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

The body of a hiker reported missing in a Montana national park was discovered Wednesday, with authorities pointing to a suspected bear attack as the individual’s cause of death.

The hiker’s remains were found approximately 2.5 miles up Glacier National Park’s Mt. Brown Trail by search-and-rescue crews around noon, the park said in a statement. His identity has not yet been released. 

Authorities said “his 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.” 

“Wildlife and law enforcement personnel are currently assessing the area for bear activity and any ongoing public safety concerns,”  the park said.

The area remains closed as authorities continue to investigate the apparent mauling.

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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. 

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.

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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.