- Yellowstone National Park is home to both grizzly and black bears.
- Make bears aware of your presence on trails by shouting or singing. This lessens the chance of sudden encounters, which are the cause of most bear-caused human injuries at Yellowstone Park. Hike in groups and use caution where vision is obstructed.
- Do not hike after dark. Avoid carcasses; bears often defend this source of food.
- If you encounter a bear, do not run. Bears can run over 30 miles per hour, or 44 feet per second, faster than Olympic sprinters. Running may provoke an attack from bears. If the bear is unaware of you, detour away from the bear. If the bear is aware of you and nearby, but has not acted aggressively, slowly back away.
- Tree climbing to avoid bears is popular advice but not practical. All black bears, all grizzly cubs, and some adult grizzlies can climb trees.
- Some bears will bluff their way out of a threatening situation by charging, then veering off or stopping abruptly at the last second. Bear experts generally recommend standing still until the bear stops and then slowly backing away. If a bear makes physical contact, drop to the ground, lie face down, and clasp your hands behind your neck. It may take all the courage you have, but lay still and remain silent. Resistance will only provoke the bear.
- Current bear populations are estimated at 500 each of both grizzly and black bears. They live in the Yellowstone forests and meadows, hunt and fish for food, including whitebark pine nuts and the Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
