Can you put a bird feeder at a campsite or in a national park?

A feeder on the RV awning feels like backyard feeding on wheels. In a national park it is feeding wildlife, which federal rules ban, and most state and county parks ban it too. Here is each rule we could read, with the words it uses and the reason it gives.

Updated November 3, 2026·8 min read

The short answer

No in any US national park. 36 CFR 2.2(a)(2) bans feeding wildlife, and wildlife there means any animal except fish, so a chickadee or a hummingbird counts.
Parks say it in plain words: Rocky Mountain's 2026 campground bulletins list "Hummingbird or bird feeders" as prohibited, and Chiricahua says "Bird feeders are prohibited in the park."
No in Canada's national parks either. The Wildlife Regulations ban feeding wildlife or setting out food to draw it in, and the Town of Banff added its own bylaw fines in October 2020.
Most state and county parks we read ban it too: California, Vermont, Maine and West Virginia ban feeding wildlife, and Oakland County, Michigan names feeders on RVs and trailers.
The stated reasons are the same everywhere: seed draws rodents, deer and bears into the site, and a fed animal loses its fear of people.

No, not in a national park. In every US national park, federal rule 36 CFR 2.2(a)(2) bans "the feeding ... of wildlife," and a bird feeder is feeding wildlife. Canada's national parks have the same ban. Most state and county parks we read ban it as well. A private campground sets its own rules, so ask at the office.

Two answers go around online. One says a bird feeder is harmless, so a feeder at camp is fine. The other says feeding birds is illegal everywhere. Neither is right. Feeding birds at home is legal almost everywhere, and the feeder ordinances page covers the few city limits. A park is a different case: the land is public, and the rules there protect the animals rather than the yard.

What "feeding wildlife" means in these rules#

Feeding wildlife means putting out food that a wild animal can eat. The National Park Service defines wildlife as "any member of the animal kingdom," except fish. So a chickadee, a hummingbird and a chipmunk all count. A seed feeder or a nectar feeder is food set out on purpose, which is the plainest case of feeding there is.

Some parks go further and count feeding by accident. Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona warns that visitors feeding wildlife "intentionally or unintentionally may be fined." Seed spilled under a feeder, or a bag left on the picnic table, is still food on the ground.

The rules, park by park#

Read from the texts cited below on November 3, 2026. "Names feeders?" asks whether the text says bird feeders in so many words. Where it does not, a general ban on feeding wildlife still covers them.

Where	What the rule says	Names feeders?	Reason given
Every US national park unit (36 CFR 2.2(a)(2))	Feeding wildlife prohibited	No, but wildlife is any animal except fish	Not stated in the rule
Rocky Mountain NP: Glacier Basin, Aspenglen, Moraine Park (2026 bulletins)	"Hummingbird or bird feeders" prohibited in the park	Yes	Human food harms wild animals and "can kill them"
Chiricahua NM: Bonita Canyon Campground	"Bird feeders are prohibited in the park"; bird seed stored in lockers	Yes	Rodents damage coolers and cars; "Animals smell food and water you do not"
Canada's national parks, except Wood Buffalo (Wildlife Regs s. 4(1)(f))	No feeding wildlife, or setting out food or bait to draw it in	No	Not stated in the rule
Town of Banff, AB (bylaw change, Oct 13, 2020)	Bylaw officers can fine for illegal feeders	Yes	Keep bears and other carnivores out of town
California state parks (14 CCR 4305(a))	No feeding "any kind of animal"	No	Not stated in the rule
Vermont state parks (rule 5, 2022)	Feeding wildlife by visitors prohibited	No	Not stated in the rule
Maine state parks and historic sites (rule 2)	Feeding or touching wild animals prohibited	No	Health and safety, for its food storage rule
West Virginia state parks and forests	Feeding wildlife is an unlawful act	No	Not stated
North Carolina state parks (rules page)	No feeding rule on the page; molesting any bird or animal banned	No	Not applicable
Michigan state parks (Land Use Order 5.12)	No statewide rule found; bird feeding banned at Belle Isle, bear feeding at Porcupine Mountains	No	Not stated
Oakland County, MI parks	Bird feeding not allowed, including feeders on or around RVs and trailers	Yes	Printed on its deer baiting flyer, but applies "regardless" of deer

Ten of the twelve rows ban feeding, by name or in general. The other two set no general rule we could find, so the park's posted rules decide. A feeder you take down before you leave home breaks none of them.

A worked case: one feeder, four campgrounds#

Take one hummingbird feeder on an RV awning and a bag of sunflower seed. Walk it through four stops.

