Hiker Injured in Glacier National Park Bear Encounter
A 34-year-old woman hiking near Lake Janet sustained shoulder and arm injuries after the bear charged and swiped at her
By Katie Bartlett
A female hiker was injured by a bear near Lake Janet on Wednesday afternoon, marking the first reported injury due to a bear encounter in Glacier National Park this year.
The injured 34-year-old was hiking westbound with a partner when a medium brown-colored sow emerged from the brush and charged her, Glacier National Park officials said. The bear, accompanied by two cubs, swiped at the woman, injuring her shoulder and arm.
The bear ran away after the woman’s hiking partner deployed bear spray. The full encounter lasted less than 30 seconds, according to park officials.
The pair continued to the Lake Janet Wilderness Campground, where they met other hikers with an InReach satellite communication device and sent an SOS to park dispatch.
Park staff and an ALERT air ambulance team located the hiker in stable condition. ALERT transported her to Logan Health in Kalispell for treatment.
Park officials said that no action will be taken against the bear at this time. They explained that the encounter occurred on a trail confined by the lake and dense brush, and that the bear reacted defensively to a surprise. Her species could not be confirmed or identified.
Officials also issued a reminder that bears are most active during the fall and encouraged visitors to review the park’s bear safety webpage.
“The fall season is when bears are more likely to be active due to hyperphagia,” Park officials wrote. “As bears prepare for the long winter, during which they will hibernate, they need to eat as much as they can to prepare to go months without food.”
The Lake Janet Wilderness Campground has been temporarily closed in response to the incident and will reopen when park staff deem it appropriate. Information about the closure can be found on the park’s trail status webpage.
The last reported bear attack in Glacier occurred in September 2024, when a 35-year-old Washington man surprised a bear at close range on the Highline Trail. It bit the man on the knee but was quickly deterred as other hikers deployed bear spray. No action was taken against the animal because it was a surprise encounter.