Bear threatens hiker in Colorado for 30 minutes, then leaves to follow other hikers

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating a reported bear attack on the Enchanted Park in Apex Park in Jefferson County, which is west of Denver. On Sunday, round 5:20 p.m., the woman encountered a bear displaying the habituated behavior of approaching humans and following hikers.

She told Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers that the bear grabbed her backpack and made contact with her leg. She reported that the bear continued to follow her along the trail for more than 30 minutes despite her attempts to frighten the animal away with sticks, rocks and loud noises.

Two other hikers joined her in trying to scare the bear from the area. It eventually left, and crossed a gully where it reportedly started to follow a different pair of hikers on a neighboring trail. CPW officers responded to the area later that day but were unable to locate the bear. They are continuing the search, and have closed the park for now.

“This, to me, looks like a bear that likely got a food reward at some point and is trying to get another one,” bear biologist Wesley Larson told Denver 7 TV News. A bear was sighted in a residential area near the park on Monday morning.

This is the first reported bear attack in Colorado for 2026. Bear reports to CPW are high this year, likely due to the generally warm and dry winter Colorado experienced which impacted the natural forage that sustains the animals.

Help keep bears wild by following these rules

• Stay alert and stay together: Pay attention to your surroundings and stay together. Walk, hike, jog, or cycle with others when possible. Keep kids within sight and close by. Leave earbuds at home and make noise periodically so bears can avoid you.

• Leave no trash or food scraps: Double bag your food when hiking and pack out all food and trash. Don’t burn food scraps or trash in your fire ring or grill. Leaving scraps, wrappers, or even “harmless” items like apple cores teaches bears to associate trails and campsites with food.

• Keep dogs leashed: Letting dogs chase or bark at bears is asking for trouble; don’t force a bear to defend itself. Keep your dogs leashed at all times or leave them at home.

• Camp safely: Set up camp away from dense cover and natural food sources. Cook as far from your campsite as possible. Do not store food, trash, clothes worn when cooking, or toiletries in your outside of your RV on in and out of a tent. Store in approved bear-resistant containers or out of sight in locked vehicle or suspended at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet from any part of the tree.

• Know shat to do if you see a bear: If you see a bear before it notices you, don’t approach. Stand still, enjoy, then quietly move away. If a bear sees you, back away slowly. Never run which could trigger a chase response. If a bear approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms and yell “Hey Bear” until it leaves. Stay with your group. If it keeps approaching, use bear spray. If a black bear makes contact with you, do not play dead; fight back aggressively.

• Carry bear spray and know how to use it: Bear spray is proven to be the easiest and most effective way to deter a bear that threatens you. It doesn’t work like bug repellent, so never spray your tent, campsite or belongings.

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