National Park Service · AK

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve: bear canister rules

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve requires a bear canister.

Canister required Checked 2026-10-26 Partly verified

BRFC required; IGBC-approved plus named PVC/aluminum canisters (Garcia, Wild Ideas, Purple Mountain).

This park accepts IGBC-approved containers and also names a few additional canisters directly (Garcia, Wild Ideas and Purple Mountain). Its page is old, so confirm before relying on either list. Of the 30 canisters we cover, 28 are confirmed matches here.

Heads-up before you rely on this

Source page dated 2020-08-21. The official page we rely on shows a date of 2020-08-21. Land managers may have changed the rule since then, so treat this page as a starting point and re-check the source.
Partly verified. Some part of this rule (a date, a boundary, a list or a wording detail) is not fully confirmed from official text. See the notes below for what is missing.

Rules change. Confirm with the land manager (sources below) before you go.

Is my canister legal in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve?

Where are you hiking? Which canister?

Legal

BearVault BV500 Journey in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve: accepted here.

IGBC-certified.

Area rule BRFC required; IGBC-approved plus named PVC/aluminum canisters (Garcia, Wild Ideas, Purple Mountain).

Read the full answer

Checked 2026-10-26. Always verify with the land manager before you go.

The rule, as written

Requirement: BRFC required; IGBC-approved plus named PVC/aluminum canisters (Garcia, Wild Ideas, Purple Mountain).
Accepted: IGBC-approved, or Garcia / Wild Ideas / Purple Mountain canisters named by the park
Dates: Per page
Source updated: 2020-08-21
Checked: 2026-10-26 · partly verified
Our notes: Page dated 2020; needs re-check.

Detailed answers for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve

Every canister we cover, in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve

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 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve?

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve requires a bear canister. BRFC required; IGBC-approved plus named PVC/aluminum canisters (Garcia, Wild Ideas, Purple Mountain).

Which canisters are accepted in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve?

IGBC-approved, or Garcia / Wild Ideas / Purple Mountain canisters named by the park In our data: BearVault BV ONE Adjustable, BearVault BV425 Sprint, BearVault BV450 Jaunt, BearVault BV475 Trek, BearVault BV500 Journey, BearVault BV250, BearVault BV300, BearVault BV350, BearVault BV400, Wild Ideas (Bearikade) Weekender MKII, Wild Ideas (Bearikade) Expedition MKII, Grub Can Wave 6.6 L, and more.

How current is this information?

We checked Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve's official source on 2026-10-26. Source page dated 2020-08-21. Partly verified. Confirm with the land manager before you go.

Nearby and related rules

All Alaska rules

Sources and date checked

Checked 2026-10-26. We link the official pages so you can read the rule yourself.