Utah officials warn of earlier bear activity in canyons and backcountry

Before you step into a Utah canyon, alpine trail or backcountry camp this weekend, lock up food and scented items, hike in groups if you can, make noise in thick cover, and stay especially alert at dawn and dusk. State and federal wildlife officials are warning that black bears are turning up earlier than usual in parts of Utah, which changes how hikers and campers need to plan spring and early-summer trips.

The warning comes as mountain precipitation across Utah remained at 87% of normal from Oct. 1 through mid-May, and wildlife managers say the thinner snow and warmer conditions may be shifting bear behavior. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources guidance says black bears usually come out of hibernation in March or April, depending on snowpack, and that spring diets are about 90% plants and insects. When drought cuts back those plants and root-like foods, bears can turn to garbage and human food instead.

Chad Wilson, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ game mammals coordinator, said officials had already spotted bears in places where they would not normally expect them this early. That matters for anyone heading into canyons and high-country camps, because bears usually remain higher in the mountains until vegetation dries out, then move lower in search of food. In a year with lighter snow and uneven moisture, that shift can happen sooner, right as more hikers and campers move into the same corridors.

The broader West has already seen the stakes. Yellowstone National Park said two hikers were injured on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful on May 4, and the incident led to temporary closures of some trails, backcountry campsites and fishing areas near Biscuit Basin while the investigation continued. The National Park Service said it was the first reported bear injury in Yellowstone in 2026. In Glacier National Park, officials said the body of missing hiker Anthony Pollio, 33, was found on May 6 about 2.5 miles up the Mt. Brown Trail and roughly 50 feet off the trail in a densely wooded area, with injuries consistent with a bear encounter.

Utah’s own bear country is bigger than many hikers realize. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says black bears are the only bear species in the state and live across much of Utah except the West Desert. Separate spring reporting put the state’s black bear population at about 1,900. With the season opening fast, bear awareness is no longer a side note for Utah trips. It is part of the packing list.