Record 900K Visit Yellowstone in July

You might want to reconsider feeding the bears

(NEWSER) - Remember those admonishments not to feed the bears? Well, the grizzlies at Yellowstone are hungry this year, reports the AP, and cranky as a result—which doesn't bode so well for human visitors. Two people have already died in 2010 after encountering starving grizzlies. "Pack your bear spray: there's going to be run-ins," advises one scientist. The problem is the decimation of the bears' favorite food: As winter approaches, they feast on nuts from whitebark pinecones to pack on the pounds for hibernation. More»

Officials say park still safe to visit despite 10,000-acre blaze

(NEWSER) - A wildfire at Yellowstone has consumed almost 10,000 acres of pine forest and closed one of the main roads through the national park. Hundreds of firefighters are working to manage the blaze and keep it away from the park infrastructure. The fire has been burning for at least two weeks but officials hope it will die down soon when cooler, wetter weather moves in. "What we're facing here is this little window where this fire can be very active," a park official told the Billings Gazette. More»

Want to stay off the beaten path? Start here

(NEWSER) - If you’ve seen enough of Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, CNN has an idea for you: Why not visit another of the country’s 397 national parks and monuments, like one of these seven you’ve probably never heard of?

• Dry Tortugas: You have to seriously want to make it all the way out to one of these seven islands 70 miles west of Key West, which are only accessible by ferry or seaplane. But don’t expect actual dryness: Tropical storms are a regular occurrence.

Park rangers say sow was just protecting its cubs

(AP) - Word spread quickly through Yellowstone National Park about a fatal grizzly bear mauling—the park's first in 25 years—but few visitors at the height of tourist season seemed inclined to change their vacations because of the news. Thousands of people streamed into the park yesterday, a day after 57-year-old Californian Brian Matayoshi was attacked and killed by a female bear on a backcountry trail. Officials said the sow was only defending its two six-month-old cubs, had not threatened humans before, and would be left to wander the wilderness. More»

Bear in Yellowstone attack has not been located

(NEWSER) - The grizzly bear who fatally mauled a hiker yesterday is still roaming Yellowstone National Park, though officials have closed campgrounds and trails near the scene of the attack. The 57-year-old victim and his wife actually encountered the bear twice during their hike, a park spokesperson says, but the first time they simply continued on. The next time, however, the grizzly charged as the victim yelled for his wife to run. More»