Known as the Crown of the Continent, Glacier National Park is an incredible destination boasting over 1,500 square miles of Montana wilderness to explore. In 2024, 3.2 million tourists flocked to Glacier to experience its incredible landscape featuring melting glaciers, verdant alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes. With 700+ miles of trails, Glacier is a veritable paradise for hikers seeking to experience pristine ecosystems and the diverse natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
One prominent member of Glacier’s ecosystem is its grizzly bear population. As of May 2023, an estimated 300 grizzly bears were living inside the park. As the weather warms and grizzly bears come out of hibernation, encounters with visitors will ensue and it’s important to know what to do if you cross paths with one of these apex predators.
The following video was taken this month and shows a grizzly bear cub hitching a ride on its mother back across one of Glacier’s 762 lakes. Hard to say how close the person taking the video was to the grizzlies, but it is important to keep in mind that Glacier requires visitors to maintain a 100 yard distance from grizzly bears at all times. Rather than approaching a grizzly bear to get better picture, Glacier recommends using telephoto lenses or the zoom feature on your smartphone.
While maintaining a safe distance from grizzly bears as you take pictures and videos is commonsense, another important precaution that you may not consider is to keep the bear’s line of travel or escape route clear. It’s easy to forget to keep a clear lane of egress when watching these incredible animals through the screen of your phone, so remember to always be alert and aware. Learn more about Glacier National Park bear safety below.
Glacier National Park Bear Encounter Safety Guidelines
If you encounter a bear inside the minimum recommended safe distance (100 yards; 91 m), you can decrease your risk by following these guidelines:
- If a bear or other animal is moving in your direction on a trail, get out of its way and let it pass.
- If you can move away, do so. If moving away appears to agitate the bear, stop. In general, bears show agitation by swaying their heads, huffing, and clacking their teeth. Lowered head and laid-back ears also indicate aggression. Bears may stand on their hind legs or approach to get a better view, but these actions are not necessarily signs of aggression. The bear may not have identified you as a person and may be unable to smell or hear you from a distance. Help the bear recognize you as a friendly human.
- Talk quietly.
- Do not run! Back away slowly. Stop if it seems to agitate the bear.
- Use your peripheral vision. Bears may interpret direct eye contact as threatening.
- Continue to move away as the situation allows.
- If a bear appears intent on approaching you, your group, or your campsite in a non-defensive manner (not showing signs of agitation), gather your group together, make noise, and try to discourage the bear from further approaching. Prepare to deploy your bear spray. If you are preparing or consuming food, secure it. DO NOT LET THE BEAR GET YOUR FOOD!
- If a bear approaches in a defensive manner (appears agitated and/or charges), stop. Do not run. Talk quietly to the bear. Prepare to deploy your bear spray. If contact appears imminent and you do not have bear spray, protect your chest and abdomen by falling to the ground on your stomach, clasp your hands around the back of your neck, and leave your pack on for protection. If the bear attempts to roll you over, try to stay on your stomach. If the attack is defensive, the bear will leave once it recognizes you are not a threat. If the attack is prolonged, FIGHT BACK!
