Biologists to begin black and grizzly gear captures for research

Biologists with the U.S. National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey will conduct bear capture operations in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway from May 24 to October 15. These efforts support ongoing black bear research in Grand Teton National Park and grizzly bear population monitoring across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The grizzly bear work, carried out by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, is to document recovery under the Endangered Species Act.

When bear capture operations are being conducted, trap sites will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of area closures. For bear and human safety, the public must respect these closures and stay out of the posted areas. All trap sites in the park will be located away from established roadways, hiking trails, and backcountry campsites.

Agency biologists use natural food sources, such as road-killed elk, to bait bears into culvert traps. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols. After handling, bears are allowed to fully recover before being released on-site.

Data gathered from capturing bears informs ongoing research and management efforts and is vital to the continued conservation of black and grizzly bear populations across the region. Information about grizzly bear monitoring is available from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team’s website: https://www.usgs.gov/science/interagency-grizzly-bear-study-team.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Glacier Park releases details on 2025 Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle

Glacier National Park is temporarily offering a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle as a way for day hikers to access Many Glacier Valley from July 1, 2025 to September 21, 2025 during construction in the Swiftcurrent area.

There will be no general public entrance into Many Glacier between July 1 and September 21, 2025, without a day hiker shuttle ticket, wilderness permit, commercial service reservation, or lodging reservation. A gate will be in use at the fee booth to restrict overnight access and limit overnight parking in the valley to visitors with lodging reservations or wilderness permit holders.

Prior to July 1 and after September 21, there will be general public entrance to Many Glacier, however, because parking is limited to the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot, capacity will be reached quickly, and daily temporary access restrictions of up to several hours are expected.

To use the Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle, day hikers will need to obtain shuttle tickets on Recreation.gov. Tickets will be available seven days in advance at 8 am, starting on June 24, and at 7 pm the night before entry, starting on June 30. The only cost associated with obtaining a ticket is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee. Each ticket allows up to four people arriving in one vehicle to park and ride the Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle. If there are more than four people in your party, additional tickets can be purchased. During the checkout process in Recreation.gov select date and time, and indicate the number of people in your group.

Hikers with shuttle tickets will park at one of nine pullouts designated for parking along Many Glacier Road and board the shuttle at an indicated loading area for a 15 to 30-minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel. Access to all trails will begin at Many Glacier Hotel, with maps and signs indicating detours around the construction zone. Hikers should be aware that detours add mileage and elevation to hikes.

Tickets are available in one-hour time blocks; 7-8 am, 8-9 am, 9-10 am and 10-11 am. Hikers will need to park and board the shuttle within their designated time block, which is designed to match shuttle capacity and minimize wait times. Hikers who arrive inside their time block will be given priority for boarding the shuttle. A valid park entry pass is also required for each party boarding the shuttle. Only one park entry pass is required per vehicle. These passes could include any of the following: a $35 vehicle entrance pass, good for seven days; a valid Interagency Annual/Lifetime Pass (America the Beautiful); or a Glacier National Park Annual Pass. Shuttles will stop near the Many Glacier Entrance Station where park entry passes will be validated prior to entry. Vehicle entrance passes can be purchased on Recreation.gov when shuttle tickets are purchased, or at the park upon arrival.

A Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket will be required to park and ride the shuttle. Roadside parking areas will be reserved for ticketed shuttle riders only, and parking will only be allowed at designated parking locations. Parking spaces cannot accommodate vehicles over 21 feet or vehicles with trailers. No overnight parking will be permitted in shuttle parking.

Visitors without a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket, or commercial service or lodging reservation, or a wilderness permit are discouraged from driving into the valley past Babb, MT, since there will be no parking and additional traffic will cause congestion and dust. For visitors’ safety, hiking and biking will not be allowed on the Many Glacier Road between July 1 and September 21, 2025.

Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle buses comply with federal accessibility standards. However, most shuttle stops do not meet these standards.