Stop 1: Moraine Park Campground, Rocky Mountain National Park. The 2026 bulletin lists "Hummingbird or bird feeders" under "Prohibited in the park." So the feeder comes down. The seed and the nectar are still food. The same bulletin says food must go in a storage locker or a vehicle, and that leaving it out "will result in confiscation and/or citation." 36 CFR 2.10 lets a superintendent set these camp conditions, and breaking them is its own offense. The ceiling for any park rule is up to 6 months in jail and up to $5,000 under 18 USC 1865 and 3571.

Stop 2: a Vermont state park. Rule 5 says "The feeding of wildlife in State Parks by visitors is prohibited." The feeder stays in the RV.

Stop 3: a campground in an Oakland County, Michigan park. The county says park visitors "may not feed birds or other wildlife at any time," and names feeders "attached to or around RVs and trailers." This is the one rule we read that pictures your exact setup.

Stop 4: a private campground. No public rule applies to the feeder itself. Ask at the office, and treat a no as final. If the owner says yes, the bear rules of the state still apply once a bear finds it.

At three of the four stops the answer is no. At the fourth, it is the owner's call.

Canada: Banff and the national parks#

The National Parks of Canada Wildlife Regulations cover every national park except Wood Buffalo, which the text leaves out. Section 4(1)(f) says no person shall "touch or feed wildlife in a park" or draw it in by "holding out or setting out ... foodstuffs or bait of any kind." A feeder sets out food.

The Town of Banff sits inside Banff National Park, so the federal ban already covered its residents. The town still passed its own rule. On October 13, 2020, council changed the animal services bylaw so town officers could fine for illegal feeders. The reason, the Rocky Mountain Outlook reported, was that a charge through park wardens was "much more onerous" than a bylaw fine. The town's enforcement manager said feeder calls were "usually bears," which "seem to be able to climb up to some pretty high decks." One council member asked to allow winter feeders, as nearby Canmore does from December through March. The town manager said no: "feeding wildlife in the national park isn't permissible." Canmore lies outside the park, which is why its rule can differ.

Michigan: where the RV rule really comes from#

A search snippet says Michigan state parks bar bird feeders on RVs and trailers. The state rules we read do not say that. The DNR's Land Use Orders ban feeding "geese, gulls, and other bird species" at Belle Isle State Park in Detroit, and feeding bears at the Porcupine Mountains. We found no statewide line on feeders at campsites in the orders or in the state land use rules (R 299.922 and R 299.927).

The RV wording is real, but it belongs to Oakland County Parks, a county system north of Detroit. It prints the rule on a flyer about the state's ban on baiting or feeding deer in the Lower Peninsula, and says it applies "regardless of whether they're attracting deer." So the rule is strict at an Oakland County park and absent from most Michigan state parks. A posted park rule can still add it, so read the board at check-in.

Why parks care: rodents, deer and bears#

The parks that give a reason do not say seed harms birds. They point to what else seed brings in.

Rodents. Chiricahua stores food in metal boxes "because rodents may damage coolers and vehicles." Its page lists bears, mountain lions, bobcats, skunks, squirrels, coatis, rodents and snakes at the campground. Spilled seed is the same draw at camp as it is at home: see rats and mice.
Deer. Oakland County printed its ban on a deer baiting flyer, and deer eat spill under any low feeder. The deer page covers why.
Bears. Banff's bylaw exists to keep bears out of town. The bears page explains why a bear that learns to find food near people so often ends up killed.

Bird seed is also food under the storage rules. In bear country, keep the bag sealed in the vehicle or the locker, as you would at home in a sealed bin.

What you can do instead#

You can still watch birds at camp: the rules ban feeding, not watching. Leave the feeders at home, or packed and sealed, and put them back up in your own yard when you return. If you live full time in an RV and stay at one private site for months, ask the owner about a feeder and get the answer in writing.

Where this answer stops#

A sample of parks. We read the federal rules, two national park units, Canada's regulations, one Canadian town, five states and one county. Thousands of parks have rules we did not read.
Other public land. National forests, Bureau of Land Management land and Army Corps lakes have their own rules. We did not read them, so this page does not rule on them.
Posted rules add to these. A superintendent or a park manager can post stricter rules. Read the bulletin or the board at the entrance.
Private campgrounds. We found no published rule to cite. The owner decides, and state bear and deer feeding laws still apply on private land.

The short version holds across every rule above: in a park, the feeder stays home. For feeding at your own house, the problems section covers what eats your seed, and the site FAQ has the short answer on whether feeding birds is legal at all.

Frequently asked questions#

Can I hang a hummingbird feeder at a national park campsite?

No. Federal rule 36 CFR 2.2(a)(2) bans feeding wildlife in every national park unit, and the rules define wildlife as any animal except fish. Rocky Mountain National Park's 2026 bulletins for Glacier Basin, Aspenglen and Moraine Park list "Hummingbird or bird feeders" by name among things prohibited in the park. Nectar is food, so it also falls under the park's food storage rules when it is not in use.

What is the fine for feeding birds in a national park?

