Glassing the slope of Grinnell Point from Josephine Lake, from the beaches on either end of the lake, is also a good way to see both grizzlies and black bears feeding in the vegetation. And if you’re walking along the south shore trail, stop periodically to scan the area on the other side.

An icon of wilderness, Glacier is home to large numbers of both black and grizzly bears.

300 grizzly bears

On average, there are only one or two non-lethal bear “incidents” in a given year. And, there have only been 10 bear related fatalities in the history of the park (all of those have occurred since 1967). Only three of those fatalities involved hikers, and at least two of those were solo hikers.

Re: Is bear spray necessary? No matter where you are in Glacier, including parking lots, there is always a chance of running into a bear. Bear spray is always recommended and can be rented from a kiosk in Apgar Village. It is also advisable to make noise while on any trail.

Glacier National Park had never recorded a fatal grizzly bear attack since its creation in 1910. 13, 1967, different bears fatally mauled two young women camped miles apart. The deaths of Michele Koons and Julie Helgeson, both 19-year-old seasonal park employees, brought confusion and disbelief.

Glacier National Park’s Elusive Wolves Seen commonly near lower McDonald Lake area, Apgar, the North Fork area, and neighboring National Forest Service lands. Sometimes in winter, we can hear them howling at the moon.

The attacks, immortalized in the bestselling book Night of the Grizzlies, were provoked in part by the hordes of park visitors who had left a trail of trash behind over the years, acclimating the grizzlies to their presence and making them associate humans with food, according to a 2010 PBS documentary.

WEST GLACIER – The number one danger to visitors in Glacier National Park isn’t bears, but slips and falls near water. As the park draws closer to opening Going to the Sun Road, spokeswoman Lauren Alley reminds folks to be on the lookout for slippery moss-covered rocks and logs near open streams and cliffs.

Moose (Elk) Surprisingly, these docile looking animals are by far the most dangerous of all Glacier National Park wildlife.

“While a 2010 federal law makes it legal for visitors to carry loaded firearms in national parks, consistent with state laws, it remains illegal to discharge one in Glacier and most other national parks.” Just because you’re allowed to carry a firearm there doesn’t mean you’re allowed to discharge it at will.

Glacier National Park on Twitter: “You can sleep in your car if you wish- assuming it’s not a convertible!… “

Yes, you can carry a loaded handgun in a vehicle anywhere in the state without a concealed carry permit. Per the Montana Department of Justice FAQ website, Montana law does not regulate how firearms are carried in a vehicle.