YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Two hikers were injured in a bear attack on a popular hiking trail near Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful geyser, park officials said Tuesday.
The attack was described by officials as a single event Monday afternoon along the Mystic Falls Trail.
A large area of the park near the Midway Geyser Basin was temporarily closed pending an investigation. The area includes at least five trails and several backcountry
campsites.
Park officials said one or more bears were involved, but did not specify which species. The park has populations of both grizzly bears and black bears, which can be difficult to tell apart at times. Grizzlies can be more aggressive and they grow much larger — as much as twice as big as black bears. Black bears usually have darker coloring.
Further information, including the ages and condition of the the two victims, was not immediately released. The Associated Press left email and phone messages with park officials seeking additional comment.
Attacks by grizzlies or black bears on the millions of people who visit Yellowstone each year are rare. Last year, a hiker suffered injuries to his chest and arm in an attack on the Turbid Lake Trail northeast of Yellowstone Lake.
A grizzly killed a woman just west of Yellowstone in 2023. The last fatal bear attack inside the park was in 2015.
The heavily-traveled Mystic Falls trail includes a loop that leads to a 70-feet tall waterfall. The trailheard is about two miles northwest of Old Faithful.
