Campgrounds closed after bear sightings

OREM — Bear sightings and activity have forced the closure and camping restrictions of several camping areas.

The Payson Lakes group sites and adjacent Box Lake area were closed Monday and will remain closed until the bears have been caught or bear activity diminishes.

The campsites are within the Spanish Fork Ranger District of the Uinta National Forest and are approximately 5 miles from a Mt. Nebo Scenic Byway campground closed last week because of bear sightings.

The closed sites are reservation only and no campers were in the area when the bear was sighted, officials said in a statement.

The closures may affect those with reservations beginning Wednesday.

Camping restrictions also were issued for several campgrounds in the Ashley National Forest near Vernal.

The U.S. Forest Service said black bears were sighted at the Moon Lake and Brownie Lake campgrounds. The area has been temporarily closed to campers in tents but those in campers and trailers with hard siding are allowed to camp there.

"My concern is public safety and we are working closely with DWR to monitor the situation," Ashley National Forest supervisor Kevin Elliott said in a statement.

Bears have a good sense of smell and could be attracted to food left out. Finding food in a campground could condition a bear to look for humans with food. Officials ask campers to keep campsites clean and store food in containers in vehicles.