Man, 35, Attacked by Bear on Popular Trail at Glacier National Park, Then Hikes Over a Mile to Meet Helicopter

Charlotte Phillipp

20 September 2024 at 2:46 pm·3-min read

The National Park Service said that the man sustained non-life threatening injuries and that officials were still working to identify the bear's species

<p>Jan Gorzynik / 500px/Getty</p> Stock image of a bear — Jan Gorzynik / 500px/Getty
Stock image of a bear

A man hiking in Montana's Glacier National Park was attacked by a bear, resulting in a closure for a section of the park's Highline Trail.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, the National Park Service (NPS) announced in a press release that a 35-year-old man was hiking near the park's Grinnell Glacier Overlook trailhead early in the morning when his hiking party "encountered the bear" and he was injured.

"The injured visitor hiked to Granite Park Chalet with assistance from rangers and other hikers where he was met by Two Bear Air and flown to the Apgar horse corrals, then transported by Three Rivers ambulance to the hospital in Whitefish, [Mont.]," the NPS wrote.

According to the Associated Press, the hike from where the attack took place and Granite Park Chalet is over a mile long.

According to the NPS, the man's injuries were not life threatening, and officials are still investigating what species of bear was responsible for the attack.

The NPS added that a section of Highline Trail from Glacier's Haystack Butte to Granite Park Chalet will be closed "until further notice."

<p>Getty</p> Glacier National Park — Getty
Glacier National Park

Located less than 100 miles from the Canadian border, Glacier National Park is home to both black and grizzly bears. The NPS notes that all visitors to the park should take precautions against wild animals, and to report any bear or "unusual animal" sightings to the nearest ranger or warden immediately.

"Hikers are highly encouraged to hike in groups, make noise when hiking, and have bear spray accessible and know how to use it," the park service wrote in its press release.

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<p>Carmen Martínez Torrón/Getty</p> Stock photo of hikers on Highline Trail at Glacier National Park — Carmen Martínez Torrón/Getty
Stock photo of hikers on Highline Trail at Glacier National Park

The news of this attack comes just two weeks after a 12-year-old boy in Wisconsin was credited with saving his father's life when a black bear charged them as they were hunting in Burnett County.

Ryan Beierman, 43, of River Falls, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that his 12-year-old son Owen acted quickly and shot the black bear after it attacked him and pinned him to the ground.

“He was in a stance like a cat about to pounce,’’ Beierman told the Star Tribune. “The next thing I know he was on me. He charged and knocked me down.’’

“... Owen was a hero. He shot that bear and killed it on top of me," he added.

Additionally, in May this year, a man visiting Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming was "seriously injured" during an encounter with two grizzly bears.

"Based on initial reports from the injured visitor and preliminary information conducted as part of an ongoing investigation of the site, law enforcement rangers and park biologists believe the incident was a surprise encounter with two grizzly bears, with one of the bears contacting and injuring the visitor," the park service said in a statement at time, adding that visitors to the park should never leave food unattended unless properly secured and to keep their camp clean.

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