Overnight campers on Georgia’s Appalachian Trail will have to use locked, hard-sided bear-resistant canisters starting Jan. 1, 2027, under a USDA Forest Service order. Traditional tree-suspended food hangs and flexible storage bags will no longer be allowed.
The year-round rule covers Georgia’s 78-mile section of the Appalachian Trail, the Approach Trail and a half-mile buffer on both sides. It applies to every overnight stay, including dispersed camping, designated campsites and shelters, even when food-storage structures are present.
Canisters must be commercially manufactured, solid, non-pliable and designed to resist bears. Campers must lock food, garbage, toiletries and other scented items inside.
The Forest Service says more than 12% of Appalachian Trail bear-encounter reports over the past decade came from Georgia, which accounts for 3.5% of the trail’s footprint.
Marcus Jones
News Now Georgia
