Closings - Trail Alerts

BEAR ALERT!!!  

The Daniel Boone National Forest, forest supervisor, has issue a FOREST WIDE RULE for all backcountry users and guests.  If you are heading into the DBNF for an overnight trip, you should especially be prepared.  Preparation and following some simple guidelines will help prevent an unwanted encounter with Bears in the DBNF.  The population is growing and the chance of an encounter is growing so the STA wants to share these basic guidelines and encourage everyone to get on board.

The STA strongly recommends you must:

• Make sure you don’t prepare your food anywhere near where your sleep (they say at least 200’). Food dropping on the ground in front of your tent will create just as big a problem as having food in your tent
• Everything and anything with a scent has to go in the bear bag: Gatorade bottles, sunscreen, lip balm, toothpaste, soap, insect repellant in addition to all food items, etc. etc
• Any clothing with food on it needs to go in the bear bag
• Any washing of dishes needs to be done at least 200’ away from camp
• And obviously you have to find the right place to hand a bear bag at least 10’ off the ground and far enough away from the tree that a black bear can’t climb the tree and go out on a branch and get your stuff

Also, the current best practice is that you carry bear repellant. Someone on the hike, if not several people should carry repellant. Everyone in your group must follow the guidelines or they place the whole camp at risk. Just tying your food in a tree really isn’t very good if there is a real threat and it gives you a false sense of security if you are laying there in your sleeping bag with your Gatorade bottle beside you.