Some of these bear boxes (aka 'food storage lockers') are not on the park service info sheets. Please send me text descriptions of how to find these or other food lockers, GPS coordinates (include datum!) or marked maps with updates, additions, and corrections. If you don't have details, even HINTS are welcome.
If you have the Topo! software from Wildflower, send me a .tpo or .tpg file, or better yet export the waypoints and email me the text file. If you ask, I'll email you .tpo files or tiny GIF files with scanned topo fragments so you can mark the location and email them back to me. If you follow the links below down to the box details, you will find a link to TopoZone where you can view online maps showing the approximate bear box location, or you can view local JPEG maps where I've marked the locations already. NEW FOR 2007: From each regional or box detail page, you can view that region overlaid with roads and trails on satellite images or maps using Google Maps (web application) or Google Earth (must download and install).
BEAR BOXES: TABLE OF CONTENTS: | |
 | |
- every box is shown, with links to the same data as the regional lists - one-line summaries of all the boxes in every region - GPS waypoints and full text descriptions - even without a GPS, use these waypoints to find box locations on a map | |
Those boxes which have been field-checked by Climber.Org contributors are indicated by waypoints starting with "BB". Unverified boxes have waypoints starting with "XX", and the GPS coordinates associated with them range from a good guess to throwing a dart at a map - I read the ranger's description of where they are, and extracted a coordinate from the map. If you are going to a place with an unverified box, please take notes and update this file!
Waypoint data is shown in Waypoint+ format - copy and paste into a local text file, then read it into Waypoint+ or TOPO!GPS. Note that both NAD27 and NAD83 data are provided, and both latitude/longitude and UTM coordinates are available. If you don't understand these acronyms, please click here for a UTM and LAT/LON coordinate explanation from the Sierra Peaks List page.
The amount of error between the datum used for drawing most UGSG maps (NAD27) and the datum used by GPS satellites (WGS84 is essentially the same as NAD83) varies with location. Authoritative details of how to convert between NAD27 and NAD83, including charts of how much difference there is between them as a function of location, can be found on the US National Geodetic Survey's NADCON page.
Even if you don't have a GPS receiver, use the waypoints in the regional box listings to find box locations on paper maps or your favorite mapping software. All users of TOPO version 2.0 and later (even without the TOPO!GPS upgrade) can open the 'TPG' file in any region, sort by distance from the anchor point, and jump to any waypoint by clicking in the list (see regional listings for links to these binary waypoint files). Files on Climber.Org are more up-to-date, but you can also visit the TOPO Trails home page to retrieve .tpo and .tpg files for all three of their CDROMs covered by this list of peaks (Sequoia, Yosemite, plus a complete file for the USA CD). Bookmarks help you find them before or after you overlay the regions with GPS coordinates to locate the boxes.
Maintained by Steve Eckert.
| DATE | REVISION HISTORY |
| 3 Dec 07 | Rae Lakes update from Steve Eckert |
| 14 Nov 07 | Kern Canyon updates from Jeffrey Zimmerman |
| 28 Jan 07 | reformatted pages including ability to view data in Google Maps, with lots of help and some prodding from Craig Stanton |
| 27 Jan 07 | switch from interactive CGI script to generated static HTML files for better speed, lower server load |
| 23 Jan 07 | new Tuolumne Backpackers box, GPS coords and descriptions from Kevin Freer |
| 22 Sep 06 | Curry Backpacker Campground GPS coords and descriptions from Kevin Freer |
| 22 Sep 06 | BA and HS and KC - GPS coords and descriptions from Mark Sapiro |
| 15 Aug 06 | add Agnew Meadows in Ansel Adams Wilderness, from George Barnes |
| 1 Apr 06 | rename Minaret Wilderness (MW) to Ansel Adams Wilderness (AA) |
| 28 Mar 06 | use restrictions on Rae Lakes boxes, from Peter Stephens |
| 4 Jan 06 | fixed Reds Meadow and added north Lake Edison box, GPS coords from Robert Miller |
| 25 Nov 05 | per-box maps in addition to regional maps, always show regional maps, rename CK to KA and add Onion Valley |
| 21 Sep 05 | added Horseshoe Meadow region |
| 26 Aug 05 | entirely new click and region maps are higher resolution AND faster to download |
| 24 Aug 05 | renamed and split regions, added Rock Creek North and finished Courtright Reservoir |
| 4 Aug 05 | checked coords for box on Copper Creek / Tent Mdw |
