Trail Updates

11/12/2026

The USDA Forest Service announced that bear canisters will be required on the entire Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in Georgia year-round. The new food storage order requires anyone camping along the A.T. to store food, food containers, garbage, and toiletries in a hard-sided bear canister. The order includes the entire A.T. in Georgia and A.T. Approach Trail, all national forest lands within a half mile of the footpath, all connecting trails within the half-mile buffer including the Len Foote Hike Inn Trail, and all A.T. shelters and campsites within the half-mile buffer (NOBO miles 0 to 78.3). See the map below.

The requirement goes into effect on January 1, 2027.

You can protect yourself, other hikers, and bears on the entire A.T. by:

• Properly storing all food, trash, and smellables* at night in a hard-sided bear canister. Place your bear canister at least 200 feet (70 big steps) from where you sleep.
• Always keep your bear canister closed and locked except when adding or removing items.
• Educating yourself on bear safety and proper food storage before leaving for the Trail.
• Exercising caution in areas with frequent bear activity, which you can find at appalachiantrail.org/updates.
• Never sleeping with your food, trash, or smellables.
• Keeping a clean camp by picking up crumbs and cleaning up spills.
• Packing out all trash and food waste.
• Never leaving unsecured food unattended - even for a moment such as a quick trip to the privy or to check out a view.
• Reporting concerning bear encounters to Trail managers using the ATC’s Bear Encounter Report form. Early intervention in human-bear conflict helps protect both hikers and bears.

The ATC strongly recommends that A.T. hikers use bear canisters no matter where they are on the A.T., as canisters have shown to be the most effective, efficient, and reliable method of food storage on the Trail.

For more information about this new requirement, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit our story about the food storage order. For more information about the order, visit the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest website.

*Any substance having an odor that may attract bears, raccoons, mice, etc. including toiletries and empty food and beverage containers. Examples include but are not limited to toothpaste, cookware, bug spray, sunscreen, chapstick, hand sanitizer, WAG bags (bags that have a gelling agent in them for pooping in when privies aren’t available and you can’t dig a cat hole), and lotion.

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