Yellowstone National Park hiker injured in bear attack
The Western News | The Western News | UPDATED 10 months, 3 weeks AGO
Work on grizzly bear research continues in the NCDE.
A 29-year-old man sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being attacked by a bear while hiking on the Turbid Lake Trail, located northeast of Mary Bay in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park officials said Tuesday in a news release.
The man was hiking alone, about 2.5 miles from the Pelican Valley Trailhead in the Pelican Valley Bear Management Area, when he encountered the bear, the park said.
In an update Thursday, Park officials said the hiker was treated for his injuries and released from the hospital. The National Park Service investigated the attack site, discovered a carcass near the trail and confirmed grizzly tracks.
When the bear attacked, the hiker used his bear spray. Injuries to his chest and left arm were described as significant, but he was still able to walk back to the trailhead with National Park Service medics who responded to the incident.
After arriving at the trailhead, NPS personnel transported the hiker in a park ambulance to the Lake Medical Clinic. He was then flown to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The hiker thought the bear was a black bear, but the location, size and behavior of the described bear suggest it might have been a grizzly bear.
The Turbid Lake Trail is closed until further notice. Bear management staff are sweeping the trail to ensure no other hikers are on the trail. Visit Backcountry Conditions for status and conditions of park trails.
Because this incident was a defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter, the park will not be taking any management action against the bear.
This is the first incident of a bear injuring a person in Yellowstone in 2025. The last incident was in May 2021 when a grizzly bear injured a solo hiker on the Beaver Ponds Trail in Mammoth Hot Springs.
Officials offered the following tips to help avoid surprise bear encounters:
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
- Be alert. See the bear before you surprise it. Watch for fresh tracks, scat, and feeding sites (signs of digging, rolled rocks, torn up logs, ripped open ant hills).
- Make noise.
- Hike in groups of three or more people.
- Stay 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears at all times.
- Stay on trail and don't hike at dawn, dusk, or at night, when grizzlies are most active.
- Don’t run from a bear.