The rule itself sets no dollar amount. A violation of National Park Service rules carries up to 6 months in jail, a fine, or both under 18 USC 1865, and the federal fine ceiling for an offense of that class is $5,000 for an individual under 18 USC 3571. Chiricahua's campground page warns that visitors feeding wildlife "intentionally or unintentionally may be fined."

Are bird feeders allowed in state park campgrounds?

Usually not. California's state park rule bans feeding any kind of animal, Vermont's rule 5 bans feeding wildlife in state parks, Maine bans feeding or touching wild animals, and West Virginia lists feeding wildlife as an unlawful act. North Carolina's rules page does not mention feeding, so ask the ranger there. A feeder counts as feeding under all of these.

Do Michigan state parks ban bird feeders on RVs?

Not in the state rules we read. The Michigan DNR Land Use Orders name bird feeding at Belle Isle and bear feeding at the Porcupine Mountains, and the state land use rules do not mention it. The RV and trailer wording comes from Oakland County Parks, a county system, which says park visitors may not feed birds at any time, including feeders on or around RVs and trailers.

Can you have a bird feeder in Banff?

No. Federal rules already banned bird feeders in Banff National Park, townsite included. In October 2020 the Town of Banff changed its animal services bylaw so its own officers can fine for illegal feeders, because charges through park wardens were harder to lay. The town said it could not allow feeders because it sits inside a national park where feeding wildlife is not permitted.

Sources and further reading

36 CFR 2.2, Wildlife protection National Park Service, via Cornell Legal Information Institute (a)(2) prohibits "The feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentional disturbing of wildlife nesting, breeding or other activities"
36 CFR 1.4, What terms do I need to know? National Park Service, via Cornell Legal Information Institute Wildlife means any member of the animal kingdom, including eggs and offspring, except fish
36 CFR 2.10, Camping and food storage National Park Service, via Cornell Legal Information Institute Superintendent may set conditions for camping; violating them is prohibited; food storage areas where food must be sealed in a vehicle or hard-sided unit or hung at least 10 ft up
36 CFR 1.3, Penalties; 18 USC 1865; 18 USC 3571 and 3559 Cornell Legal Information Institute NPS rule violations: up to 6 months, a fine, or both; 6 months or less is a Class B misdemeanor, fine up to $5,000 for an individual (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3571)
Glacier Basin Campground Site Bulletin 2026 (also Aspenglen and Moraine Park) Rocky Mountain National Park, National Park Service "Prohibited in the park" list includes "Hummingbird or bird feeders"; "It is illegal to feed wildlife"; improper food storage "will result in confiscation and/or citation"
Bonita Canyon Campground Chiricahua National Monument, National Park Service "Bird feeders are prohibited in the park"; visitors feeding wildlife "intentionally or unintentionally may be fined"; bird seed must go in storage lockers or a closed vehicle
National Parks of Canada Wildlife Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1124 / SOR/81-401), s. 3 and 4(1)(f) Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada No person shall "touch or feed wildlife in a park or entice wildlife ... by holding out or setting out ... foodstuffs or bait of any kind"; applies to all parks other than Wood Buffalo
Bunnies, bird-feeders banned in Banff (19 Oct 2020) Cathy Ellis, Rocky Mountain Outlook Animal services bylaw change passed Oct 13, 2020 lets bylaw officers fine for illegal feeders; town manager: "feeding wildlife in the national park isn't permissible"
Banning bird-feeders to prevent luring bears into Banff (16 Sep 2020) Cathy Ellis, Rocky Mountain Outlook Feeders already banned federally; warden charges more onerous than a bylaw; bear calls involved bears climbing to high decks for feeders
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, sec. 4305, Animals California Department of Parks and Recreation, via Cornell Legal Information Institute "No person shall molest, hunt, disturb, harm, feed, touch, tease, or spotlight any kind of animal"
Rules and Regulations: Visitor Conduct and Fees (effective 08/24/2022) Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation General visitor conduct rule 5: "The feeding of wildlife in State Parks by visitors is prohibited."
Park Rules Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands Rule 2: "Feeding or touching wild animals found in the parks or historic sites is prohibited"; food put away securely
Rules and Regulations, West Virginia State Parks and Forests West Virginia Division of Natural Resources "Feeding wildlife" listed among unlawful acts in state parks and state forests
NC State Parks Rules and Regulations North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation No feeding rule on the page; "molesting of any bird or animal is prohibited"
Land Use Orders of the Director, Order 5.12 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Belle Isle SP: no feeding geese, gulls and other bird species; Porcupine Mountains: no feeding bears; no statewide campsite feeder rule found
Wildlife Management: New Bird Feeding Rules Oakland County Parks and Recreation, Michigan "Bird Feeding is Not Allowed in Oakland County Parks", including "bird feeders attached to or around RVs and trailers at campgrounds"