Bears
The latest
Archive
Luckily for the bear, a wildlife official arrived and rescued it from the chilly predicament
Data of Sasquatch sightings in a new preprint finds a strong correlation with bear population density
A mother and her one-year-old son died after being mauled in the coastal town of Wales
This bruin’s journey across four states is a reminder that hikers and campers should be extra careful with food and trash
The real story is weirder and sadder than what we saw in the film’s bonkers preview
Two agencies will investigate bringing grizzlies back to the Pacific Northwest
Alone in the wilderness, facing a grizzly that was determined to kill him, Colin Dowler had only one option: fight for his life.
Northwest College teammates Brayden Lowry and Kendell Cummings suffered serious injuries after fighting off an aggressive bruin in Wyoming
On these expert-led trips, you’ll spot the National Park System’s wildest residents, from mysterious wolves to fat bears. Pro tip: the bioluminescent fireflies are pretty cool, too.
Despite being one of the most popular destinations in the U.S., the Smokies make it easy to plan a last-minute trip and avoid crowds year-round. Here’s our definitive guide on what to know before you go, how to make the most of all the park has to offer, and can’t-miss experiences in every season.
Rangers in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are asking hikers to be mindful of bears
Lessons learned at camp sometimes do come in handy
Our favorite wildlife competition crowned an aging winner this year, and reminded us that for the chubby bears we love, the stakes will always be high
To live in the small town of Haines, Alaska, is to live with bears, with roughly one brown bear for every nine human residents. Last winter, a local snowboarder woke a hibernating brown bear in the backcountry and was severely injured, furthering tensions between food-stressed bears and anxious local residents. But in most encounters, it’s the bear that ends up dead, prompting the question of what it means to coexist.
Grizzly and black bears have killed five people in North America over the last five months. Is this cause for concern?
Despite warnings, rules, and common sense, tourists in Yellowstone keep approaching bears and bison.
Katmai, in southern Alaska, is one of the few places where you can safely get up close and personal with a brown bear while it’s feeding—a life-list event says our 62 Parks Traveler about the 38th stop on her quest to visit every national park in the U.S.
Mountaineers come to summit this Alaskan park’s namesake 20,310-foot peak, the highest in North America. Our 62 Parks columnist set out on a mountain bike to see the stunning terrain and bountiful wildlife during the 36th stop of her quest to visit every national park in the U.S.
Federal regulations limit how much capsaicinoids (the active eye- and nose-stinging ingredient) bear sprays can have, and most options on the market hit that maximum. But the Sabre Frontiersman has a long range (up to 30 feet), and the company makes a training spray so you can safely practice without…
What I learned and how to avoid my mistakes
A recent incident involving a renowned wildlife photographer allegedly baiting foxes at Grand Teton sheds light on a larger issue
A close encounter in the far north offers powerful lessons about how Native people have chosen to live alongside a dangerous predator
Kale Williams’s new book, ‘The Loneliest Polar Bear,’ offers readers an adorable polar bear cub—and a roving, clear-eyed exploration of climate change and how the bears captured the public imagination
A University of Colorado Boulder skier tells the story of a camping trip gone awry
The ursine inhabitants of the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center test dozens of containers each year to see if they're worthy of bear-proof certification
These affordable digs are within driving distance from major cities but feel like far-away escapes
With more than a hundred 11,000-foot peaks, five glaciers, and some 150 alpine lakes, Colorado's most popular park has served as an idyllic backdrop for some of our writer's bigger life moments: it's where he proposed to his wife, where his kids earned their first Junior Ranger badges, and where he said goodbye to someone special. While you'll be among 4.7 million visitors who visit every year, there's something personal to be found here.
Years of underfunding and climate change are increasingly threatening the national park system. From the Everglades in Florida to Glacier in Montana, here are the ones we stand to lose.
My DIY exposure therapy didn't work
From surf cams to Fat Bear Week, live nature feeds inspire adventure and offer a break from reality
Nikita Ovsyanikov has spent decades studying polar bears on a remote Siberian island to better understand their behaviors
As red-rock meccas like Moab, Zion, and Arches become overrun with visitors, our writer wonders if Utah's celebrated Mighty Five ad campaign worked too well—and who gets to decide when a destination is "at capacity."
