Feeding grizzlies shut down Glacier's Highline Trail

A mountain goat provided a meal for a female grizzly and a pair of cubs in Glacier National Park, but the proximity of the carcass to the Highline Trail has temporarily shut down the popular cliffside path near Logan Pass.

Glacier spokesman Tim Rains said Monday the bears were first spotted just before noon on Friday.

“The goat carcass is about a mile down the trail, about 50 yards off the trail,” Rains said. “A sow and her cubs were seen gnawing on it the last couple of days.”

The Highline Trail closure extends from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet. Rains said park officials are monitoring the goat’s remains and waiting until the grizzlies move on before reopening the Highline.

Following the park’s management plan for grizzlies, park biologists did not attempt to haze the bear away from the area, as they had done earlier this year when a sow and her cub were seen wandering along the trail the day it opened to use.

“The bears were already feeding on the carcass when they were discovered, and in this case we would favor the [resource] use for the bear,” Rains said.

He noted that despite an apparent spike in bear activity this year, park wildlife biologists believe the increased reports are more a function of more visitors reporting sightings, rather than more bears on the landscape.

The trail was still closed as of Monday afternoon.

Many other trails in the area are still open. Visitors can view the status of trails in Glacier Park by visiting home.nps.gov/applications/glac/infobull/closures.cfm.