Overview
- Two hikers on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful were injured by one or more bears Monday, and National Park Service crews evacuated both by helicopter.
- Yellowstone has kept trails, six backcountry campsites, and fishing on parts of the Firehole River closed within a zone west of Grand Loop Road while the investigation continues.
- Investigators now believe a female grizzly with two or three young cubs was involved, though officials have not formally confirmed the species or the number of bears.
- Local reports and family posts say the victims are brothers, ages 15 and 28, who remain hospitalized in serious and critical condition at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
- This is the park’s first bear-related injury of 2026, the last was in September 2025, and rangers urge visitors to stay 100 yards from bears, carry bear spray, hike in groups, and be extra cautious in spring when mothers defend cubs.