Wildlife at the Campsite: Following Official Guidance

The deer at the edge of your campsite looks calm. The squirrel on the picnic table looks friendly. Neither is a pet. A campground sits inside animal habitat, and the animals were there first. Most trouble between campers and wildlife starts with food, closeness or a sense that the animal is tame.

This article does not teach you how to handle an animal encounter, a bite or an injury. That advice belongs to the people who manage the land, and their pages are listed under sources. What you get here is the other half: how to read the official guidance before you arrive, and the habits that keep animals wild and your camp quiet.

The National Park Service (NPS) puts it simply on its wildlife page. Leave animals alone: no touching, no feeding, no harassing. Visitors are responsible for their own safety and for the safety of the animals.

The rules that show up in almost every park

Three ideas repeat across NPS pages.

1. Keep your distance. Wildlife in parks is wild and can be unpredictable when disturbed or surprised.
2. Never feed wildlife. NPS says it is illegal to feed, touch, tease, frighten or intentionally disturb wildlife. On its camping safety page it says not to feed wildlife under any circumstances, because fed animals can become persistent and sometimes violent.
3. Keep food and trash away from animals. Food draws wildlife to your site, and animals watch for spilled or unattended food.

State parks and national forests set their own rules, so check each one. The Leave No Trace principles list “respect wildlife” as one of seven.

How far is far enough

NPS says many parks require a minimum of 25 yards (23 m) from most wildlife and 100 yards (91 m) from predators such as bears and wolves. It also warns that the numbers vary, and gives one example: Olympic National Park requires 50 yards (46 m). Treat those figures as examples of a pattern, not as your park’s rule.

Two NPS tips help you judge distance without a tape measure:

• Bus lengths. Seventy-five feet (23 m) is about two bus lengths.
• The thumb test. Hold your arm straight and raise your thumb. If your thumb cannot cover the animal, you are too close.

NPS gives a plainer test as well: if an animal reacts to you, you are too close. Use binoculars or a zoom lens, and move back if wildlife approaches. If you find yourself too close, NPS says it is your responsibility to slowly back away and keep your distance. For anything beyond that, such as a bear approaching, read the NPS bear pages before the trip.

Food, trash and scented items

Bears get most of the attention, but food discipline protects every animal. NPS says bears treat anything with a scent as food. Its list includes canned goods, drinks, soap, cosmetics, toiletries, trash, ice chests, sunscreen, bug repellent, fuel and the items you use to prepare or eat meals.

NPS also says the rules differ by park:

• Some parks require food lockers or bear-resistant containers. Others allow hanging food in a bag.
• In some parks you may store food in a closed car, out of sight, only during daylight hours. In others, all food must come out of the car and go into lockers.
• Breaking the rules can mean fines, confiscated food or a towed vehicle.

Habits that appear on NPS pages for campgrounds:

• Keep food within arm’s reach at a picnic area and do not turn your back on it.
• Secure food, garbage and scented items as soon as you reach the campsite.
• Do not store food in your tent or backpack.
• Wash dirty dishes right away.
• Do not burn leftover food, tea bags or coffee grounds. NPS says most campfires are not hot enough to burn them completely, and partly burned scraps still draw animals.
• Put food packaging and scraps in a waste bag and carry it to the campground receptacle before you leave camp or go to bed.

For setup details, see food storage at the campsite and cleaning up after camp meals.

Where to find the rules for your campground

Distances, food storage and fines are local. This table shows where to look.

NPS also says that if you cannot find the information online, you can stop by the visitor center and ask a ranger. For how campgrounds work inside national parks, see national park camping.

Common mistakes

• Treating a calm animal as a tame one. NPS says animals in parks are not pets and are not cared for by staff.
• Getting close for a photo. NPS says that if you are close enough for a selfie, you are definitely too close.
• Leaving a cooler or snack in the car without checking the park’s rule. Some parks require lockers instead.
• Feeding “just a little.” NPS says feeding changes animal behavior.
• Letting a dog roam. NPS says pets must be restrained at all times, and in bear country dogs can attract curious bears, which often leads to conflict that endangers both pet and owner.
• Using one park’s distance everywhere. Read the page for the place you are visiting.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really illegal to feed wildlife at a campground?

In national parks, yes. NPS says it is illegal to feed, touch, tease, frighten or intentionally disturb wildlife. Other land managers set their own rules, so check the page for your campground.

How far should you stay from a bear?

NPS says many parks require 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves, but each park sets its own number. Look for it in the park’s rules before you go.

Can you keep food in your car at a campground?

It depends on the park. NPS says some parks allow food in a closed car, out of sight and during daylight only, while others require lockers. Check the campground page before you pack.

What if you have kids with you?

Agree on the rules before you reach the campsite. The camping with kids article covers planning for families. The NPS Junior Ranger planning tips say the same thing in kid terms: keep a safe distance, don’t touch and don’t feed.

Next step: write down your campground’s wildlife rules

Open the campground page and the park’s rules page. In your Planner, note the viewing distance, the food storage method and who to ask. Add a line for trash. Then pack the right containers.