Keep Yourself, Other Hikers, and Vermont’s Animals Safe
There are an estimated 4,500 to 6,000 black bears living in Vermont, concentrated in the spine of the Green Mountains, and their habitat overlaps with the Long Trail and other trail systems. Most bears will avoid people, but increasingly, bears are associated humans with food sources and may become habituated or persistent. It is every hiker’s responsibility to educate themselves about bear safety and take the necessary precautions to secure food and waste to limit bear-human interactions.
Proper bear-safe food storage is mandatory in the Green Mountain National Forest, as of a 2019 order, and we strongly encourage carrying a bear canister or other approved storage container on all Vermont overnight hikes.
All food, garbage, cookware, and “smellables” need to fit in your food storage method of choice. This includes toothpaste, chapstick, sunscreen, hygeine products, etc. These also all need to leave the trail with you when you’re done including food scraps and garbage. Food or trash should never go in a privy, as bears can access them and cause a myriad of problems.
Approved Food Storage Methods
There are four ways to safely store food while camping, ranked from most to least secure:
- In a locked vehicle.
- In a secure bear box, located at about a dozen Long Trail shelters.
- In an approved bear canister, placed a safe distance from camp. This is GMC’s preferred method, and we offer free loaner canisters.
- In a properly hung bear bag, which can be tricky to get right on the Long Trail.
Food Storage Methods:
Bear Boxes
Available at select overnight sites, bear boxes are a communal secure food storage area. Bear boxes can fill up at busy sites, so you need to have a personal food storage backup plan. Please do not leave anything behind in a bear box; they are not a trash can and a GMC staff member or volunteer will be tasked unnecessarily with removing any trash you leave behind.
- Seth Warner Shelter
- Goddard Shelter
- Kid Gore Shelter
- Story Spring Shelter
- Stratton View Shelter
- Stratton Pond Shelter
- Peru Peak Shelter
- Griffith Lake Tenting Area
- Little Rock Pond Shelter
- Clarendon Shelter
- Governor Clement Shelter
- Tucker Johnson Shelter
- Stony Brook Shelter (AT)
- Battell Shelter
- Montclair Glen Lodge
- Bamforth Ridge Shelter
- Hump Brook Tenting Area
- Taylor Lodge
- Sterling Pond Shelter
- Tillotson Camp
Bear Canisters
The Green Mountain Club’s recommended method of food storage is a bear canister, as they are the most secure and easiest to store properly at the end of a long hiking day. Know how to use yours, including opening and closing it, and how to best pack both food in it and the canister into your pack, as they do carry some bulk and weight. Stash it on the ground at least 100 feet away from any campers.
Bear Canisters
GMC offers a free bear canister lending program in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and BearVault. You can check out a canister for the duration of your hike – first-come, first-served.
All canister loans are on a first-come, first-served basis; we cannot take reservations for canisters at this time. Please use the check-out and check-in forms to help us manage canister availability.
Bear Hang
While Vermont’s forests are not particularly conducive to properly hanging a bear bag in it can be done when necessary. You’ll need at least 50’ of paracord, 1-2 carabiners, and a stuff sack for food, trash, anything with a smell (such as toothpaste and bug spray), and cookware.
Remember these numbers: hang your bag 12’ up from the ground, 6’ out from the tree trunk, and 6’ out from the nearest branch. You’ll want to pick a tree that’s at least 100’ away from your (or anyone else’s) campsite.
The Ursack is also a popular bear bag on the LT. It’s more like a soft-sided bear canister, but needs to be secured to a rigid object like a tree trunk or branch at least 100’ away from camp. More here.
Bear Canister Lending Locations
Cosmo Catalano’s Garage:
North Adams, Mass.
Bennington Rec Center:
655 Gage Street
Bennington, VT 05201
(802) 442-1053
- Contact:
- Hours: M,W,F 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Tu,Th 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Call and confirm availability for pickup; No after-hours return
Bennington Free Library:
101 Silver St
Bennington, VT 05201
(802) 442-9051
- Contact: Jeanne Conner, loans@bfli.org
- Hours: Check library website
The Mountain Goat, Manchester:
4886 Main St
Manchester Center, VT 05255
(802) 362-5159
- Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 am – 6 pm; Sun 10 am – 5 pm
- After Hours: Drop-off inside vestibule. Call during open hours to arrange after-hours pickup.
Gifford Woods State Park:
34 Gifford Woods Road
Killington, VT
(802) 775-5354
- Contact:
- Hours: Office is open 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.; 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- After hours: leave at the park contact station employee entrance
GMC Visitor Center:
4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road
Waterbury Center, VT
(802) 244-7037
- Contact:
- Hours: Check Visitor Center page for current hours.
- After hours: for drop-off, leave canister on the back porch. To pick up a canister in off-hours, please email ahead (M-F, 10-4) and we will leave it for you on the porch.
