. 03-22-11 is needed to protect the Tahoe bears.
(Our campsite, years ago, in Desolation Wilderness. Note the bear can front and center.)
These must be approved canisters designed to prevent access by bears. Bears are extremely active in the Lake Tahoe Basin, especially on the west side. Bear canisters are essential for protecting your food, gear, and our Tahoe bears.
This Forest Service order is in effect until July 17, 2025.
We're big fans of bears cans. Of course we use them where required (Yosemite, SEKI, etc) but we also use them where they are not required. They are more convenient than the endless exercise of trying to hang food in a tree--and surveys show that more than 90% of all people who hang food in trees do it ineffectively. Yeah, not us, no longer. We've heard stories of more than five groups all losing their hanging food to bears around Aloha Lake in a single night, so it's about time.