Bear-proof Your Wilderness Camp Site

The black bears are one of the natural inhabitants of the North Georgia Mountains. Bears tend to avoid humans but occasionally are seen on the trail or near a campsite. Bears become a problem because of the carelessness of people, especially regarding food.

[Illustration] Step 1 in keeping food and trash out of the reach of bears. [Illustration] Step 2 in keeping food and trash out of the reach of bears. [Illustration] Step 3 in keeping food and trash out of the reach of bears. [Illustration] Step 4 in keeping food and trash out of the reach of bears.

Please help prevent BEAR-HUMAN problems by following these precautions:

  • Never feed bears or leave food for them.
  • Keep tents and sleeping bags free of food odors; don't store food in them.
  • Do not leave food in packs around camp overnight. Place food as well as trash in a pack, plastic bag, or some other type of bag and hang out of reach 10 feet above the ground and at least 4 feet away from the tree(s).
  • Consider cooking and eating away from tent/sleeping areas.
  • In order to help with the monitoring of bear movement please report any sighting or incident to one of our local offices.