Colorado bear encounters have nearly doubled over 2025

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Since January, Coloradans have experienced almost double the number of bear encounters compared to one year ago, and wildlife experts expect that number to rise to record levels as the animals enter their hungriest season.

From Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, Colorado Parks and Wildlife received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts across the state. That’s up from 3,115 during the same timeframe last year and already surpasses the annual total for 2025, which was 5,299.

“This year is on pace to have the highest number of bear reports since CPW implemented its statewide digital reporting system in 2019,” the agency said in a recent news release.

There are an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 black bears living in Colorado and they are venturing further into human-occupied areas searching for food this year because of widespread drought that has diminished their natural resources, such as berries, acorns and plants. Bears have been seen entering residential homes and roaming backyards along the Front Range, and even helping themselves to M&Ms in luxury hotels in the high country. And we likely haven’t seen the end of them yet.

Encounters are expected to increase as the bears enter hyperphagia, which is a natural phase when they spend up to 20 hours a day searching for food to build the fat reserves needed to survive the winter. Nearly half of the bear incidents in 2025 occurred in August, September and October, as the animals scoured for calories, CPW said.

So far, bears have been spotted in 41 of Colorado’s 64 counties this year, according to parks and wildlife data, including in some unlikely places. Last year, for example, both Saguache and Weld counties saw zero bears. This year, there have been 23 and 13 sightings, respectively.

The northwest part of the state has seen the most bear encounters in the first seven and a half months of this year, with CPW reporting a total of 2,258 sightings and incidents. A couple of counties there have seen triple-digit increases in the number of local bruins. In Mesa County, which includes Grand Junction, residents have reported 308 bear encounters, up from just 33 in 2025. In Routt County, home to Steamboat Springs, there have been 633 reported sightings so far this year compared to 160 last year — an astonishing increase of 473 encounters.

La Plata County, which includes Durango, leads the state with 658 reported bear incidents this year. That’s up from 537 during the same timeframe in 2025.

Closer to Denver, Jefferson County leads the pack with 328 bear encounters so far this year, followed by Douglas County at 282, Boulder County at 186, Clear Creek County at 43, and Arapahoe County at 40. All of those figures have risen since 2025, CPW reports.

Interestingly, the number of bear encounters has decreased in several mountain communities including Summit County (73 interactions, down 8%), Eagle County (90 interactions, down 20%), and San Miguel County, which includes Telluride (24 interactions, down 68%).

You’ve probably seen the bears on social media, but I can tell you from experience that you do not want to see them in person. In July, I was car camping outside an Airbnb in Carbondale while reporting a story and was awoken at 5 a.m. to the sound of a bear flipping a full dumpster. I watched as the animal played soccer with a separate bear-resistant trash can, before it briefly approached my Honda CR-V and then left, unable to scrounge much food from both of the locked trash bins. (To this day, the thought of seeing his ears through my back passenger window still makes my palms sweat.)

So whether or not you’re out in the wilderness, it’s important to be bear aware and secure both food and trash properly. In fact, those who don’t could face criminal penalties after a recent change in Colorado law. As of May, anyone who “knowingly” puts food or trash where it could reasonably attract a bear could get charged with a misdemeanor. Law enforcement is no longer required to give first-time offenders a warning and repeat violations can cost people $2,000 to $5,000 each.

Here are six tips for staying “bear wise” from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Never feed or approach bears: Intentionally feeding bears or allowing them to find anything that smells or tastes like food teaches bears to approach homes and people looking for more. Bears will defend themselves if a person gets too close, so don’t risk your safety and theirs.
Secure food, garbage and recycling: Food and food odors attract bears, so don’t reward them with easily available food, liquids or garbage. If you’re camping, use bear lockers or approved bear-resistant containers to store your food; keep food and trash in a locked vehicle; or suspended at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet from any part of the tree. Do not burn trash or food scraps.
Remove bird feeders when bears are active: Birdseed and grains have lots of calories, so they’re very attractive to bears. Removing feeders is the best way to avoid creating conflicts with bears.
Never leave pet food outdoors: Feed pets indoors when possible. If you must feed pets outside, feed in single portions and remove food and bowls after feeding. Store pet food where bears can’t see or smell it.
Clean and store grills: Clean grills after each use and make sure that all grease, fat and food particles are removed. Store clean grills and smokers in a secure area that keeps bears out.
Alert neighbors to bear activity: If you see bears in the area or evidence of bear activity, tell your neighbors and share information on how to prevent conflicts with bears. Bears have adapted to living near people; now it’s up to us to adapt to living near bears.

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