Glacier National Park is a vast, rugged landscape shared by humans and an established population of wildlife, including both grizzly and black bears. Analyzing the official record of bear attacks provides factual context for visitors entering bear country. This record helps quantify the risk and highlights the importance of adhering to park regulations designed for safe coexistence.
Historical Record of Bear Attacks in Glacier National Park
Since the park’s establishment in 1910, approximately ten fatal bear attacks have been recorded within Glacier National Park. The first recorded fatal incidents occurred on the same night in 1967, an event known as the “Night of the Grizzlies.” Before 1967, no grizzly bear in the park had killed a human.
The two separate 1967 attacks involved grizzly bears habituated to human food sources due to improper garbage disposal near backcountry facilities. Following this watershed moment, the park fundamentally changed its bear management policies, leading to stricter food storage and sanitation rules. Non-fatal incidents, including maulings and charges, occur sporadically, averaging only one or two incidents annually. All recorded fatal attacks in Glacier National Park have been attributed to grizzly bears.
Distinguishing Between Grizzly and Black Bear Incidents
The park is home to two distinct bear species; while black bears are more numerous, all recorded fatalities have involved the grizzly bear. Grizzly bear attacks are most often defensive, resulting from surprising the animal at close range, such as a mother protecting cubs or a bear defending a food source.
Black bears, while capable of causing injury, are generally less aggressive toward humans than grizzlies. Non-defensive attacks by black bears are rare and may sometimes be predatory or opportunistic. The primary management focus remains on minimizing surprise encounters with the powerful and territorial grizzly bear.
Contextualizing the Rarity of Encounters
Placing the attack statistics into perspective reveals the very low probability of an incident for the average visitor. Glacier National Park hosts over three million recreational visitors annually. Comparing this volume of visitation to the total of approximately ten fatal attacks over more than a hundred years shows the risk is statistically negligible.
The chance of a fatal bear encounter is significantly lower than the risks associated with other common activities in the park. Visitors are statistically more likely to be involved in a traffic accident, experience a serious fall, or be struck by lightning. The rarity of these incidents underscores that negative human-bear interactions are the exception, not the rule, and often involve specific circumstances like solo hiking or improper food storage.
Essential Measures for Bear Safety
Visitors must adhere to park regulations, which emphasize preventing bears from associating humans with food. Mandatory food storage rules require that all edible items, cooking equipment, and scented toiletries be secured in a vehicle, hard-sided building, or designated bear-proof container when not in use. A clean camp must be maintained day and night.
When hiking, making noise is the most effective way to prevent a surprise encounter. Calling out “hey bear” or clapping hands at regular intervals, especially near blind corners or dense vegetation, alerts bears to human presence, allowing them time to move away. Hiking in groups also significantly reduces risk, as there are no recorded attacks on groups of four or more people in Glacier.
Carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it is a highly recommended safety measure. Bear spray is a compressed aerosol capsaicin deterrent that has been shown to stop aggressive bear charges. It must be readily accessible, not stored in a backpack, and deployed directly into the face of a charging bear.