Black Bears roam most areas of Grand Teton National Park and the Jackson Hole valley. A few even show up in the residential areas of Jackson and Wilson. Black bears can easily climb trees, and they use that skill to get away from any kind of possible danger. Similarly, sows send their cubs up trees while they slumber on the ground. Black bears can range in color from blonde, to cinnamon, to brown, and black.
Rant Warning!: Over the past couple of years, it appears the Park Service has adopted a position of “it’s easier to close and area than control it”, and “we are going to teach the bears they shouldn’t come to the roads”. They close entire zones because a bear “might be in the area” and the are now hazing them from the roads with rubber bullets, sirens, and whizzers. While there are exceptions, my experience with rangers and wildlife management volunteers is seldom enjoyable. Every dedicated photographer has their own laundry list of horror stories and bad experiences. Many photographers tell me they have better bear experiences in Yellowstone than in the Tetons. The Park Service will respond to similar complaints saying they are just trying to keep tourists and bears safe.
Okay, the rant is over! The best time and zone to see black bears is along the Moose-Wilson Road in the fall. Unfortunately, the narrow winding road was never meant to handle the amount of traffic it gets nowadays. When bears are active in the fall, numerous Wildlife Management volunteers are on duty to “control the scene”. It is possible to have a great experience one day, then a terrible one the next.
In the fall, black bears feast on Black Hawthorn and Choke Cherry berries. The bears are fully capable of balancing themselves on the smallest of branches to reach the ripe berries. When a grizzly moves into the area, the park policy is to close the road entirely until 72 hours after the last sighting. During heavy traffic periods, drivers will be allowed to stop their vehicle for a period of “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi”—a variation of “drive-by” shooting. The northern section of the Moose-Wilson Road will still be open in 2023, but is scheduled to be closed in 2024 and 2025.
