Although the risk of an encounter with a bear is low, there are no guarantees of your safety. Minimize your risks by following these guidelines.Minimize your risks of an encounter with a bear by following these guidelines.

• Make loud noises such as shouting or singing to make bears aware of your presence on trails. This lessens the chance of sudden encounters, which are the cause of most bear-caused human injuries in the park. Be especially careful in dense brush, where visibility is low, and along rivers, where bears cannot hear you over the noise of the water.
• Hike in groups and use caution where vision is obstructed.
• Do not hike after dark.
• Avoid carcasses; bears often defend this source of food.

If you encounter a bear:

• Do not run. Bears can run over 30 miles per hour, or 44 feet per second, faster than Olympic sprinters. Running may elicit an attack from otherwise non-aggressive bears. If the bear is unaware of you, detour away from the bear.
• Slowly back away if the bear is aware of you and nearby, but has not acted aggressively.
• Should the bear approach or charge you, stand still until the bear stops and then slowly back away. Some bears will bluff their way out of a threatening situation by charging, then veering off or stopping abruptly at the last second.
• If you are attacked, play dead. Drop to the ground, lift your legs up to your chest, and clasp your hands over the back of your neck. Leave your pack on to protect your back. This technique has been especially successful with female bears that have cubs. If a black bear attack is prolonged, change tactics and fight back vigorously. Do not fight with a grizzly; play dead.
• Tree climbing to avoid bears is popular advice but not very practical in many circumstances. All black bears, all grizzly cubs, and some adult grizzlies can climb trees. Running to a tree may provoke an otherwise uncertain bear to chase you.

Backpack: Bear Country: Basics

Backpack: Bear Country: Camping & Food Security

Backpack: Desert: Basics

Backpack: Desert: Camping Considerations

Backpack: Desert: Hazards

Backpack: Desert: Hiking

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Dry Camping

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Finding & Carrying

Backpack: Desert: Water & Food: Food

Backpack: Finding Water

Backpack: Fitness

Backpack: Food & Water: Plan Meals

Backpack: Food & Water: Repackage

Backpack: Fording Rivers

Backpack: Highcountry: Basics

Backpack: Highcountry: Camping Considerations

Backpack: Highcountry: Hazards

Backpack: Highcountry: Hiking on Scree & Talus

Backpack: In Camp: Bathing

Backpack: In Camp: Campfire: Basics

Backpack: In Camp: Campfire: in the Rain

Backpack: In Camp: Campfire: Low-Impact Fires

Backpack: In Camp: Cooking/Camp Kitchen

Backpack: In Camp: Food Storage

Backpack: In Camp: Ideal Campsite

Backpack: In Camp: Making Camp in Adverse Conditions

Backpack: In Camp: Managing Human Waste

Backpack: In Camp: Sleeping Warm

Backpack: In Camp: Tent or Tarp?

Backpack: In Camp: Washing Dishes

Backpack: In Camp: Women's Sanitation Concerns

Backpack: Packing Your Pack

Backpack: Plan Your Trip

Backpack: Putting on Your Pack

Backpack: Staying Found: Emergency Signaling

Backpack: Staying Found: How to Use a Compass

Backpack: Staying Found: Why Carry a Compass?

Backpack: Treating Water

Backpack: What to Bring: Clothes