US Forest Service · CA
Desolation Wilderness: bear canister rules
Desolation Wilderness requires a bear canister.
Short answer
Canister required for all food in Desolation Wilderness overnight.
The written rule asks for a bear-resistant container (or similar wording) but names no approved list. Hard canisters on a recognised list are the safest reading; the agency has the final say. Of the 30 canisters we cover, 18 are confirmed matches and 10 more are likely legal here.
Heads-up before you rely on this
- Source page shows no date. The official page does not show a "last updated" date we could capture. We record the day we read it instead.
Rules change. Confirm with the land manager (sources below) before you go.
Is my canister legal in Desolation Wilderness?
Legal
BearVault BV500 Journey in Desolation Wilderness: accepted here.
Area text names no approved list. SIBBG-approved hard canister meets a 'bear-resistant container' standard.
Area rule Canister required for all food in Desolation Wilderness overnight.
Read the full answerChecked 2026-10-26. Always verify with the land manager before you go.
The rule, as written
- Requirement
- Canister required for all food in Desolation Wilderness overnight.
- Accepted
- No list named
- Order
- 03-25-05 / 19-25-06
- Dates
- Eldorado order 03-25-05 / LTBMU 19-25-06, 2025-07-18 to 2028-07-17
- Source updated
- alert page (date not captured)
- Checked
- 2026-10-26 · verified
Detailed answers for Desolation Wilderness
Every canister we cover, in Desolation Wilderness
- BearVault BV450 Jaunt
- BearVault BV500 Journey
- BearVault BV250
- BearVault BV300
- BearVault BV350
- BearVault BV400
- BearVault BV110B
- BearVault BV200
- Wild Ideas (Bearikade) Weekender MKII
- Wild Ideas (Bearikade) Expedition MKII
- Counter Assault Bear Keg
- Garcia Backpackers' Cache 812
- Bare Boxer Contender 101
- Bare Boxer Champ 202
- Lighter1 Big Daddy
- Lighter1 Lil' Sami
- UDAP No-Fed-Bear
- Purple Mountain Engineering Tahoe
Arrows mark models with a detailed answer page for this area. Others link to the canister's page, which lists every area.
Quick answers
Do I need a bear canister in Desolation Wilderness?
Desolation Wilderness requires a bear canister. Canister required for all food in Desolation Wilderness overnight.
Which canisters are accepted in Desolation Wilderness?
No list named In our data: BearVault BV450 Jaunt, BearVault BV500 Journey, BearVault BV250, BearVault BV300, BearVault BV350, BearVault BV400, BearVault BV110B, BearVault BV200, Wild Ideas (Bearikade) Weekender MKII, Wild Ideas (Bearikade) Expedition MKII, Counter Assault Bear Keg, Garcia Backpackers' Cache 812, and more.
How current is this information?
We checked Desolation Wilderness's official source on 2026-10-26. Source page shows no date. Confirm with the land manager before you go.
Nearby and related rules
- Inyo NF - Bishop Pass / Treasure Lakes Canister required for food/refuse in this order area (one of eight designated areas). Canister required
- Inyo NF - Cottonwood Lakes Canister required for food/refuse in this order area (one of eight designated areas). Canister required
- Inyo NF - Duck Pass / Purple Lake Canister required for food/refuse in this order area (one of eight designated areas). Canister required
- Inyo NF - Fish Creek Canister required for food/refuse in this order area (one of eight designated areas). Canister required
- Inyo NF - Kearsarge Pass Canister required for food/refuse in this order area (one of eight designated areas). Canister required
- Inyo NF - Little Lakes Valley Canister required for food/refuse in this order area (one of eight designated areas). Canister required
Sources and date checked
Checked . We link the official pages so you can read the rule yourself.