Keeping bears away in Yellowstone

When you cross the park gate and pay your fee you will get information about the do's and don'ts, follow this information and you will be fine.
I general cooking inside or outside the trailer is fine as well as storing food in your trailer. What they don't want is food left outside the trailer or in vehicle's in coolers and bags. Keep a clean camp, keep the dishes done and store any food that is not in the trailer in the bear box.
Bears may wonder through camp and smell the odor from cooking but generally won't be a problem. What causes problems is when an easy meal is left out for the bear to get and they come back looking for another easy meal.
Keep the trash and cans out of the back of your pickup as well, park rangers have been know to give guys grief over soda cans and bottles left in the back of a pickup.
I spent 3 months working in Yellowstone Park a few years ago, we hiked and camped all over the area with only a couple bear encounters which were short lived and easily defused. Its really nothing to be worried about, just pay attention to your surroundings.

I would agree that the bear boxes are for those in tents, but with that said, even in a TT one should be cautious. When we camped there and even in surrounding CG's outside the park (where there was an active bear), we never left our grill out. One fella did and found his grill smashed flat the next day. We don't cook highly aromatic foods, such as bacon! Don't want to become people bacon ;) and we keep a clean camp. After eating outside, we put everything away and wipe off the table. We've never had a problem to date.

Thousands upon thousands of RV'ers cook in their RV's while camped in Yellowstone every year without any bear interaction. The bear boxes are mainly there for the tent folks and the soft side pop-up folks.

Happy.Camper wrote:
Hello,

I will be camping for a week with my travel trailer in Yellowstone.


It says "bear food locker" required and provided by the campsite.

Can I cook inside the camper, or is that asking for bears to come ?

Should I leave all my food, 50 ft away from the camper, outside, in a bear food locker ?

Do i need to cook far away from where I sleep ?

I am not sure I understand how to follow all the guidlines to keep bears away.


can anyone give me some pointers ? thank you.

The best advice you will get is from the rangers at Yellowstone as they know the particular Bears in question and their habits. Also the Parks newsletter has full instructions.

I wouldnt worry if I were you. Millions of people visit Yellowstone and never have a bad bear encounter.

There are always those that will try to instill fear instead of confidence. Just use common sense and follow the Rangers advice.

just make sure you're not the slowest person in camp.




sorry no bears where I camp. others will chime in soon

For those of us who do not interact with bears routinely it is a pertinent question. It's like they are saying that you need to keep your food in this bearproof box but nevermind the easy open TT you are cooking it in and sleeping in. If I'm a bear let me see which is easier, spending an hour trying to get the stupid box open or just rip the door off the trailer and feast on some people pork!