Bear Safety Tips for Yellowstone & Grand Tetons Driving, Hiking & Camping

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are home to one of the largest concentrations of wild bears in the Lower 48. My late father spent decades of his life visiting the two national parks to delight in watching them in the wild, and at the old-time bear dumps.

If you're going to visit Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons, you’re only right to be a little thrilled and a little worried about the chance of encountering a grizzly or black bear on your Yellowstone vacation. Like any hot topic on the internet, some people seem convinced a bear will bite their face off from a mile away, and those who are too nonchalant about bear safety for their own good.

So, you’re probably wondering just how concerned you should really be about bears on your Yellowstone or Grand Tetons vacation?

Now I’m not an officially licensed ursinologist, and I left my zoologist badge in my other pants.

However, I have spent a lot of time in the wild, exploring Western bear country, including Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I also live at the edge of a wilderness preserve with bears in it, and I’ve taken some great professionally guided tours that have given me some key insights.

So, I thought I’d bring some insights and measured caution to bear on the topic of bear safety in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  

Why Bear Awareness Matters in Yellowstone

Yellowstone is home to both grizzly bears and black bears and is one of the few places in the contiguous United States where grizzly bears still roam freely. While bear encounters are rare, and attacks even rarer, they do happen.

Most of the time it’s because the bear was surprised, felt threatened or trapped, or was protecting food or their cubs.

The National Park Service notes that "Since 1970, 91% of the people injured by bears in Yellowstone were hiking alone or with only one hiking partner. Only 9% of the people injured by bears were in groups of three or more people."

According to park records, most negative encounters occur when people ignore safety guidelines, hike alone, or fail to store food properly. Being informed can make the difference between an unforgettable trip for the right reasons or the wrong ones.

Beware Bear Crossings

One of the most unfortunate Yellowstone bear encounters is when someone hits a bear with their car. While you can never be 100% prepared, there are some types of terrain and road conditions where the risk of a bear crossing accident is higher.

Near River Valleys and Creeks

Why: Bears follow water sources for food sources like fish, and vegetation. Yellowstone’s creeks and rivers also tend to be shallow enough for an adult bear to wade through, making it like a highway for them.

BEWARE: Roads that parallel or cross rivers and streams such as the Yellowstone River, Firehole River, and the Snake River near the Grand Tetons.

HIGHEST RISK: Early morning and evening movement near bridges or culverts.

Forest Edges and Meadows

In summer bears like to mingle bear edge or transition habitats that are rich in berries, roots, and small animals. They’ll often wander the edge of a tree line following it the way a mouse follows the baseboards in your kitchen looking for a food opportunity.

BEWARE: Roads that cut between dense forests and open spaces like Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley or along Moose-Wilson Road in the Grand Tetons.

HIGHEST RISK: Where forest gives way to plains, meadow or prairie and a road crossed through the transition zone.

Hills & Mountainous Switchbacks

Bears in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons move up and down elevation zones in search of seasonal food sources. Especially in early spring and early summer. They’ll often take the path of least resistance on roads or back country trails that cross a road.

BEWARE: Areas like Dunraven Pass or Signal Mountain Road.

HIGHEST RISK: Blind corners and steep drop-offs where a bear might suddenly appear.

At Dawn & Dusk

From spring through fall Yellowstone’s bears tend to be “Crepuscular” with their highest activity times being the hours before and just after sunrise and sunset.

BEWARE: Driving at these times, especially in low-traffic areas, increases the chance of an encounter.

Where You’re Most Likely to Encounter Bears in Yellowstone

Bear sightings can occur park-wide, but some areas hold bears more than others. Especially the well-known bear hotspots in the Hayden and Lamar Valley. 

NOTE: In spring Yellowstone’s bears often feed on winterkill carcasses. If you see crows and other scavengers circling over an area, chances are good a bear or other potentially dangerous animal has chased them off the carcass until they’re done.

How to Identify The Type of Bear

Yellowstone has both black bears and grizzly bears. Being able to identify the type and possible gender might help you determine what to do if you encounter a bear.

Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone

Larger and more aggressive

Distinct shoulder hump and shorter ears

Often found in higher elevations and remote valleys

Responsible for most fatal encounters in Yellowstone history

Black Bears in Yellowstone

Smaller and more common

Rounded ears and no shoulder hump

Found more in forests and near roadsides

Can be aggressive if food-conditioned

Two Yellowstone grizzly bears with two very different colored coats.

PRO TIP: Color isn’t a reliable way to tell the difference between Yellowstone’s black bears

and grizzlies. In Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, black tears can have a brownish coat, and grizzlies can be blonde or dark brown. Look for the hump and ear shape instead.

Yellowstone High-Risk Bear Areas

If you want to avoid bears as much as possible, it’s best to avoid some of the following areas where bears are known to travel. You might drive by but choose not to hike in the following areas. There are several wildlife viewing hot spots in the Hayden and Lamar Valley where you might see bears.

Lamar Valley beyond the trailheads or crossing the river toward the tree line.

Hayden Valley beyond the parking areas and avoid crossing the Yellowstone River.

