It seems like bear encounters have been making the news more frequently lately. Just this week, a hiker in Glacier National Park suffered a broken arm after a surprise encounter with a grizzly bear on a popular trail. Earlier this season, several campgrounds and trails across North America reported temporary closures or warnings due to increased bear activity.
Of course, that’s not necessarily because bears are becoming more aggressive. Summer is when both people and bears are spending more time outdoors. More RVers are heading into national parks, national forests, and remote camping areas, and that means more opportunities for humans and bears to cross paths.
Most bear encounters end peacefully. A bear may wander through a campground looking for food, cross a trail ahead of hikers, or disappear into the woods before anyone gets more than a quick glimpse. Still, seeing a 300- to 600-pound animal up close tends to be the kind of experience people don’t forget.
Many RVers have a bear story. Maybe you’ve watched one stroll through your campsite at dawn. Perhaps you’ve spotted a mother bear with cubs from the safety of your vehicle. Some of you may have had a much closer encounter—one that got your heart pounding and left you checking over your shoulder for the rest of the day.
Then again, maybe you’ve spent decades camping and hiking and have never seen a bear at all. If that’s the case, there are probably plenty of readers who envy your luck!
We’re curious: Have you ever had a close encounter with a bear while RVing or camping?
After you vote, please leave a comment and tell us your story. What happened? Where was it? And did it make you more cautious—or just give you a great tale to tell around the campfire?
RELATED
- Poll: What would you fear stumbling upon most in the wild—a bear, rattlesnake or alligator?
- Exploding bear spray cans spark growing safety problem near national parks
- Bear activity near Yellowstone triggers tent bans, RVers allowed to stay
- Bear attacks hikers near Yellowstone’s Old Faithful
- Grizzly bears are waking up and hungry. Watch out
RVT1264b
A bear up a tree in Yosemite just after rummaging through a campground, another along the side of a trail in Canada, lots along the road in Alaska, and fresh bear scat on a trail in Alaska- we turned back!
During hunting season. I think while camping the dogs presence have kept them at distance of being seen
We have had a bear in the campground on a few occasions. In 60+ years of RVing it has only happened twice. I have encountered them while fishing in Canada a few more times.
In about 20 years of hiking, 2 grizzlies and 2 black bears in 3 separate incidents, none of them close enough to pose any danger. In every case, the bear(s) saw us and made sure they stayed clear.
Yes, while motorcycle camping on Skyline drive I was awakened by a noise in a nearby tree.
Thinking it may have been a family of squirrels or other small animals, a small black bear came sauntering down the tree right behind my tent. Seems he just wanted a nice place to spend the night.
I backed off and watched as he woke up and just walked away.
I moved my tent away from that tree! Just in case.
Never encountered, but have seen bear poop. No hiking bells seen in the poop.
Received a call from an owner at Totem Pole RV Park in New Hampshire regarding two black bears up a tree. I was doing security work at the time, so I got my portable boat air horn and went over to chase them away. Blasted the air horn multiple times, worked like a charm! They do not like loud noises.
Living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, if a resident has never encountered a black bear, they aren’t getting out enough. With a few notable exceptions (involving food or cubs), the black bears here tend to want to avoid humans as much as humans want to avoid them. Don’t cut off their escape path and you’ll have a good story to tell.
Yes once while fishing at twin lakes in Mammoth Ca, the other in our campground. The neighbors had left out their dog food. That was at Oh’ Ridge, June Lake Ca. Yes Bear lockers were avail in each site. Some learn the hard way.
Saw a mother and 2 cub grizzles almost 30 years ago several miles outside of the Yellowstone east entrance. I have the photo as my screen saver on my laptop.
Yes, I’ve seen a couple thru my rifle scope during hunting season. Good management to keep the population under control. Otherwise, their numbers would exceed nature’s carrying capacity.
Bears can be unpredictable. Hikers/campers need to follow safety guidelines. Secure all food, don’t feed them or they will lose fear of humans. Then they are dangerous.
Shortly after the birth of our first child we camped in Sequoia National Park. It was a 3 day camp out to dodge high heat where we lived near Redlands (CA) and to escape some of life’s stresses.
