Bear sighting prompts temporary Greenbelt closure in Laramie

The west-side Greenbelt went partially off-limits Thursday after a bear was reported near Commerce Street and Spruce Street, prompting the City of Laramie to put barricades in place and warn residents to stay bear aware.

City officials said parts of the Greenbelt were being shut down after the report came in on the city’s Facebook page. The notice did not give a reopening time, and the closed area remained centered around Commerce and Spruce, where the city moved quickly to block access.

For Albany County residents who use the Laramie River Greenbelt Park to walk, jog, bike or fish, the immediate change is simple: stay out of the barricaded stretch and use other portions of the trail system outside the closure. The park runs 5.75 miles between Garfield Street and Spruce Street and includes a walking and jogging path, river fishing access, a dog run area and a playground.

The closure lands in a part of town where recreation and wildlife habitat meet. Laramie sits close to the Snowy Range and Medicine Bow National Forest, and wildlife officials say that makes bear encounters plausible along the edge of developed neighborhoods and riparian corridors.

The broader pattern has become harder to ignore. KGAB reported that at least two verified bear sightings had been confirmed in Cheyenne in the previous month or so, adding to a growing sense across southeast Wyoming that bears are showing up more often near populated areas. Wyoming Game and Fish Department says black bears are found throughout much of Wyoming, including forested areas and periphery riparian habitats, and that black bear populations have increased and expanded their distribution since the mid-1970s.

State wildlife officials said on March 30 that bears were starting to wake up and become active as they emerged from winter dens. Their advice remains consistent: secure garbage, pet food, birdseed and barbecue grills so they are not available to bears, and in bear country hike in groups, make noise and carry EPA-approved bear spray.

For Laramie, the takeaway is immediate and local. Avoid the closed section near Commerce and Spruce, give any bear plenty of space, and watch for the city’s next notice before using that part of the Greenbelt again.