Yellowstone Keeps Closures After May 4 Grizzly Bear Incident

Yellowstone National Park kept temporary closures in place northwest of Old Faithful after a May 4 grizzly bear incident that injured two male hikers, ages 15 and 28. Emergency responders gave aid and flew the hikers out by helicopter. Geyser basin boardwalk areas remained open while the closed backcountry stayed off-limits.

Old Faithful Closures

The closures covered trails, backcountry campsites, and fishing access northwest of the Old Faithful area. Park visitors were required to follow the posted restrictions, and entering closed areas could put both visitors and responders at risk.

There were no known visitors within the closed backcountry areas. That left the park managing access around the incident site while keeping the boardwalk system open for visitors near the geyser basin.

May 4 Bear Incident

Park staff believed a female grizzly bear with two or three cubs-of-the-year were involved in the encounter. The incident remained under investigation on May 7, 2026.

The presence of cubs narrows where people can safely move in the area, and Yellowstone has kept the response focused on the specific trails, campsites, and fishing spots northwest of Old Faithful rather than the full geyser basin. For visitors heading into that section of the park, the practical step is simple: stay out of posted closure zones and use the open boardwalk areas instead.

For the two hikers flown out after the encounter, the incident turned a day trip near one of Yellowstone’s busiest areas into an emergency extraction. For everyone else, the hard boundary is the closure line itself.