Two hikers sustained injuries from one or more bears on the afternoon of May 4 along the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. National Park Service emergency personnel responded to the scene, and the victims were airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.

The incident marks the first bear-related human injury in the park for 2026. The previous injury occurred in September 2025 on the Turbid Lake Trail, and the last fatal bear attack in Yellowstone took place in 2015 near Lake Village. Officials have not released the hikers' identities, whether they were traveling together, or the extent of their injuries. The bear species also remains unidentified, though the park is home to both grizzly and black bears.

A Maryland tourist, Craig Lerman, came upon one of the injured hikers after noticing bear prints in the mud and finding a bloody hat with a torn watch nearby. Lerman heard calls for help, gave the cold and wet hiker his T-shirt, called 911, and stayed until first responders arrived with a helicopter.

In response, the National Park Service implemented temporary closures west of Grand Loop Road from the north end of Fountain Flat Drive to Black Sand Basin to facilitate the investigation. Closed areas include the Fairy Falls Trail north of the Grand Prismatic Overlook, Sentinel Meadows Trail, Imperial Meadows Trail, Fairy Creek Trail, Summit Lake Trail, backcountry campsites OG1, OD1, OD2, OD3, OD4, and OD5, and fishing along the Firehole River and its tributaries within the zone. Midway Geyser Basin, Black Sand Basin, and portions of the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail and Firehole River fishing remain open.

Yellowstone spokesperson Ashton Hooker stated that further details were not immediately available. The Mystic Falls Trail, a popular route to a 70-foot waterfall about two miles northwest of Old Faithful, draws heavy foot traffic.

Park officials reiterated bear safety guidelines amid the incident. Visitors should maintain 100 yards from bears, carry and know how to use bear spray, hike in groups of three or more, make noise, stay alert for tracks and scat, and avoid dawn, dusk, or nighttime hikes. Running from bears is discouraged. Such attacks remain rare in a park that sees over 4 million visitors annually.