Body of missing hiker discovered off trail as investigators probe rare deadly bear encounter

In a separate incident in Montana, the remains of a hiker, who had been reported missing, were found on Wednesday. Authorities suspect a bear attack led to the hiker’s death.

Search-and-rescue teams discovered the hiker’s body roughly 2.5 miles along the Mt. Brown Trail in Glacier National Park around midday. The park authorities have yet to release the hiker’s identity.

The park officials reported that the hiker’s injuries appeared consistent with a bear encounter. The body was located about 50 feet off the trail in a heavily wooded area with fallen trees.

Currently, wildlife and law enforcement teams are evaluating the region for bear activity and assessing any potential risks to public safety.

The area has been temporarily closed as investigations into the suspected bear attack continue.

A hiker walks along a narrow mountain trail overlooking an alpine valley in Glacier National Park during summer. (iStock)

The last known message from the hiker was sent around 8:30 p.m. Sunday after he “had communicated plans to hike toward the Mt. Brown Fire Lookout,” officials said. He was subsequently reported missing on Monday. 

The incident is the park’s first deadly bear attack since 1998, authorities said, noting the last time an individual was injured by a bear in Glacier National Park was August 2025. 

Authorities closed part of the Mt. Brown Trail in Glacier National Park after finding the body of a missing hiker on Wednesday. (National Park Service)

The park is home to around 1,000 black bears and grizzlies, with park officials estimating that about 300 grizzly bears were inhabiting the area in 2023. 

The fatality comes after two hikers, ages 15 and 28, were seriously injured in a bear attack in Yellowstone National Park on Monday, according to park officials.

Coastal brown bear standing on rocky shore in South Central Alaska

Glacier National Park authorities said the hiker’s “injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter,” adding that the individual was found “approximately 50 feet off the trail in a densely wooded area with downed timber.”  (Getty Images Creatives)

The pair of hikers was airlifted by helicopter after an incident in which “park staff believe a female grizzly bear with two or three cubs-of-the-year (cubs in their first year of life) were involved in the encounter,” Yellowstone National Park said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Glacier National Park for comment. 

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