Hi,
I%26#39;ve read a lot of posts on here about how to avoid bears... but I would love to see some. In the UK we have nothing like bears in the wild so it would be pretty cool. How do I increase my chances of seeing a bear or two?
Needless to say I want to observe them responsibly (i.e. from a distance... and I%26#39;m not going to do anything stupid like load the car up with food and other ';bear magnets';).
Are there any parts of the park where I%26#39;d be more likely to see them, or a time of day for example? I%26#39;ll be there at the start of June.
Thanks in advance!
Mel
I *want* to see bears!Hmmmmm. As much time as I have spent in Yosemite, I have only on a couple of occasions seen a bear--mainly long ago, before the current protective measures were in effect.
In my last couple of visits, we have seen or heard ';evidence'; of bears around the Curry Village parking lot (cars broken into and trash strewn around) and campgrounds (people banging on pots and yelling to chance one away). So your best chance may be to walk around these areas (the parking lot and the nearby campgrounds) around dusk. They sometimes cruise these areas looking for opportunities to grab food left unattended.
We have also seen one prowling cars at a trailhead in Tuolumne in broad daylight, but I think that was a random encounter.
If you are also visiting Yellowstone Park on your visit to the US, you may well see a bear there.
I *want* to see bears!Bear sitings aren%26#39;t all that uncommon. As the year progresses we will learn where they hang out. For several years one location was in the meadow to the right at crane flat.
If you are in your car driving and there is no awe inspiring visual going on, like water falls or the first glimps of half dome, but there are a lot of cars pulled over with some even parked right on the road, and perhaps a ranger and folks milling about with cameras鈥攊t is most likely a bear sighting.
Good luck! If all else fails, SF Zoo.
Have fun.
Many many years ago my dad used to drive the family to the dump (in Wawona) to watch the bears after dinner. Then when the dump was closed, we%26#39;d just watch them at our garbage cans out the bedroom window. Now we hardly ever see them at all, which is much better! The Park is doing a great job of keeping the bears wild.
Good luck on your quest.
Yosemite isn%26#39;t a big wildlife park like Yellowstone. But, the bears are definitely out and about.
Keep an eye out whenever you drive by meadows in the Valley. Sometimes they%26#39;re out eating some grass or hanging out. I%26#39;ve seen bears in Cook%26#39;s Meadow near the Visitor Center, and Stoneman Meadow near Curry Village, on more than one occasion. I watched a bear in one of those meadows for at least a half hour, and had 10-15 people walk by me who didn%26#39;t even see the bear.
If you see a bear jam on the road and you decide to pull out, just make sure it%26#39;s somewhere where your car can be all the way out of the traffic lanes. Crane Flat doesn%26#39;t have a great place to do that unfortunately, though that is a place where bears are frequently seen.
When are you visiting? Fingers crossed that you%26#39;ll see a bear doing some wild bear things (as opposed to prowling a parking lot).
And a heads up, legal viewing distance means you need to be about four bus lengths away from the bear. If you see a bear, you%26#39;re probably going to see people closer to it than that...but resist the temptation. It not only keeps you safe, but prevents the bear from becoming acclimated to people.
Pacific- We used to do the same thing! Mike the garbage guy lived around the corner and he would park the gargage truck which was open and we would watch the bears lounge in the back in the heap of gargage in the evenings. They used to go through our open metal trash cans (0f course the bacon planted in there didn%26#39;t help!) I haven%26#39;t seen a bear in Wawona in years since they changed the gargage containers and closed the dump. Going this weekend to do pine needle cleanup. Yeah me!
I have been fortunate to see bears several times, including the first time I ever visited Yosemite in the early 70s - we were digging out of snow in a campground in the high country and a bear wandered by and very close to our car - too close IMHO. Basically if you would like to see a bear during the day you need to get away from the crowds. You need to find a hiking trail off the beaten path (likely in the high country) and hike quietly. So find a trailhead with fewer parked cars and start hiking. If there are any other people around you will likely not see one while hiking. Have your camera ready!
Other than that, you might see one in the Valley at night - they are looking to find ';free'; food in a car or at a campsite. Know the rules about bears! I have also seen them at dusk crossing the main road in the Valley.
Enjoy your visit!
It%26#39;s been many decades since I%26#39;ve seen a bear in Yosemite. The one I did see was scratching a tree near the tent-cabins.
Remember this: When afoot, any bear you see has already seen you. You%26#39;re alive only because that bear let you live.
One year I was entering Yellowstone from the East. On the road was a couple of bear cubs. I stopped to watch them play, also looking around for Mama but I didn%26#39;t see her.
They jumped into the snow on the side of the road and I slowly moved ahead to watch them play when, on the other side of the road, I saw Mama waving at me. The front wheel pointed at the treetops as I split.
Hey, thanks for all your replies.
We%26#39;re planning to visit the park at dusk a few times so then might be the best chance. We%26#39;ll also keep our eyes peeled when we%26#39;re passing meadows.
Cheers!
I have heard reports of bears along the Glacier Point road which just opened. Last year in early May I was on that road, turned a corner, and almost rearended the car ahead. Everyone stopped to see a mother and two little cubs--- cute.
You just never know where they might show up. Keep your distance if you see some.
Hi Welsh,
If you head over to the ';backpackers'; campground (which is behind North pines campground and across the footbridge) just before dusk you might have good luck. Every time we%26#39;ve stayed there, a bear has come through at sunset. Saw one steal a French girls backpack right off the picnic table once. I tried to scare it away but it just growled at me, grabbed the pack and ran off into the underbrush. We had 3 teenagers run after it (not smart but kids...) and recover it when the bear dropped it. French girl was happy as the pack contained her passport, money etc...
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