How to stay bear aware in the Roaring Fork Valley

As wildlife increasingly becomes more comfortable with urban areas and continues to find human food, the importance of bear safety is exponentially rising. 

Bears all over the state in spring are taking a big stretch and exiting their dens for the first time in 2025. Staying bear aware during the summer months is key, and keeping the mammals uncomfortable when in the presence of humans is massively important to urging bears out of towns. 

“Once they see that we’re human and they can just come around and stick around. They lose their natural fear of humans,” Roaring Fork Valley Bear Coalition founder Daniela Kohl said.

A family of black bears was spotted midday Wednesday at Veltus Park in Glenwood Springs, according to a news release from the City of Glenwood Springs. 

“A mother bear and her cubs have been spotted in Veltus Park,” the release said. “Please remember to secure your trash and give wildlife plenty of space. Use the ‘rule of thumb.’ Hold out your arm at full length and give the wildlife a thumbs-up, while closing one eye. If you can see any part of the bear around the edge of your thumb, you are too close and should back away.”

The key to keeping bears and humans separate is minimizing potential food sources as much as possible. Doing simple actions like obtaining bear proof trash cans, removing bird feeders, and cleaning rotting fruit out of your backyard can have intangible results on the confidence of the animals while around humans. 

“Starting with proper bear-prepared practices in the spring may help prevent bears from discovering your home or neighborhood as a food source that they will return to throughout the year,” the release mentioned. 

To further emphasize the necessity of keeping trash indoors, the City of Glenwood Springs has strict trash and recycling violation fines including a $200 fine if a bear gets into your trash, and a court appearance after the third infraction. Giving bears access to food can have dangerous effects and can sometimes unfortunately result in having to euthanize the bear. 

“A fed bear is a dead bear,” the release reminded the public. 

If a bear is spotted in town, respectfully hazing the animals will most likely encourage the bear to stay a safe distance away. 

“Never stand in front of a bear or approach a bear,” Kohl said. “Use a lot of noise making tools, and try your best to scare them away.”

She went on to say that hazing the bear or trying to scare it away isn’t always necessary. 

“When they’re resting in a tree, leave them in the tree. It’s a place where they can nap, where they can rest and wait for people to go away. So don’t haze if they’re ever from a tree. It’s not necessary,” she said. 

Although the majority of human-bear interactions come in the later months of summer, late winter freezes, or extended dry periods can push the bears’ searches deeper into the valley. 

“Bears have an excellent memory,” Kohl said. “They remember when Mom took them to a big dumpster, or that bird feeder, or a shed with an elk carcass or something. Once they have learned that it’s almost impossible to unlearn some behavior like that, and to instill a lot of fear into the bear again.”

It is important to notify either Colorado Parks and Wildlife or the Roaring Fork Valley Bear Coalition after spotting a bear in town, so they can properly and safely re-establish the animal in its natural habitat. 
For more information about the news release, visit gwsco.info/bears, or go to roaringforkbears.org for more on bears within the Roaring Fork Valley.