Bear safety for hikers and campers: NPS basics, and how Japan's advice differs

The National Park Service (NPS) starts with reassurance: most bear encounters end without injury. It also warns that bears are wild and their behavior is sometimes unpredictable, that there is no single strategy that works in all situations, and that recommendations vary from park to park based on local bear behavior. When you arrive in a park, check with the visitor center or backcountry office for the latest bear information.

Avoid encounters

• Keep your distance and don't surprise bears. Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming. Be especially noticeable where bears are active or there's a good food source, such as berry bushes.
• Hike and travel in groups.
• Never get between a mother and her cubs, and never approach them.

Store food properly

NPS says storing food and garbage properly can mean life or death to a bear. Bears that eat human food can lose their fear of people, become aggressive and dangerous, and are often euthanized as a result.

• Bears treat anything with a scent as food: canned goods, drinks, soaps, cosmetics, toiletries, trash, coolers, sunscreen, bug repellent, fuel and cooking gear.
• Secure food, garbage and scented items as soon as you arrive at your campsite. Don't store food in your tent or backpack.
• Don't try to burn leftover food, tea bags or coffee grounds in the campfire; partly burned food still draws wildlife.
• Bear-resistant containers only work closed and locked, placed on flat ground 100 feet or more from your campsite, with nothing attached to them.
• Rules differ by park (lockers, canisters or hanging), and breaking them can mean fines, confiscation of food or towing.

If a bear notices you

• Talk calmly so the bear knows you're a human, not prey. Stand your ground and slowly wave your arms. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening.
• Bears may bluff-charge and turn away at the last second. Keep talking in low tones; a scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or squeal.
• Do not run; if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Do not climb a tree; both grizzlies and black bears can climb.
• Don't let the bear get your food.

If you're attacked (NPS, by species)

Carry an EPA-approved bear spray designed to stop aggressive bears. It is not a repellent, so don't spray it on yourself or your gear.

Japan is different

Bear attacks have become a serious problem in Japan: the Ministry of the Environment says bear-caused deaths in fiscal 2025 far exceeded the previous record. Bears there are active roughly from March to November and hibernate from about December to February. For its national parks, the Ministry advises:

That last line differs from the NPS's "fight back" advice for American black bears. Agencies write for their own bears and their own parks, so follow the guidance of the country and park you're in.