Backpacking Information

Yosemite and the Mother Lode area provide an oasis for backpackers. In many cases you do need a permit so contact the local ranger station. (list below)

Stay on trails. It’s safer and less damaging to the environment. See the Leave No Trace(SM) website for more information. Search and Rescue Coordinator Deputy Lyons advises: do not go alone while hiking, hunting, fishing etc. always notify someone of your travel plan, including the route, who is not involved with the activity. Prepare for inclement weather and bring extra supplies to last longer than the anticipated activity.

The Calaveras sheriff’s office receives about 60 calls per year for search and rescue aid.  Tuolumne County Sheriffs Search & Rescue says it is one of the oldest teams (since 1975) and ranks among the five busiest, with an average of 70 calls per year. Foot or ground searches are the most common, usually assisted by trained search dogs. About 1/3 of the searches require helicopter assistance or evacuation and 25% of the time technical rescues involving swift water and rope are needed.

The Mother Lode is also Bear Country for more on being prepared see below.

Bring lots of water. To protect yourself from disease, treat any surface water before drinking. Treatment methods include boiling for 5 minutes, use of a Giardia rated water filter, or iodine based purifier. To prevent the spread of Giardia and other water-borne disease organisms, use restroom facilities where available. In natural areas where facilities are not available, bury human waste 6 inches deep, and do your washing and camping at least 100 feet away from any water source or trail.

You are required by federal regulations to store all your food properly throughout Yosemite National Park. You must have your food stored unless it’s within arm’s reach- don’t go for a swim or take a nap while leaving food out.

Bear resistant food containers (bear canisters) are required for overnight hikers through out the Wilderness. Counterbalance food hangs are no longer legal. In Yosemite and the southern Sierra, bear canisters are the only effective and proven method of preventing bears from getting human food.

“Food” includes all food and drinks, regardless of packaging, along with trash, toiletries, and other scented items. These items must be stored in either an approved bear-resistant food canister or food locker. Hanging food is illegal throughout Yosemite.

The most important part of using a bear canister is what goes inside it. Make sure all food, all trash, all toiletries, and all other scented items are inside the bear canister. This includes but is not limited to all sealed or packaged food, sunscreen, soap, mosquito repellent, lip balm, deodorant, medications, garbage, and feminine products. As a general rule, if you put it in your mouth on on your skin, it should probably be stored in a bear canister.

The bear canister only works if it’s closed and locked! Be sure to keep it closed and locked, even while you’re around your campsite. Place the canister on the ground in a flat, level area 100 feet or more from your campsite. Do not hang it from a tree.

Take care not to place it near a cliff or any water source, as a bear may knock the canister around or roll it down a hill. Do not hang or attach anything to the canister (ropes attached to the canister enable a bear to carry it away). You can place pots and pans on top of the canister as a bear alarm if you like.

The best way to carry a bear canister is inside your pack. Think of it as a big stuff sack, though it will always occupy the same amount of space. Later in your trip, when you have eaten some of your food, you can place other items inside the canister to conserve space.

Take food out of its original package. This allows you to fit more food inside a canister and reduces the amount of garbage you generate. Repackage food from boxes, bottles, jars and cans into resealable plastic bags. These bags are flexible and fit into small spaces. Force air out of packages. Poke tiny holes in freeze-dried packages to release the air. Save instructions for cooking and put inside meal bags. Write food contents on outside of bags with a permanent marker.