About midnight we heard shouts about a bear in the campground. We were on the out edge of the loop. The bear wandered into our site and tried nosing under the lower edge of the tents flap. I kicked its snout, it backed up and snorted. Having on been out it service (Vietnam) about a year I went into offense mode. Fortunately the bear decided to move on. Did not sleep the rest of the night..to much adrenaline.
Since retiring & moving back to Trinity Co CA, I’ve had over 100 bear encounters. I’ve been charged twice by mothers with cubs. I stand & calmly talk to her &, so far, haven’t been run over.
One evening, an evening program as I ready to go home, I heard “Oh, Ranger, the bear’s over here now!” Time to practice what I’d been “preaching”. I took several fast steps toward the bear, clapping my hands loudly, and hollering “shoo, go away bear!” She was very large, and she just stood there looking at me. She was trying to decide how serious I was, since a lot of people will try this, then surrender to their fear and the bear wind. I pointed my tiny flashlight at her eyes, took a few more steps and she turned and went into the river canyon. They asked if my briefcase (with my presentation props) was my protection and I told them no, my flashlight was.
Husband and I were near the end of a long hike in Glacier National Park. We were tired of loudly talking to alert any possible bears nearby and were walking along quietly, As soon as we stopped talking, a grizzly crossed the trail. Needless to say, we waited a bit and made sure to be noisy all the way back to the car
Yes, a few times. Our last trip to Yellowstone, a bear walked through our campsite. 2 different times on the Cades Cove loop. Both time the bear and cubs took off into a tall tree. Thank goodness, as one time we were in our convertible !!
Another time we had a bear cross right in from of our car on the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside of Asheville.
As an RCMP in Waterton National Park, Alberta. Liquor laws in the 1950’s in Alberta were very rigid. No liquor public places. The Park’s winter closing final dance was being held and I was moving about outside watching for illegal liquor usage. I heard a noise coming from the rear of the dance hall which was in total darkness. Suspecting a group was consuming liquor illegally, I quietly crept as close as I could to the noise. Then I quickly turned on my flashlight – surprise – it was 3 black bears rummaging through garbage. They took off on the dead run one way and I the other. No harm doe to anyone.
Yes, both black bears and Grizzlies, either in campgrounds or while hiking – on the Appalachian Trail in several states and other trails in MT, WY, and AK, as well as campgrounds in VA (Shenandoah NP), WY, MT, AK, the Yukon, and British Columbia. No nasty encounters with any of them, fortunately.
Thank you for the question, RV Travel. See a bear? No. Have not seen one, but heard one while hiking in British Columbia. At least that was the conclusion of the rangers at the site, so we all (there were about 12 of us) returned to the parking lot together. Have a great weekend and safe travels!
Have seen black and grizzly bears from my kayak in Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Monksville Reservoir. In Grand Teton I have video of a grizzly swimming across String Lake after causing a panic near the parking lot for the kayak launch and hiking trails. Saw a cinnamon colored black bear with 2 cubs in Grand Mesa, CO. and the black bear at Monksville Reservoir had 3 cubs. Also saw a black bear by the side of the road near the Winnie the Pooh park in Manitoba. Bears are great, people need to learn to live around them and stop overdeveloping their homes.
Not while camping, but in my backyard.
I’ve seen many bears – while hiking, fishing, camping – black & grizzly. One time, when I was driving a bus of backpackers inside Denali Park, a really large momma griz was sacked out on her back with a 200# cub curled up against her. Maybe 75’ off the gravel road. I stopped the bus for pics (staying inside the bus). She lazily raised her head a couple times, assessed I was no threat, and went back to snoozing. Another time a griz scratched his/her back on the front tire of the bus, right under my driver’s side window. I definitely stayed inside the bus that time.
Had a black bear do a bluff charge on me while elk hunting in Idaho. Stood my ground, he stopped, looked at each other for a while, then I walked back to camp.
1990s while backpacking w/ my son at Wekiva Springs State Park in Apopka FL. FL black bears are about the size of a Rottweiler. I only saw the rear end as it was disappearing into the palmettos. Or it could have been a rottweiler.