Two hikers suffered serious injuries on a popular Yellowstone trail Monday afternoon after a violent run-in with at least one bear, forcing officials to lock down a wide stretch of the park near Old Faithful.
The attack happened on the Mystic Falls Trail, and the National Park Service said in a Tuesday release that one or more bears were responsible. Park staff have not identified the species or disclosed the victims’ conditions, and the case remains open.
Maryland hiker Craig Lerman stumbled onto the aftermath and gave ABC News a firsthand account. He spotted claw marks in the dirt, then a bloodied hat and a torn-off watch, before reaching one of the wounded men calling for help. Lerman said the man was bleeding from his face, back, and lower body, and he handed over his own shirt to him before rescuers airlifted the victim out. He believes the second hiker was the man’s younger brother. (RELATED: Wild Video Shows Grizzly Bear, Wolf Nearly Coming To Blows While Hammering Down Dead Animal)
A long list of areas sat off-limits as of Tuesday, according to the Park Service. Closures cover terrain west of Grand Loop Road between Fountain Flat Drive and Black Sand Basin, five trails including Fairy Falls and Summit Lake, six backcountry campsites, and a portion of the Firehole River. Midway Geyser Basin and the Grand Prismatic Overlook stayed open.
(NEWS RELEASE) Hikers injured by bear in Yellowstone National Park
On the afternoon of May 4, two hikers sustained injuries by one or more bears on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.
National Park Service emergency services personnel… pic.twitter.com/zyEyddFHcQ
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) May 5, 2026
The Mystic Falls Trail draws steady foot traffic and ends at a 70-foot waterfall about two miles northwest of Old Faithful, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Monday’s incident is the first bear-related injury in Yellowstone this year, and the previous attack happened in September 2025 near Turbid Lake, ABC News reported. The last deadly mauling inside the park took place in 2015 at Lake Village.
Yellowstone hosts more than four million visitors each year, and Fox News reported that bear attacks remain uncommon despite that traffic.
More than 1,000 grizzlies live across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and remain federally protected as a threatened species, CBS News reported.
In late April, several areas within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were temporarily closed after several visitors were chased and bitten by multiple bears.