Yellowstone National Park‘s 2.2 million acres are a hotspot for incredible wildlife opportunities, with a wide range of mammals from small weasels to enormous bison (largest land mammal in the United States). Every guest has their own goal while visiting the vast wilderness, but many people visit with the goal of spotting one of the park’s hundreds of grizzly bears.
An estimated 150–200 grizzly bears have a range wholly or partially in the park, but around 1,030 are estimated to live in the Greater Yellowstone area in its entirety. They can be spotted anywhere in the park, but are most commonly viewed at dawn and dusk in the Hayden and Lamar valleys, on the north slopes of Mount Washburn, and from Fishing Bridge to the East Entrance.
Earlier this May while checking out some of Yellowstone’s iconic hydrothermal features, a handful of tourists were presented with a pretty incredible sight. A grizzly bear popped out of the woods in Black Sand Basin, hopping up onto the boardwalk and wandering past Cliff Geyser. Fortunately a park ranger showed up within minutes of the bear appearing and managed to direct everyone away from the animal, preventing what could have been a negative encounter.
Meredith, the original poster of the video, explained that she had her bear spray ready to go through the entire encounter but she unfortunately appeared to be the only visitor prepared with the deterrent. Bear spray is highly successful at stopping aggressive behavior in bears, irritating the animal’s nose, eyes, and lungs to cause significant, temporary pain. All visitors to the park should have bear spray in an easily accessible location (not inside a backpack) and should know how to use it. Read more on bear safety in Yellowstone below.
Yellowstone National Park Bear Safety Guidelines:
All of Yellowstone is grizzly and black bear country, from the trails in the park’s backcountry to the boardwalks and parking lots around Old Faithful. Your safety cannot be guaranteed, but you can play an active role in protecting yourself and the bears people come here to enjoy.
- Stay at least 100 yards from bears.
- Carry bear spray (and know how to use it).
- Hike in groups of 3 or more people.
- Know what to do if you encounter a bear.
- Respect closures and restrictions.
- Honk if a bear approaches your car.
- Deter bears while camping.
