Video: The Two Victims of Yellowstone’s First Grizzly Attack of 2026 Were Hiking on Trail Once Closed to Spring Hiking

Update: Yellowstone National Park’s first reported grizzly bear attack of 2026 happened in an area that, until spring 2024, was closed to legal spring hiking as part of the park’s bear management system.

Two brothers, ages 15 and 28, were injured May 4 while hiking near Mystic Falls, northwest of the Old Faithful area. According to reporting from WyoFile and the Jackson Hole News&Guide, one of the brothers was in critical condition and the other had serious injuries.

Yellowstone officials said the incident involved a female grizzly bear with two to three cubs of the year. The park says the incident remains under investigation. Temporary trail, backcountry campsite, and fishing closures remain in effect in the area near Old Faithful following the bear incident.

Attack Happened Near Mystic Falls Trail

Yellowstone first announced the incident on May 7, saying temporary closures remained in effect northwest of Old Faithful. The closure area includes trails, backcountry campsites, and fishing access while officials continue reviewing the bear encounter.

The attack was later reported to have occurred along the Mystic Falls Trail, an area that was previously part of Yellowstone’s Firehole Bear Management Area.

That detail matters because Mystic Falls Trail was not always open to spring hiking. Until the Firehole Bear Management Area was decommissioned in 2024, the area was closed to recreational access from March 10 through the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, according to WyoFile’s report and Yellowstone’s previous public explanation of the change.

Former Bear Management Area Was Removed in 2024

Yellowstone decommissioned the Firehole Bear Management Area in spring 2024. The park said at the time that the change was made to provide more recreational access and because staff had documented fewer ungulate carcasses and wildlife conflicts in the area.

That change reopened access to places including Midway Geyser Basin Overlook, Fairy Falls, and Mystic Falls during a time of year when they had previously been closed.

At the same time, Yellowstone created a new Hayden Valley Bear Management Area. That area restricts off-trail hiking from July 15 to Sept. 15 each year, while Mary Mountain Trail remains open.

It is not currently clear if Yellowstone officials are considering restoring the former Firehole Bear Management Area after the May 4 attack.

Third Hiker Reportedly Helped Lead Rescuers to the Scene

A second report said a third hiker, Craig Lerman, came across grizzly bear tracks and followed them to the scene of the attack. He reportedly found one of the injured hikers and used a radio to call for help.

The injured brothers were later airlifted to a hospital.

Here is a video of Lerman following the tracks to the scene.

@sfgate

Two male hikers, ages 15 and 28, were seriously injured May 4 in a bear encounter on Yellowstone National Park’s Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful in Wyoming. Another hiker later reported seeing bear paw prints in mud and snow before finding one of the injured men lying in a pool of blood. Details remain limited as the incident is still under investigation, but the National Park Service said park staff believe, based on evidence collected so far, that a female grizzly bear with two or three young cubs was involved. Visit the link in bio for more.

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Park Says Bear Was Likely a Sow With Cubs

Yellowstone officials believe the bear involved was a female grizzly with two to three cubs born this year.

That detail may help explain the nature of the attack, though the investigation is still ongoing. Female grizzlies with young cubs can respond defensively when they perceive a threat nearby. The park has not publicly stated that it is trying to identify or track the specific bear involved.

Bear Attacks in Yellowstone Are Rare, But Risk Is Higher Away From Roads

Bear attacks in Yellowstone are uncommon compared with the number of people who visit the park. Yellowstone’s bear management page says that since 1979, more than 148 million people have visited the park, and 45 people have been injured by grizzly bears. The park says the overall chance of being injured by a grizzly bear is about 1 in 3.3 million visits, though the risk is higher for people hiking in the backcountry.

Yellowstone says the last visitor injury from a bear happened in September 2025. The last fatal bear incident in the park occurred in 2015 in the Lake Village area.

Yellowstone’s Bear Safety Guidance

Yellowstone warns visitors to stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other wildlife. The park also says each person in a group should carry bear spray where it can be reached quickly, not buried in a backpack.

The park’s spring bear safety guidance also advises visitors to hike in groups of three or more, make noise, stay alert, avoid hiking at dawn, dusk, or night, and never run from a bear. Yellowstone Forever, the park’s official nonprofit partner, also reminds visitors to keep at least 100 yards from bears and carry bear spray.

The May 4 incident remains under investigation, and closures in the Old Faithful area backcountry will remain in place until park officials determine the area is safe to reopen.