You are here

Bears Out In Force In Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Teton National Parks

Share

Earlier this month, Yellowstone National Park officials issued a release warning that grizzly bears very possibly would be active in their search for food this fall and humans should be especially alert. Well, it seems the bears took that message to heart.

On Friday bears were spotted on the streets in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park.

"There’s a grizzly, a lone grizzly, and a black bear with two cubs that have been walking Mammoth," Yellowstone spokesman Dan Hottle said Friday afternoon. And while the bears hadn't come into contact with any humans, he noted there had been a mauling in the Bridger-Teton National Forest south of Yellowstone earlier in the week.

Up in Glacier National Park in northern Montana, meanwhile, park officials initially said this week that the St. Mary Campground would reopen, but only to hard-sided campers due to recent bear activity. But on Friday they reversed course, saying there was too much bear activity to allow that.

"Since that (earlier) announcement, there has been increased black and grizzly bear activity in and around the campground. Efforts to haze the bears from the area have been unsuccessful," park spokeswoman Denise Germann said in a release. "For public and bear safety issues, the campground will be temporarily closed until bear activity decreases.

"At this time of year, bears are entering a phase called hyperphagia. It is a period of concentrated feeding to prepare for hibernation," she added. "This year there has been an exceptionally abundant crop of a variety of berries located in the campground, attracting bears to the area."

So if you're heading into parks in the Rockies, keep an eye out for bears.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.