Pelican Valley is a known grizzly habitat and backcountry hiking trails that often experiences seasonal trail closures.

Slough Creek and Cache Creek Trails are remote, backcountry regions with a reputation for bear sightings.

These areas aren’t technically “off-limits” unless there are sign closures, but they do require heightened awareness and adherence to safety rules.

When You Don’t Need to Worry Much

Some parts of Yellowstone are relatively low risk for bear encounters, especially when well-trafficked and regularly maintained. However, you still can’t 100% drop your guard.

Lower-Risk Areas for Bears in Yellowstone

There are several places where bears are very unlikely to venture. This is usually due to a lack of food and the presence, odor, and noise of human activity.

Boardwalk areas around thermal features like Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Norris Geyser Basin

Day hikes near Yellowstone Canyon and along busy trails like Fairy Falls or Uncle Tom's Trail (with precautions still advised)

That said, bears can and do occasionally wander near populated areas, villages, and campgrounds. Especially in spring when food is scarce or in fall when they’re preparing for hibernation.

Precautions to Take in Yellowstone’s Bear Country

An effective bear safety strategy in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons requires several layers of prevention.

Make Noise When Hiking or Walking Trails in Yellowstone

Bears in Yellowstone still have a natural fear of man. If they hear you at a distance they’ll likely wander away before you even see or hear them.

A Yellowstone grizzly bear standing up when it heard my father from a distance.

I tell my daughter to clap her hands loudly three times every 20 steps when we’re hiking in the wild. My best friend will occasionally shout “Away-Away Animal!”

You could also use a bear whistle or bear bell to make noise without making a conscious effort. I have a dear friend who swears by this approach, but when I go hiking with him in bear country, I swear I still hear the dang bells and whistles in my dreams at night.

Hike in Groups on Yellowstone Trails

Statistically, groups of three or more are much less likely to be attacked. Bears tend to avoid large, noisy groups of people. It’s not that the numbers necessarily frighten the bears, it’s that a group of three or more people make more noise from footfalls and chatting.

Obey Trail Closures and Warning Signs

If the park rangers mark a trail as closed due to bear activity, don’t gamble. Yellowstone’s rangers know the bear population's movements and temperament and post these warnings for a reason.

Store Food & Toiletries Safely When Camping in Yellowstone

Even though bears rarely come into Yellowstone’s popular campgrounds and villages, there’s still a risk of human odors tempting them in. Especially if you’re leaving food out where they can get at it.

If you’re camping in a campground, use bear boxes or keep all your food and toiletries in a sealed in a bear-proof cooler in your car. Not only does this dissuade bears, but it also reduces raccoons and other nocturnal scavengers from messing around in your campsite while you sleep!

The National Park Service emphasizes this saying "Preventing bears’ access to human food and garbage is one of the most significant ways to reduce bear management problems and related public safety hazards in the park."

Don’t Approach Bears or Their Cubs

Even if you see a bear from your car, you should still try to stay at least 100 yards away. If you want to get a clearer view or take pictures you should use binoculars or a spotting scope with a smartphone adapter. 

Carry Bear Spray & Know How to Use It

Bear spray is your #1 defense against a hostile bear encounter in Yellowstone. It’s legal, effective, and recommended by the National Park Service. Practice removing the safety clip and be sure it’s accessible in a holster or pocket, not lost in your backpack.

How to Use Bear Spray

Always have your bear spray on you when you get out of the car in Yellowstone. Always keep the spray accessible and holstered on your hip or chest. You should even practice removing the safety clip beforehand but never test spray it near others or indoors.

If you see a bear, you can use the following steps.

Step One: Remove the bear spray’s safety clip so the canister is ready and keep your eyes on the bear.

Step Two: Clap your hands or make a little non-aggressive noise to let the bear know you’re there. This might trigger the natural fear of man, and it will run off.  

Step Three: If the bear approaches within 60 feet, aim slightly downward and spray a continuous burst to create a cloud between you and the bear.

If it moves forward the more miasma cloud of bear spray there is between you and it, the less likely it is to charge. Remember, bear spray is a deterrent, not a repellent. You should use it only when a bear shows signs of being aggressive.

What to Do if You Encounter a Bear in Yellowstone

If you do run into one of Yellowstone’s bears you need to base your reaction on the situation and the type of bear.

If the Bear Hasn’t Seen You

Stay quiet

Back away slowly and calmly

Don’t make sudden movements

If the Bear Approaches

Speak in a low, calm voice

Stand your ground

DO NOT RUN as it can trigger a chase response

If the Bear Charges

Use your bear spray when the bear is within 30 to 60 feet

If it’s a grizzly and contact is made, play dead

If it’s a black bear, fight back using any object you have

Bear Safety Tips for Camping in a Yellowstone Campground

Bear activity in Yellowstone campgrounds like Canyon, Grant, and Madison Village is very low, but not zero. One of the best ways to keep potentially hungry bears from investigating the campground and your campsite is to minimize the food odors in the air.

Always store food, toiletries, and anything with a scent in bear-proof storage lockers provided at campsites or inside a bear-proof cooler with a gasket lid inside your car.