| 14 Oct 04 | the last unverified Woods Creek box - got GPS coords from Roy Holsinger |
| 14 Oct 04 | new locations near Mountain Home (Dillonwood and South Fork) from Steve Eckert |
| 14 Sep 04 | new locations in Yosemite East from Steve Eckert |
| 18 Jul 04 | major update of Cedar Grove and Woods Creek regions from Steve Eckert |
| 7 Jul 04 | 'grigsby' pointed out CG and CK data were swapped, maps were inconsistent with labels |
| 3 Sep 03 | Sugarloaf updates, new Edison Lake and Courtright Reservoir regions from Steve Eckert |
| 2 Sep 03 | Rock Creek update from Arturo Crespo, Yosemite cable notes from Kim Fishburn |
| 6 Nov 02 | cleaned up High Sierra Trail - all boxes now have GPS coords |
| 9 Sep 02 | Yosemite split into 3 regions, renamed other regions, moved boxes between regions |
| 9 Sep 02 | Yosemite updates from Steve Eckert, High Sierra Trail updates from Gary Craig |
| 7 Aug 02 | Big Five Lake and Lost Canyon updates from Arturo Crespo and Anne Hartman |
| 18 Jul 02 | field check updates for Kearsarge Lakes and Bubbs Creek, from Gary Craig |
| 13 Jul 02 | lots of field check updates for Sugarloaf and Lodgepole, from Steve Eckert |
| 2 Oct 01 | new Mineral King boxes, update Franklin Lake locations, from Steve Eckert |
| 26 Sep 01 | note that Columbine Lake box has been removed, from Anne Hartman |
| 24 Sep 01 | coords and description for Crabtree and Rock Creek, from Scott Sullivan |
| 20 Sep 01 | add South Lake boxes, entirely new region, from Steve Eckert |
| 30 Aug 01 | coords and description for Lower Soldier Lake, from Rick Booth |
| 30 Aug 01 | correct NineMile Creek, Pinto Lake, and Hamilton Lake, from Paul Buehler |
| 5 Aug 01 | add Big Pine Creek boxes, entirely new region, from Steve Eckert |
| 5 Aug 01 | update Curry Village area boxes, from Steve Eckert |
| 22 Jun 01 | update Pinto Lake box, from Paul Buehler |
| 20 Jun 01 | major update after field checking all Hockett Plateau boxes, from Steve Eckert |
| 17 Mar 01 | new file locations, show table and waypoint data on same page |
| 10 Feb 01 | updated many descriptions from Michael Golden |
| 10 Feb 01 | updated Sugarloaf/Comanche from Joe Leal |
| 10 Feb 01 | updated Glen Aulin from Peter Labarba |
| 21 Sep 00 | update all Hwy 120 boxes with real GPS coords and box counts, from Steve Eckert |
| 14 Aug 00 | major updates to Woods Creek (Rae Lakes), including a new box, from Laura Civiello |
| 14 Aug 00 | major updates to Tyndall/Crabtree, Kern Canyon, and Mineral King, from Kit Groves |
| 14 Aug 00 | new boxes in Minaret Wilderness and Yosemite Park, from Cindy Miller |
| 14 Aug 00 | GPS verification and improved text for boxes from Kearsarge to Forester Pass, from Steve Eckert |
| 18 Jul 00 | added bear cable at Pate Valley, from Debbie Bulger |
| 03 Jul 00 | added boxes at observed at Crescent Meadow, from Steve Eckert |
| 25 Jun 00 | added clickable map of bear box regions |
| 12 Jun 00 | updated several High Sierra Trail box descriptions, from Mark Connell |
| 30 Dec 99 | added UTM coordinate display and links to online maps |
| 17 Dec 99 | routes and waypoints shortened for Garmin GPS, common subroutines moved into modules |
| 12 Dec 99 | Ranger Lake description updated with text and GPS coords from Bob Gross |
| 07 Dec 99 | added links to TOPO! Trails |
| 01 Dec 99 | added Glen Aulin bear cable, from Douglas Smith |
| 30 Nov 99 | 4x descriptions and GPS waypoints for Paradise Valley, from Scott Carpenter |
| 29 Nov 99 | revised Shadow Lake cable info, from Alan Ritter |
| 29 Nov 99 | put in guesses for ALL waypoints, including elevations, added notes to some |
| 24 Nov 99 | put in elevations and better formatting for known waypoints |
| 23 Nov 99 | switched from plain HTML to CGI script |
| 20 Sep 99 | updated Seville Lake box description, from Hal Murray |
| 20 Sep 99 | updated Monarch Lake box description and coords, from Steve Eckert |
| 16 Sep 99 | Merced and Vogelsang descriptions and coords, from Kalon Kelley |
| 15 Sep 99 | Ranger and Twin Lake box descriptions, from Hal Murray |
| 15 Sep 99 | Bubbs and East Lake box waypoints, from Scott Sullivan |
| 14 Sep 99 | Charlotte and Bubbs area boxes, from Dave Johnson and Scott Sullivan |
| 14 Sep 99 | new Yosemite roadside boxes with GPS coords, from from Steve Eckert |
| 11 Aug 99 | BBSR07-BBSR10 descriptions and GPS coords, from Steve Eckert |
| 10 Jun 99 | BBBC01 description, from Tony Cruz |
| 08 Mar 99 | added Shadow Lake cable, Minaret Wildernes category |
| 03 Mar 99 | added text description of Sequoia boxes, split High Sierra from Lodgepole |
| 12 Oct 98 | two Mineral King boxes |
| 18 Aug 98 | links to regions |
| 13 Aug 98 | Yosemite boxes |
| 05 Aug 98 | initials and dates of field checkers |
| 22 Jul 98 | initial numbering of boxes for field-checked GPS coordinates |
| 1997 | original release |
(end of file)