More bears means new rules in Pemi Wilderness

If you’re planning an overnight trip to the Pemigewasset Wilderness, add one thing to your packing list: A bear-proof container.

The White Mountain National Forest will require such hard-sided containers to store food and “scented materials” like soap and toothpaste for all overnight visitors to the region, starting May 1.

It’s the latest indication that the increase in bear populations and the increase in the number of people enjoying the outdoors is raising concern about the intersection between people and the region’s largest meat-eating animal.

“I think we’re going to get people asking about them,” said Cort Hansen, former owner and now an employee of Ragged Mountain Equipment in Conway, concerning bear canisters, also known as bear kegs. “Bear canisters haven’t been as popular as bear sprays — every year we sell more and more bear sprays — so I think we’ll see an increased interest in bear kegs.”

Bear incidents in the area have risen sharply in recent years, with most cases involving bears accessing improperly stored food, according to officials with the White Mountain National Forest. Those incidents include one bear that got so aggressive looking for food that it tore open tents and a screened enclosure, leading officials to shut the Franconia Brook Tentsite for a time last August.

In 2025, half of all bear incidents in the entire White Mountain National Forest occurred within the Pemi Wilderness, one of the most remote areas of the state, primarily because of its lack of road access. 

The wilderness covers 45,000 acres, about 6% of the entire White Mountain National Forest, covering the upper watershed of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, including several mountain ranges. As a wilderness area, no motors of any type or development are allowed.

“It’s a really popular place for camping out there. If you’re serious about going to the Bonds (mountain), Bondcliff, a lot of people are going to do at least two days, one night,” Hansen said.

Bears have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and are drawn to the scent of many products made by people. Although dangerous encounters between people and black bears in New Hampshire are extremely rare, they have increased in recent years.

Bear-proof canisters are commonly required out west, where hikers may encounter grizzly bears, which are much more dangerous than black bears. They are much less common in the Northeast, although they are required in portions of the Adirondacks in New York.

The statement said a cylindrical, hard-sided, nonpliable canister, as certified by the International Grizzly Bear Committee, will be required. Not using one while camping can result in fines.

Alternative methods for storing food and bear attractants, such as “bear bags” hung from trees, will no longer be allowed in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, “as they have proven to be less effective than canisters.  The only exceptions are the bear-resistant food boxes located at the Thirteen Falls Tent Site,” the agency said.

The National Forest offers a food canister loan program at several locations: Lincoln Woods Trailhead Cabin in Lincoln, Pemigewasset Ranger Station in Campton, Saco Ranger Station in Conway, and the Androscoggin Ranger Station in Gorham.