Never keep food in your tent and be sure to clean up thoroughly after meals. Ideally, you want to take all dirty paper plates and napkins to the campground’s dumpster, rather than burning them in the firepit. Even if the plates are eco-friendly, the grease and lingering food odors in the firepit could be detectable by a bear’s sensitive nose.

I also find that cooking with a gas griddle puts far less food odor in the air than a gas grill or cooking over the firepit. Not only does this reduce the odor footprint of your campsite for bears, but it also reduces the grease odors that often draw in pesky raccoons late at night.  

If possible, set up your tent at least 100 yards away from your cooking area if possible. Avoid sleeping in clothes you cooked in and change before going to bed. Bears and racoons have an excellent sense of smell and can be attracted to even the faintest scent of food.

Bear Safety Tips for Yellowstone Backcountry & Primitive Camping

Backcountry and primitive camping in Yellowstone, especially in less-developed areas like Pebble Creek, Pelican Valley, and Crazy Creek Falls comes with an increased risk of bear encounters. These wild, remote spots offer incredible solitude and scenery—but also place you squarely in bear country, without the protection of an organized campground.

Setting Up Camp in Yellowstone’s Bear Country

If the campsite or campground provides designated bear poles or bear boxes be sure to use them for storing all food, cooking supplies, and scented items. This includes things like gum, lip balm, and sunscreen.

In areas without bear-proof storage, you’ll need to hang your food properly. Technically they say a proper bear hang needs to be at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet away from any vertical support.

The problem is that if the cooler doesn’t have a proper gasket that keeps it locked shut, hanging it, just puts the smell of food in the air. Worst of all it might drip. So, make sure you have a bear proof cooler and hang it as far from your campsite as possible.

Cooking & Eating at Yellowstone’s Backcountry Campsites

It’s best not to cook or eat near your tent. I prefer to set up a separate outdoor kitchen area at least 100 yards away from where I’m going to be sleeping. Then I lay down a waterproof camping tarp to catch all the various crumbs and drips.  

Then to wash dishes I’ll even go so far as to dig a small sump hole, 200 feet away from any water source and my backcountry campsite. I’ll then wash the dishes using an unscented eco-soap like Uncle Todd’s Wild Wash, and dispose of strained dishwater in the hole, before burying it.

If I need to bathe with a solar shower, I’ll try to use the same principle. 200 feet away, water drains into a sump hole, and I cover it again. And yes, as a man I have no problem using the same unscented eco-friendly soap from the dishes as a bodywash!

Bear Country Camping Safety

Anytime I’m backcountry camping in Yellowstone or anywhere with a thriving bear population I make sure that everyone in the group has bear spray and knows how to use it. It should always be on your person at all times, especially when hiking to or from camp.

Stay alert, make noise, and be cautious around creeks and bends where visibility is low. The rule of thumb is to clap your hands loudly every 20 steps or say something like “Yo Bear.” That way you don’t accidentally surprise one and trigger its natural fear of man long before you see it.

Beware Bear Odors

You should also be aware of strange smells and what brings the odor to you. Bears give off different odors that can be carried by the wind as well as thermal changes.  

In the morning, the sun warms the air and sends animal odors like bear and elk up elevation. In the evening the cooling atmosphere brings those same animal odors downhill.

If you’re sitting at your backcountry campsite in the morning when the winds are still and strange musty odors waft into camp, there’s a good chance a bear or elk is downhill from you, and vice versa in the evening. You can then make noise while someone else scans down or uphill with binoculars for sighs of a bear.

Black Bear Odors

Black bears tend to smell like a wet dog, with a piney musk. Sometimes there’s a sweetish undertone in late summer that comes from them feasting on wild blueberries.

A Yellowstone black bear we smelled before we saw it uphill in the morning.

Depending on the area a black bear can occasionally smell like garbage or dead fish. Especially if there’s a landfill, dumpster, or a river nearby.

Grizzly Bear Odors

Grizzly bears have a powerful musky, pungent odor that I think has hints of moldy grass clippings and wet dog. Grizzlies tend to dominate scavenge sites, and if one has recently been on one, you might also notice an odor of rotting meat, or decay.

This is especially concerning as a bear that loves to scavenge might interpret your campsite’s food odors as an easy opportunity for a meal. If you also smell hints of urine, it could be a sign of a male in mating season, and the risk of aggressive behavior is even higher.  

Final Thoughts on Bear Safety in Yellowstone & Grand Tetons

Bears are a vital part of the ecosystem of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. They’re one of the park’s most iconic residents, and it’s only right to treat them with reverence and respect.

While there’s always some level of risk when exploring wild spaces, thousands of visitors hike, camp, and drive safely in Yellowstone’s bear country each year. By understanding bear behavior, preparing with the right gear, and respecting the land you dramatically decrease your risk of having a troublesome bear encounter.

Making noise when you’re hiking in Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons keeps you from surprising a bear. They usually hear you before you see them and their natural fear of man encourages them to move on.

If you want to learn more about Yellowstone and other outdoor adventures, you should follow Eric Beuning's Author Page.

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