• Be prepared and informed
• Check with Park personnel or local authorities on any sightings or bear activity in the area you will be hiking
• Do not wear perfume or any scented products
• Don't hike alone, travel in groups of five or six
• Make noise such as singing & talking
• Stay on established trails
• Watch for bear sign (tracks, droppings, torn-up logs)
• Keep food packed in plastic bags or containers
• Clean up after you eat - leave no trace
• If you come across an animal carcass, leave the area immediately
• Bear spray - can be effective when used properly
• Always let someone know where you are going

If You Come in Contact with a Bear

• Never run or show fear, talk softly and slowly back away, if a bear rears on its hind legs and waves its nose about, it is trying to identify you
• Don't make any threatening moves and avoid eye contact
• Wear a back pack - can be used as a diversion if a bear attacks
• Do not climb a tree
• Do not go into a lake - bears are excellent swimmers
• Leave the bear an escape route

The above bear safety guidelines are just that - guidelines. Bears are unpredictable and complex each one has the potential to react differently in different situations. This is basic information on how to avoid an encounter and how to react if one should occur.

Black Bear	Grizzly Bear