Bear boxes installed; camping area open after increased bear activity near Mount Mitchell
ASHEVILLE — A backcountry camping area near Mount Mitchell, on land owned by the U.S. Forest Service, has reopened to campers after two bear-proof steel food storage boxes were installed by N.C. High Peaks Trial Association.
Commissary Ridge, a camping area on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, was previously closed in spring 2023 by the U.S. Forest Service due to an “increasing number of dangerous bear-camper encounters,” according to a news release from the trail association. The camping area reopened in October.
Instead of having to hoist food and personal items over a tree limb ― out of reach of black bears ― campers can now stow away their bear-attractive items into one of the two 330-pound boxes affixed with bear proof latches, which were donated to the campground by High Peaks.
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“Hopefully these boxes will be a long-term solution that will keep the campers safe and the bears far away in the woods,” John Whitehouse, who spearheaded the initiative with High Peaks, said in the release.
Though the camping spot is on U.S. Forest Service land just outside Mount Mitchell, park staff are the nearest rangers and responded to camper’s calls for help, according to the release. Whitehouse is hopeful these new boxes will decrease the number of calls and complaints received by park staff.
“The High Peaks effort coincides with a regional push to install bear boxes at backcountry shelters on the Appalachian Trail,” the release said. “Carolina Mountain Club has so far installed a handful at the 10 shelters the club maintains, with plans to finish the rest over the coming months.”
Mount Mitchell State Park was closed Jan. 29 until further notice due to inclement weather and icy road conditions, according to the park's website.
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The boxes at Commissary Ridge took a group effort to install, with Mount Mitchell State Park staff hauling the boxes out to the site on all-terrain vehicles and members of the Carolina Mountain Club’s Trail Crew bolting the boxes to an old masonry step-wall.
“Our trails and backcountry camping areas get more and more popular each year,” Whitehouse said in the release. “With that comes the chance of more unwanted interactions between bears and campers. Hopefully these boxes will keep the campers safe.”
Bear safety tips
Parkway officials urge visitors and neighbors to keep food out of sight and follow the safety tips from BearWise, a national educational program developed by bear biologists and employed by the N.C. Wildlife Commission. These include:
Never feed or approach a bear.
Secure food, garbage and recycling.
Remove bird feeders when bears are active.
Never leave pet food outdoors.
Clean and store grills.
Alert neighbors to bear activity.
For instructions on how to use bear spray and more guidelines on how to handle black bear encounters, visit bearwise.org. If anyone encounters a bear while on the parkway, call 828-298-2491 or stop at the nearest Visitor Center to report the encounter.
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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Bear-proof boxes installed in camping area near Mt. Mitchell
