Grand Teton National Park
Bears at Grand Tetons
Bears have always played a central role in the Greater Yellowstone eco-system. In Grand Teton National Park specifically, black bears are frequently seen; grizzlies have become more common as they make a comeback in the area. While they may look similar at a distance, black bears and grizzlies have some major differences that you can easily learn to recognize.
Bear Comparison
Black bears (Ursus americanus) actually vary in color from cinnamon to blond to black. They are generally smaller than grizzlies and have much narrower faces. They weigh around 125 to 200 pounds. Black bears have shorter, more curved claws than grizzlies, which help them climb trees.
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribillis) are the largest carnivores in the continental United States. They have a distinctive hump of muscle over their shoulders and a wide face. Their fur ranges in color from blond to black but tends to have silver—or grizzled—tips, thus the bear's name. Adults average 350 pounds, although some bears have weighed more than 650 pounds.
Bear Clues
Look for signs such as overturned or torn apart logs, excavated mammal burrows, broken branches and twigs, and claw marks on trees. You may also see scat (droppings) or tracks. Black bear and grizzly bear tracks are primarily distinguished by their size: Grizzly tracks can be more than 10 inches long!
When hiking or camping, be cautious in areas that suggest bear activity. Make noise when traveling, by talking or singing, so bears won't be surprised by your presence. (Bear bells, although a fun souvenir, do not generally make sufficient noise.)
If You See a Bear
If you spot a bear, do not approach it. Moving closer for a better look or to take a picture may inspire an attack. Female bears with cubs or bears defending a carcass food supply are especially dangerous. Be alert.
If you encounter a bear, do not run or make abrupt moves. Bears are hunters and instinctively chase anything that flees. A bear may "bluff charge" and stop short of touching you. If possible, stay still until the bear calms down, then slowly back away. If you cannot detour, wait until the bear moves away from your route. If the bear knocks you down, curl into a ball and protect your stomach and neck.
As a precaution for hikers in bear country, it is recommended that you carry bear pepper spray and have it ready and available to use.
Report all bear sightings as soon as possible to the nearest NPS ranger. Someone else's safety may depend on your information!
Don't Feed the Bears
A fed bear is a dead bear. When bears become accustomed to eating human food and garbage, their role in the park's natural environment is altered. They often turn into annoying or aggressive intruders who must be killed if they become a threat to visitors.
Yet the bears are not to blame. It is up to each person who enters the park to take the necessary precautions to be responsible and safe by bear-proofing all food and related supplies.
Bearproof Food Storage
To protect yourself and the bears, please heed the following suggestions:
•â€‚ Never leave food, trash or other scented items unattended.
•â€‚ Prepare food at least 100 yards from your tent site and do not store food in your tent or sleeping bag.
•â€‚ Properly store all food and odorous items in storage boxes where provided, sealing items in air-tight containers to minimize odors. This includes grocery bags, garbage and scented articles such as soap, sunscreen, hairspray and toothpaste. Clean fire grills and picnic tables after use and put all trash in a proper trash can or back in your vehicle.
•â€‚ If storage boxes are not available, seal all food and odorous items in airtight containers and lock them in your vehicle's trunk. If a trunk is not available, cover food and store it out of sight in the vehicle's passenger compartment, with windows closed tightly.
•â€‚ In the backcountry, pack your food and odorous items in storage boxes where possible or put them in dur-able bags and hang them from trees or hanging poles at campsites at least 10 feet high and four feet from the tree trunk. Carry enough clothesline or parachute cord for this purpose.
•â€‚ Follow all park rules on bear- proofing your food supply. For more information, ask at any visitor center for pamphlets on backcountry safety and bear safety.
Grand Teton In Depth
News from the Parks
Gettysburg Address to Return for Visitor Center Grand Opening
August 21, 2008 - 5:04pm
There are only five known manuscripts of the famous Gettysburg Address, penned by President Abraham Lincoln — one of those original documents is scheduled to appear in Gettysburg, during the grand opening celebration of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.
August 21, 2008 - 5:04pm
There are only five known manuscripts of the famous Gettysburg Address, penned by President Abraham Lincoln — one of those original documents is scheduled to appear in Gettysburg, during the grand opening celebration of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.
Anglers Wary of North Cascades Plan to Limit Fishing
August 21, 2008 - 10:51am
Not much comes easy in the precipitous ice-and-rock geography of North Cascades National Park -- not the hiking, not the high-lakes fishing, and across the park's 40 years of existence, not even fish management. This is what I'm thinking during the sweaty hike out of the stunning cirque that embraces Monogram Lake, where I've spent a couple hours catching and releasing dozens of pretty cutthroat trout with two mountain anglers who fear that soon there will be no fish in the park's high lakes. Whether trout should be in these lakes at all has been an issue since the park was created in 1968, and it is coming to a head with the release in July of the park's voluminous "Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan."
August 21, 2008 - 10:51am
Not much comes easy in the precipitous ice-and-rock geography of North Cascades National Park -- not the hiking, not the high-lakes fishing, and across the park's 40 years of existence, not even fish management. This is what I'm thinking during the sweaty hike out of the stunning cirque that embraces Monogram Lake, where I've spent a couple hours catching and releasing dozens of pretty cutthroat trout with two mountain anglers who fear that soon there will be no fish in the park's high lakes. Whether trout should be in these lakes at all has been an issue since the park was created in 1968, and it is coming to a head with the release in July of the park's voluminous "Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan."
Bison Advocates Go for Space
August 21, 2008 - 10:48am
As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."
August 21, 2008 - 10:48am
As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."
Rapid Climate Change Threatens to Thaw Icy Wonderland of Alaska
August 21, 2008 - 10:43am
I was in Alaska for 10 days in August, on a fellowship with Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to see firsthand the effects of global warming. I didn't have to look far. I watched massive chunks of glacial ice breaking off into the sea.
August 21, 2008 - 10:43am
I was in Alaska for 10 days in August, on a fellowship with Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to see firsthand the effects of global warming. I didn't have to look far. I watched massive chunks of glacial ice breaking off into the sea.
Park Seeks Construction Comment
August 21, 2008 - 10:38am
The National Park Service proposes to construct new housing, operations and recreation facilities in Big Bend National Park. The public, organizations and other agencies may review and comment upon a draft environmental assessment (EA) describing the proposal. The new construction would occur at Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village and Castolon. The proposal is to construct 27 structures, of which 15 would serve new purposes and 12 would replace temporary or inadequate facilities.
August 21, 2008 - 10:38am
The National Park Service proposes to construct new housing, operations and recreation facilities in Big Bend National Park. The public, organizations and other agencies may review and comment upon a draft environmental assessment (EA) describing the proposal. The new construction would occur at Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village and Castolon. The proposal is to construct 27 structures, of which 15 would serve new purposes and 12 would replace temporary or inadequate facilities.