As one of the northernmost settlements on earth, the Norwegian hamlet of Longyearbyen has become a magnet for adventurous souls looking to start a new life. But when an unsettling crime happened, it brought home a harsh reality: in the modern world, trouble always finds you.
After a breaching humpback nearly landed on Tom Mustill's kayak, the wildlife filmmaker became consumed with trying to understand the massive mammal. The result is PBS's ‘The Whale Detective.’
Featuring fat bears, Pattie Gonia, a very good boy, and more
Everything is easier to understand with visuals
Scientists turn to high-tech solutions to protect a threatened population
After losing his bear spray, Colin Dowler was caught with nothing but a tiny Buck knife
Every year, explore.org calls on its A-team to capture the rotund glory of Katmai National Park’s brown bears
The fight to balance recreation with wildlife is coming to a head
The year's most dramatic story of a bear attack offers potentially lifesaving lessons for anyone venturing into the wild
The clock is winding down. Don't dwell on summer's missed opportunities—make new ones.
Critical habitat for the species could be destroyed
In August, Randy Scott was slapped with a fine and a restraining order against bears for feeding the animal along the Alaska Highway. Jokes about his punishment went viral, but the reality of his actions is far more serious.
The conservation icon talks about the surprising history of grizzlies in America and what comes next
The science is clear, right? Not so fast, according to, well, science.
The official Ursus of fire prevention ought to move from figurehead to spokesbear—and wearing a little Nomex wouldn't hurt either
Regulatory changes to the Endangered Species Act put many, many species at risk—but particularly the cute and cuddly ones
Eight places to (safely) spy on bears—and other big game—in their natural habitat
Want to be an asshole with a hill to die on? Here are some tips and tricks to get you there.
And other funny shit that happens in the woods
The harrowing story of a too-close encounter with a Canadian black bear
Hopefully you don't get charged by a bear in the first place. But in a worst-case scenario, here's what to do.
Unless you're hunting, it's a terrible idea to pack heat in the backcountry
From searching for Bigfoot in Ohio to drinking snake blood in China, these are the best and strangest Outside tales
How much does the world need to know about a deadly bear attack? That question was tested in the Yukon last year, after the horrific loss of a mother and daughter caused a destructive media storm.
How a father-son trip to Yosemite conquered my fear of hiking, bears, and falling off chairlifts
Some national parks and forests require the use of bear canisters in the backcountry. But for places where ursine scavengers aren’t as much of a concern, a food bag is a good, lightweight option to keep the critters out. The Ursack is made from an incredibly tough Kevlar-based fabric, and…
If you want to keep food safe, seal it up. The Insider has a quick-opening locking mechanism that’s easy for humans to figure out but a lock that will frustrate bears. And it’s made of bomber polypropylene, plus has a good amount of storage space (11.86-liters for food) without a…
Make sure your beer and chocolate bars stay yours with this cooler, which, when paired with a locking kit, is certified bear resistant from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. To earn that distinction, the Venture had to survive an hour of being manhandled by a grizzly.
If you’re packing bear spray, you want it at the ready. Mystery Ranch’s holster straps to your belt or a pack’s sternum or waist straps, so your deterrent is always within reach.
New to backpacking, or never been? Make your next trip (or your first) a success by answering these questions beforehand.
The new book 'Down from the Mountain' explores the fine line bears walk between the wilderness and suburbia
'The River and the Wall' chronicles an intense journey down the Rio Grande, bearing witness to the ecosystems and livelihoods along the U.S.-Mexico border
The definitive guide, built upon real-world experience
You're probably doing it wrong. And even if you aren't, it won't work anyway.
Food is heavy. Don't carry it for miles while backpacking just to let something else eat it.
A bear's sense of smell is seven times better than a bloodhound's. Outsmart them with this food-storage bag.
Advocates of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are trying to make an end run around the law and the American people. If they succeed, your backyard conservation area could be next.
The movers and shakers inspiring positive change in the outdoors