Parking at Agnew Meadows/Mammoth

[robow8]

So, with about 7 weeks to go until our trip, I can hardly think of anything else. I am planning on getting up early enough to park at Agnew Meadows, but if I'm not able to make it and have to park at Mammoth Mountain and catch the shuttle, is the parking at Mammoth Mountain secure enough? Do I need to empty my car of smellables, and if I do, are there bear boxes to store stuff?

Thanks!

[c9h13no3]

Mammoth is like a small city. You park on a road near the ski lifts and walk to the shuttle stop. There are mountain bikers whizzing by & going up lifts, buses hauling bikes. The few times I parked there, I didn't take any bear counter-measures. But at the same time, I don't leave much in my car either. I doubt they'd enter such a populated area though.

[bobby49]

Black bears are prevalent over the town of Mammoth Lakes at about any time of the year.

[gary c.]

I've parked in the roadside parking a lot and never had a problem. Always seemed as sequre as anyplace else. I don't think that there are any bear lockers available though.

[c9h13no3]

Yeah, I wouldn't leave a cheese pizza in the car or anything. But I wouldn't scour the car for tubes of chapstick or anything like that either if you're parking & walking to the shuttle.

If you park in the Agnew Meadows pullout, that's another story. Much more isolated.

[Dave_Ayers]

A JMT friend had her car smashed in by a bear while parked at the ski area in Aug '15. Take the warnings seriously ...

[robow8]

A JMT friend had her car smashed in by a bear while parked at the ski area in Aug '15. Take the warnings seriously ...

I don't plan on having anything inside the cabin, but will toiletries in the trunk be okay?

[maverick]

but will toiletries in the trunk be okay?

Like what? Anything that has added fragrance is a no-no: soap, toothpaste, mint floss, or underarm deodorant are out.

[The Other Tom]

Do they have bear boxes at Agnew Meadow or DPP ? If so, could you take your smelly stuff with you and store it in the bear boxes? Don't forget to pick it up on your way back

[robow8]

Thanks everyone for commenting. My plan for now is to make sure that I get up early enough to be able to drive to Agnew Meadows, but if that doesn't happen (my wife gets up at 5am every day to take some medication, so I don't foresee that happening), we'll park at Mammoth and take a small bag of smellables with us to Agnew Meadows and keep them in a bear box there.
Thanks again!