Visitors with mobility disabilities holding a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket can park for shuttle pick-up in one of two accessible parking spaces near the accessible restroom, located at pullout #6, on the Many Glacier Road. Alternatively, visitors with mobility disabilities and a shuttle ticket may drive their vehicle to Many Glacier Hotel by presenting the shuttle ticket and an accessible placard or an “America the Beautiful – Access Pass” to park entrance staff. Parking availability inside Many Glacier is not guaranteed.

In 2025, Many Glacier Hotel, Swan Mountain Outfitters and Glacier Park Boat Company will operate as usual. The only parking available for these services and activities will be at Many Glacier Hotel. The parking at Many Glacier Hotel will be set aside for visitors with lodging, horseback riding, boating reservations, and wilderness permits between July 1 and September 21, 2025.

Visitors with boating, horseback riding, lodging reservations or a wilderness permit should not purchase a Many Glacier Day Hiker Shuttle ticket, but should drive their vehicle to the entrance gate. Visitors with boating or horseback riding reservations can enter the park only between the hours of 7 am and 5 pm by showing confirmation of a reservation, either saved on their phone or a printed copy, at the entrance station. Visitors with a lodging reservation will also need to show confirmation of a reservation at the entrance from 7 am to 5 pm. An access code to enter the gate will be provided to Many Glacier Hotel guests in their final lodging confirmation if access is needed before 7 am and after 5 pm. Visitors with a wilderness permit will need to show their permit at the entrance station from 7 am to 5 pm, and place a copy of the permit on the dash of their parked vehicle.

Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, tribal members will have access to enter Many Glacier Valley from 7 am to 5 pm.

Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, Many Glacier Campground, and all trailhead parking in the Swiftcurrent area will be closed through mid-May 2026. All waters in Many Glacier Valley will be closed to private personal watercraft the entire 2025 season. Many Glacier Ranger Station is closed for the 2025 season. The nearest wilderness permit office is at St. Mary Visitor Center. National Park Service information and trail updates will be available at Many Glacier Hotel.



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Glacier National Park preserves more than a million acres of some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout this vast park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Exploring Glacier National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Glacier:

Food-Conditioned Grizzly Bear Trapped and Killed in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park staff trapped and killed an 11-year-old male grizzly bear on May 14 after the bear repeatedly sought out human food sources in developed areas of the park. Between April 3 and May 13, the 400-pound grizzly bear overturned several large, bear-resistant dumpsters and gained access to human food and trash near Old Faithful, the Nez Perce Picnic Area, and the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot.

In addition to developing a strategy to flip over 800-pound dumpsters, the bear also uprooted smaller bear-resistant trash cans from their concrete bases to gain access to human food and garbage. As a result, the bear became increasingly food-conditioned and posed a risk to public safety in one of the busiest areas of the park. The decision to kill the bear was made to ensure public safety and reduce the chances of other bears becoming habituated to human food.

The last grizzly bear killed in a management action in Yellowstone was in September 2017, when the park removed a grizzly bear that was damaging tents and accessing human food in backcountry campsites at Heart Lake.

“It’s unfortunate that this bear began regularly seeking out garbage and was able to defeat the park’s bear-resistant infrastructure,” said Yellowstone Bear Management Biologist Kerry Gunther. “We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from becoming conditioned to human food. But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to remove the bear from the population to protect visitors and property.”

In accordance with Yellowstone’s bear management plan, the park provides bear-resistant food storage lockers in all campgrounds, food storage devices in all backcountry campsites, and bear-resistant garbage cans and dumpsters. Yellowstone reminds all visitors that utilizing these bear safety measures remain crucial in ensuring public safety and preventing wildlife from developing dangerous habits.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Two yearling grizzly bears found dead south of Colter Bay

On the morning of Tuesday, May 13, Grand Teton National Park staff discovered the carcasses of two yearling grizzly bears in a closed area south of Colter Bay. The bears were found approximately 250 yards apart, and both showed signs of depredation by a larger bear.

