Bears and leaving things in the car

We will be arriving around noon before the Cedar Grove lodging is ready and want to take some short hikes, maybe stop in Grant Grove for Panoramic Point, see some Sequoia, stop by Hume Lake before we get to Cedar Grove , but our bags and cooler will be in the SUV. Is this a bad idea during the day in terms of bears breaking in? If so, what do we do with our stuff until our room is ready? I%26#39;ve been to Kings Canyon several times but always checked into lodging first, so I%26#39;m not sure what to do about it this time. I thought I saw someone say on a previous post this was not a good idea. Any thoughts?

Bears and leaving things in the car

Here%26#39;s a list of available bear lockers:

nps.gov/archive/鈥ockers.rtf

Here is a link of what to do about food in the park:

nps.gov/archive/鈥ood_storage.htm

Bears and leaving things in the car

When I was there years ago, I noted that bears had broken into a jeep with fabric sides/top (probably at night), but I would think that you would be fairly save with a metal and glass SUV parked in a parking lot during the day. I am not an expert, but the rangers could advise you....ask when you enter the park or at a ranger station.

Out of sight and sealed tight. Park in busy areas. You won%26#39;t have any problems. Bears look into car windows and recognize containers and other obvious food sources. Responsible visitors know to ';Haze'; bears that are around cars, buildings, etc. This means to stand large, shout, throw things and intimidate. It trains bears that it isn%26#39;t worth it and it is a very successful strategy for managing Black Bears (for their protection).

Here%26#39;s a thought: What would you do if you came upon a group of 20 to 30 tourists watching a bear go through a cooler or backpack...or look into car windows? If everyone was quiet and taking pictures; would you join in, or scare the bear off? If you scare the bear off, I am sure others would be furious, but you would have done the right thing.