How to Hike and Camp Safely in Bear Country

Bears. Big, beautiful bears. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you are in their territory and it’s important to remember the house rules as a visitor.

Close up of a female grizzly bear spotted at Moraine Lake

Banff National Park is home to two species of bears, grizzly bears and black bears. Being wild animals, bears can be unpredictable but that doesn’t mean you have anything to be afraid of. In fact, bears are generally pretty calm creatures. Most of the time you come across them, they will be focused on foraging for food and fattening up for the winter. Most bear encounters that occur within the park end without incident, usually a bear encounter only escalates into an attack if there is some kind of trigger that startles or scares the bear. Our aim with this guide is to give you some tips for navigating bear country safely so  you can still hike, camp and enjoy all this beautiful national park has to offer. Read on to learn all about preventing and being ready for bear encounters, as well as what to do if you do come across our Ursine cousins.

These are the two types of bears you may come across as you adventure throughout Banff National Park:

1. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis)

2. Black bears (Ursus americanus)

While bear encounters from either type of bear are few and far between, here are some important tips to keep in mind while hiking in bear country:

Bring bear spray - While not cheap, bear spray can be the difference between a bear attacking and backing down. It should only be used as a last resort of course, but if you do end up in a bear encounter, you will be thankful you had it, whether you end up using it or not. There are a few places in town to rent bear spray if you don’t want to buy and sometimes hotels will have a few at the front desk available to be borrowed so that’s always worth the ask. We’ve put together a few pointers to get you started but it’s important to familiarize yourself with how bear spray works (hint: it’s not like bug spray).

1. Watch videos or ask for a demo - I strongly recommend reading the label of the bear spray can so you know how it works, but a visual guide like a video or a demonstration from the sales associate when you buy the bear spray can be great tools.

2. Hike with it within reach - This one might sound obvious but when you’re hiking, make sure you can reach your bear spray in a pinch

3. Be careful when putting it in bags/vehicles - All bear spray will come with a safety cap over the trigger (if it doesn’t, take it back!!!). Ensure this safety cap is in place at ALL times, especially in enclosed spaces like a car or building. Also be mindful of storing bear spray inside hot vehicles during the summer as the pressurized can may explode in the heat.

Hike in groups - In bear country, it’s definitely best to hike in groups. For anyone

travelling solo, there are Facebook groups that can help you find others to hike

with. If you do hike alone, try to stick to more populated trails and if possible, stay

within eyesight of another group of hikers.

Make noise - The worst way to come across a bear is to sneak up on it. If a bear is aware of your presence, most likely it will either keep doing what it’s doing and ignore you or move away and try to avoid you. Making noise is the easiest way to make a bear aware of your presence from afar.

1. Easier in groups - The easiest way to make noise while hiking is to talk. Hiking as a group makes talking much easier than as a pair or by yourself.

2. Sing, talk, or clap regularly - If you do end up hiking solo, try to remember to make noise of some kind regularly. Clap your hands periodically, sing out loud or recite your favourite classical play from memory, whatever you need to do to make some noise and keep the bears aware of your presence. The same goes for groups.

3. Bear bells - Bear bells are a bit controversial, some people swear by them, some people refer to them as “dinner bells”. Our personal belief is that anything that makes you feel safer in bear country is worth bringing along!

Be careful with food and scented items - It’s no secret that bears have better noses than us. With a sense of smell 2,000-3,000 times more powerful than our own, they are great at sniffing out and finding anything that smells yummy to them.

1. Never leave food or bags unattended - This one may sound obvious, but it can be super easy to set your bag down on the trail and check out a quick viewpoint. Leaving a bag unattended, even for a short time, can make it very inviting for a passing animal. Bring your bag with you or have someone (preferably multiple people) stay with the bag(s).

2. If camping, pack away all scents in appropriate bear storage - Most campgrounds in Banff have bear lockers or bear hangs (more common on backcountry sites) to safely store your food. Storing your food/cooler in your car is also perfectly fine and will keep it safe from any bears. It’s best practice to store any food away that you are not actively eating, and before leaving a campsite do a quick check to ensure everything is put away. If you are backcountry camping, make sure to find out what kind of storage will be available at your campsite, as it may be necessary to bring a bear barrel.

3. Never eat where people sleep - This one applies more so to backcountry campsites but it is a good rule of thumb regardless. Never cook or eat where someone is going to pitch their tent and NEVER eat in your tent. The smell of cooking and the lingering smell of food can attract bears and other animals, even long after you’ve left the site. Help keep yourself and everyone who comes after you safe by eating in designated cooking areas.

Always pack out litter - We hope everyone is already aware of this but don’t litter. Just don’t. I shouldn’t need to say more, but just in case you need convincing, here are a few reasons why throwing trash on the ground is not a good thing:

1. Animals learn quickly - All it takes is one or two people to throw some food on the ground for an animal to learn where it can find an easy meal. This can put everyone who uses the trail or campsite after you in danger if the animal returns hungry. Not to mention habituated animals must be destroyed in order to keep people safe.

2. Big fines if caught - Like, really big. Bigger than is worth it just to not carry that 0.1oz piece of garbage to the nearest trash can, which are conveniently placed all over the park for you to properly dispose of your garbage. The maximum fine for littering is $25,000, and while you are unlikely to get slapped with that full amount, is it really worth the risk? Pack it in, pack it out.

3. Ruining the beauty of nature - This is a big one for us, as we are all huge nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. It breaks our hearts when we are out on a trail or on a summit and we see garbage that’s been thrown away by some irresponsible hiker. Yes, accidents happen, but we all have a responsibility to leave each place we visit better than we found it and ensure the natural beauty is preserved for all future generations to enjoy.

What to do in case of a bear encounter

Now that we’ve gone over a few ways to prevent a bear encounter, let’s finally get to the fun part: what you should do in case you do find yourself uncomfortably close with a bear.

1. Stay calm - We know, probably easier said than done but it’s much harder to make good decisions under stress so calm yourself down as much as possible and try to remember that the bear doesn’t want to harm you. Most likely, it is just as scared as you and the best thing you can do is show it you are calm and mean no harm.

2. Back away from the bear - Once you are in control and breathing again, start backing away from the bear in a slow and controlled manner. No sudden movements and make sure you keep the bear in your field of view at all times.

3. Grab your bear spray - If possible do this as you are backing away, but if taking your bag off is necessary for reaching your bear spray then wait until you are a reasonable distance from the bear and take your bag off slowly. Try to avoid sudden or jerky movements.

4. Ready your bear spray and continue backing away - Keep your eyes on the bear and try to put as much distance between you as possible. Keep your bear spray ready, but be sure that you only use it if absolutely necessary and never spray into the wind. Hopefully you are able to back far enough away and remove yourself from the area of the bear. If you see any other hikers make sure to warn them about the potential bear encounter and tell a parks ranger as soon as possible.

   
   

A grizzly bear among the larches of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

We hope these tips will help ease some of your worries and make you feel safer and more confident while in bear country. One thing important to keep in mind during your stay is that bears, while they can be big and scary, are just animals and usually only want to be left alone. They are most dangerous when you fail to give them the respect they deserve. Give them space, be bear aware, and be responsible with any food or garbage and you will not only keep yourself safe, you’ll help make the park safer for every other visitor.

This article really only scratches the surface as far as bear safety goes, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to us or check out the Parks Canada website https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety for more resources. And before you go, leave a comment with your best bear encounter story or bear fun fact, here’s one for the road: To prepare for the winter grizzly bears need to eat up to 35,000 calories a day, that’s the equivalent of 60 Big Macs!