Following the discovery, law enforcement and wildlife staff conducted extensive patrols of the Colter Bay developed area, Highway 89, Leeks Marina, AMK Ranch, and surrounding locations to monitor for bear activity.

During these operations, park staff observed a lone adult grizzly bear with red ear tags in the vicinity. She was identified as GB1063, a bear who had frequently been observed in recent weeks with her yearling cubs. No cubs were observed with her during this sighting.

“Bears exhibit a range of fascinating behaviors influenced by their biological needs, social structures, and environmental factors,” said Grand Teton National Park Bear Biologist Justin Schwabedissen. “While it is incredibly sad to see a grizzly bear lose its cubs, depredation by other bears is a natural source of cub mortality in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and has previously occurred in Grand Teton.”

In recent weeks, GB1063 and her cubs had been observed in and around developed and residential areas at Colter Bay. In accordance with park policy, staff hazed the bears when they lingered in these areas or remained immediately adjacent to nearby roadways. Hazing is an essential management tool used to reduce potential conflicts between humans and wildlife, for their safety and ours. When it is necessary to haze a bear, staff use a spectrum of tools tailored to the situation while providing for human and animal safety. Each time hazing was deemed appropriate and implemented, GB1063 and her cubs remained together.

Based on observed behavior and evidence, it is likely that a male grizzly bear in the area led to the separation of the yearlings from GB1063 and was responsible for the depredation. The status of the third yearling remains unknown.

Park staff continue to monitor the area and remind visitors to remain bear aware: carry bear spray, maintain a safe distance from all wildlife, and report any bear sightings to a park ranger. For more information about bear safety in Grand Teton National Park, click here.



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Rising more than 7000 feet above Jackson Hole, the majestic mountains of Grand Teton National Park provide one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. With more than 240 miles of trails meandering throughout this park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Exploring Grand Teton National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Grand Teton:

Grand Teton National Park announces upcoming site improvement plans for Mormon Row

The National Park Service plans to improve and expand recreation opportunities at Mormon Row, one of the most photographed locations in Grand Teton National Park. This effort is part of ongoing preservation work designed to offer visitors a richer, more immersive experience at Mormon Row.

As part of the planning efforts, the park is working with Grand Teton National Park Foundation to create a safer, more accessible experience for visitors while preserving the area’s unique cultural heritage.

Proposed improvements:

* Pedestrian and cycling-only area: A new pedestrian and cycling-only zone will be established in the historic district, enhancing visitors’ ability to experience the iconic views of Mormon Row and the Tetons. This change will provide a safer environment and minimize vehicle traffic.

* Expanded parking: A larger parking lot will be constructed at the southeast corner of Antelope Flats Road and Mormon Row to accommodate growing visitation while maintaining the integrity of the site. This will help manage traffic, provide parking for large vehicles, and improve access for all visitors.

* Enhanced interpretation and signage: New interpretive and wayfinding signs will be installed to help visitors better understand the significance of Mormon Row. The site interpretation will provide a more thorough and accurate depiction of the community’s history and its connection to the broader history of Grand Teton National Park.

* Vegetation restoration: Efforts will be made to restore native vegetation and improve the ecological health of the area, ensuring a more authentic landscape.

*Improved facilities: Plans also include adding a Grand Teton Association building for visitor information and sales, as well as adding new restrooms and making walking paths easy to see and follow.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation to preserve and renew Mormon Row, a beloved site for park visitors,” said Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins. “These improvements will create opportunities for visitors to connect with the history and landscape in a meaningful way.”

Some minor site improvements may begin in summer 2025, with the majority happening in 2026 or later. Updates on the project and further details will be shared with the public as the work progresses.

More information about the proposed plans is available on the park’s planning webpage. To provide feedback on the project, visit the park’s Planning, Environment & Public Comment page and click the ‘comment now’ button.



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Rising more than 7000 feet above Jackson Hole, the majestic mountains of Grand Teton National Park provide one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. With more than 240 miles of trails meandering throughout this park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Exploring Grand Teton National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Grand Teton: