Yosemite Bears Are Waking Up. Here’s What the Park Wants You to Know.

As many as 500 black bears call Yosemite National Park home, and they are waking up hungry.

Park officials issued a reminder this week that bears are actively roaming meadows and tearing into logs for grubs as they work to regain the weight they lost over winter. With food on their minds, they will follow their noses wherever it takes them, including into campgrounds, parking lots and picnic areas if something smells good.

Visitors are required to store all food, drinks, toiletries and trash either within arm’s reach of an awake person or secured inside a building, bear canister or food locker. Items like toothpaste, baby wipes and even chapstick count as attractants. You can store food inside a locked vehicle during the day as long as windows are closed and nothing is visible, but cars are not bear-proof overnight.

One important note for anyone heading to the park: bear spray is banned in Yosemite. California prohibits it in all national parks, and carrying it can result in fines or a federal misdemeanor charge. The park says it is unnecessary because Yosemite only has black bears, which are far less aggressive than grizzlies. No one has been killed or seriously injured by a black bear in Yosemite.

If you spot a bear, keep at least 50 yards of distance. If one enters a developed area, yell loudly and aggressively to scare it off. And slow down on the roads. Speeding is one of the top killers of Yosemite bears.

Report bear sightings to the Save-A-Bear Hotline at 209-372-0322.