What month are bears most active in Yellowstone?

Female Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone steal from humans, so you have to work a bit harder to find them, but once you do bears show much more natural behavior. They are active throughout Yellowstone in spring, summer and fall then hibernate all winter, emerging sometime in March or early April.



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We have the proper optics and equipment, so you can witness and film bears out in the field. Hands down the best time of year to see bears in Yellowstone is between mid-April and the first week of June.

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Lamar Valley Valleys and meadows are the best places to spot Yellowstone bears. And what better place to start looking for grizzly bears in Yellowstone than the area known as “America's Serengeti”?

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Grizzly bears are active primarily at dawn, dusk, and night. In spring, they may be seen around Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, Hayden and Lamar valleys, Swan Lake Flats, and the East Entrance.

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It's perfectly possible to spot a bear any time of day in the Park, especially in cooler weather, but mid-summer you are unlikely to see bears out in the heat of the day, when they tend to nap in the forest. You don't need to go hiking into the backcountry to see bears.

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Look out for a bear giving these warning signs:
  • Huffing.
  • Jaw popping.
  • Low growls.


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Katmai National Park (Alaska) The highest concentration of grizzly bears in the United States is in Katmai National Park. The park was established in 1918 to protect the brown bears that frequent the area, and today it's home to an estimated 2,000 grizzlies.

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Yellowstone hosts two bear species: grizzly bears and black bears. Of the two, black bears are more prevalent, making grizzly bear sighting less common.

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For 27 years, Jackson Hole Grizzly 399 has been strolling into human, biological and conservation history in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Unbeknownst to her, she's become the most famous living wild bear on Earth.

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Best Times to Visit Yellowstone for Wildlife March and April are the best months to view bears, while the winter months are best for wolves and bighorn sheep. Elk, moose, bison, and mountain goats can be spotted during the summer, which is also the park's busiest season.

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If you have bear spray, have it out and ready to use.
  1. If you have bear spray, have it out and ready to use.
  2. Do not run. This could trigger a chase response from the bear.
  3. Remain calm.
  4. Slowly back away from the bear.
  5. Say, It's okay bear, or I'm leaving bear, to let the bear know you are a human.


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According to the National Park Service (NPS), eight people have been killed by bears at Yellowstone National Park since it was established in 1872.

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Take the Encounter Seriously Bear encounters, however, are still relatively dangerous, as both grizzly and black bears, the two species of bear found in Yellowstone, can act aggressively if they feel threatened.

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Yellowstone's greatest geological threat isn't a supervolcano. It's a magnitude-7 earthquake. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – While concerns about a potential eruption of the supervolcano beneath this iconic park may garner the most alarming headlines, a more likely hazard in the coming decades is a large earthquake.

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Bear Safety
  1. Keep at least 100 yards (93 m) from bears at all times and never approach a bear to take a photo.
  2. Never feed bears. ...
  3. If a bear approaches or touches your car, honk your horn and drive away to discourage this behavior.


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If you do any hiking or camping in Yellowstone, you SHOULD bring bear spray. Generally, you don't need bear spray when visiting the popular and crowded geyser areas and villages, such as Old Faithful and Canyon Village.

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