GEORGIA — The USDA Forest Service is mandating the use of hard-sided, non-pliable bear-resistant canisters for all overnight campers along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Georgia, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
The new policy issued by the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest addresses public safety concerns and a decades-long increase in human-bear conflicts across the trail corridor.
The mandatory order covers the entirety of Georgia’s 78 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail and a half-mile buffer zone on each side of the path, creating a mile-wide regulated corridor.
The requirement applies year-round to all forms of overnight stays, including dispersed camping, designated campsites and trail shelters, regardless of whether existing food-storage structures are present.
Under the new regulation, traditional tree-suspended food hangs and flexible storage bags will be prohibited.
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The Appalachian Trail in Georgia sees more than 500,000 visits each year, including thousands of aspiring thru-hikers who arrive every spring to begin their northbound journeys.
Although Georgia accounts for only 3.5% of the total Appalachian Trail footprint, more than 12% of all bear encounter reports along the entire trail over the past decade occurred within the state, according to data from the Forest Service.
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest officials emphasized that managing public lands requires balancing recreational access with wildlife conservation. Forest Supervisor Judy Toppins said it was important to ensure the safety of both visitors and natural habitats across North Georgia.
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“With the Appalachian Trail going through the heart of North Georgia’s black bear habitat, we want the hikers who flock here to understand how incredibly valuable these public lands are – for people and for wildlife,” Toppins said. “Finding a balance that protects hikers, wildlife and forest health is our goal. Hikers are visitors to bear habitat and everyone needs to do their part.”
Morgan Sommerville, director of visitor use management for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy SAID traditional storage techniques have become increasingly ineffective against wildlife along the trail.
“While only 3.5% of the A.T. is in Georgia, more than 12% of the bear encounter reports on the A.T. have occurred in the state over the last decade,” Sommerville said. that’s why the trail club has encouraged and recommended overnight campers keep bear-resistant food storage containers since 2017.
Over the years, bears have gotten better at finding a way to get to food left hanging or stored in more traditional methods.
Sommerville said the new order along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia will require all overnight hikers and backpackers to use reliable food storage gear, like a hard-sided bear canister.
Local volunteer groups that maintain the trail corridor also support having the mandatory gear requirement.
“When we venture into any known bear habitat, we need to do our part to help keep bears wild,” Adam Hammond, state bear biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division said. “Wild black bears typically go out of their way to avoid people, so taking precautions that do not tempt or encourage them to come closer reduces the potential for negative encounters and allows us to explore and enjoy the outdoors confidently.”
Black bears are the only bear species that live in Georgia and are recognized as the most common bear species in North America.
Bears are intelligent, curious animals that continuously search for food resources. While their eyesight is comparable to human vision, a black bear’s sense of smell is seven times more powerful than that of a bloodhound, enabling them to detect food from miles away.
Wildlife officials said bears naturally seek out wild berry patches, decaying logs filled with insects and streams containing fish, but they are also drawn to human campsites, packs and dwellings.
In addition to food, bears are drawn to non-edible scented items carried by campers, like toothpaste, lotion, lip balm and garbage, if left exposed.
Ashley Luke, president of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, explained that club volunteers regularly observe the environmental impacts of improper waste disposal and food storage.
“Protecting the Appalachian Trail in Georgia is the heart of our mission and that includes the wildlife that call this area home,” Luke said. “The A.T. in Georgia sees over a half a million visits each year, including thousands of aspiring A.T. thru hikers who arrive each Spring. Our volunteers have seen firsthand the impacts of poorly managed food and trash. Carrying bear canisters has been proven effective in reducing conflicts with wildlife and is one of the simplest, most effective ways hikers can keep both people and bears safe.”
Forest Service officials also said that bears remember familiar food locations, making campsites with poorly managed trash high-risk areas for repeated visits. When black bears obtain human food or trash, they learn to associate people with easy meals.
This can cause bears to lose their natural caution, leading to persistent behavior such as returning repeatedly to campsites, damaging equipment and creating dangerous encounters.
Habituated bears often must be euthanized to protect public safety, so consistent canister usage interrupts this cycle by keeping food out of reach.
Under the new order, overnight visitors must carry containers that meet specific design standards. Canisters must be commercially manufactured from solid, non-pliable materials specifically designed to resist entry by bears.
The storage requirement dictates that campers place all food containers, garbage, toiletries and scented items inside the locked canister. Solid canisters also protect supplies from rodents and other small forest animals while eliminating the need for backpackers to construct tree hangs.
The mandatory bear canister policy takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
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