Planning an overnight stay in the park? Camping can be a great way to truly experience the park. There is a lot of wildlife here, and night is a good time to see or hear many of our wild creatures. Proper precautions can keep you safe and keep unwanted animals out of your tent.
Black Bear
Safety tips:
Always keep a clean camp.
Never leave food lying out.
Never dump food scraps or other smelly stuff near your camping area.
Never bring food in your tent.
Lock food, trash, and scented items in a vehicle when not in use.
If you are backpacking or boating and do not have a vehicle, food should be hung in a tree out of reach of animals and away from your tent.
Use designated camping areas.
Keep your sleeping area, tent and sleeping bag free of food and odors.
Dispose of trash in bear resistant trash cans.
Keep a safe distance from all wildlife.
Never feed wild animals! It is dangerous to both you and the animal.
Always keep pets on a leash.
Black bears are occasionally encountered in the park, so be aware. You are most likely to run into raccoons or skunks trying to get your food or making a lot of noise trying to get into a trash can.
If you see a bear:
Remain watchful.
Do not approach it
Do not allow the bear to approach you.
If your presence causes the bear to change its behavior (stops feeding, changes its travel direction, watches you, etc.) you are too close.
Being too close may promote aggressive behavior from the bear such as running toward you, making loud noises, or swatting the ground. The bear is demanding more space. Don't run, but slowly back away, watching the bear. Increase the distance between you and the bear. The bear will probably do the same.
If a bear persistently follows or approaches you:
Change your direction.
If the bear continues to follow you, stand your ground.
If the bear gets closer, talk loudly or shout at it.
Act aggressively to intimidate the bear.
Act together as a group if you have companions. Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example, move to higher ground).
Throw non-food objects such as rocks at the bear.
Use a deterrent such as a stout stick.
Don't run and don't turn away from the bear.
Don't leave food for the bear; this encourages further problems.
If the idea of recreating in bear country makes you go, "NOPE!" this article is for you! Take a deep breath and we'll walk you through how to gain confidence and stay safe while recreating around bears.
Locations:Glacier National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Parkmore »
Offices:Harpers Ferry Center, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate
Most visitors to national parks today know that wild animals are dangerous and should be enjoyed from a distance. For decades, however, the National Park Service (NPS) struggled to prevent visitors from feeding bears. The situation was unhealthy for bears and downright dangerous for people. Breaking the cycle was a decades-long process of evolving policies, changing human habits, and returning bears to their wild foraging behaviors and traditional foods.
Locations:Denali National Park & Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
There are a combination of characteristics to look for that can help you identify between black and brown bears. Knowing the difference between the two can help you make safe choices in bear country.
Learn more about safely hiking in bear country. From hiking in a group to learning what to watch out for, check out this helpful list of safety tips for hiking in bear country.
Locations:Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Denali National Park & Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Kobuk Valley National Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Noatak National Preserve, Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preservemore »
Proper behavior in bear country and understanding bear behavior can help to avoid dangerous situations for people and bears. Bear spray should be used as a last line of defense when dealing with bears- not immediately upon seeing one. This introduction will help cover bear behaviors as well as safe use of bear pepper spray.
