A black bear attacked a group of hikers Tuesday afternoon on Washington state’s Mount Si, injuring at least one teenager and prompting closures that remain in effect.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, officers received a report around 1pm on June 16th that a black bear had charged three hikers approximately 2.7 miles up the Mount Si trail at Mount Si Natural Resources Conservation Area, located in Northeast King County east of Seattle. The bear swiped at and scratched a teenage boy, forcing King County Search and Rescue to transport him to a local hospital.
King County Search and Rescue reported that two people were injured in the encounter, with crews from Regional Special Vehicles Unit, King County Explorer Search and Rescue, and Seattle Mountain Rescue assisting in the evacuation. Both patients were brought off the trail safely by 4:15pm.
A separate group of hikers reported being followed closely by a bear for several miles on the same trail. WDFW believes the animal involved was a mother bear with a cub. The trail remains closed while Fish and Wildlife officers work to locate the animals.
Black bear attacks of this nature are incredibly rare in Washington. According to WDFW, the state’s only recorded fatal black bear attack occurred in 1974, and authorities have documented roughly 20 bear encounters resulting in injury since 1970, with the most recent prior incident in 2022.
WDFW estimates Washington is home to approximately 22,000 black bears statewide. Hikers throughout bear country are urged to take precautions in the field, including standing tall and waving your arms to identify yourself as human, backing away slowly without direct eye contact, and never running if you encounter a bear. Hikers should make noise on the trail, keep pets leashed, and carry accessible bear spray and know how to use it.
Mount Si draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and is considered a gateway hike for many in the greater Seattle area.
