Where to See Brown and Black Bears: 10 Parks Ranked by Real Odds

Q: Where is the best place to see Brown and Black Bears?

Yellowstone National Park. In Yellowstone National Park, United States, the chance of seeing all 2 (brown bear and black bear) on the same day is about 40%, the highest of the 10 parks where all of them live, and over a three-day visit it rises to about 90%. Next come Jasper National Park (about 30% a day), Glacier National Park (about 30% a day) and Grand Teton National Park (about 20% a day). It multiplies each animal's daily chance, as if they were independent, so read it as a rough guide.

Q: Which of Brown and Black Bears is hardest to see?

Brown bear. In Yellowstone National Park, the best park for Brown and Black Bears, about about 60% of wildlife watchers report the brown bear on a given day, against about 70% for the black bear. The hardest one decides how many days you need.

Q: How do you complete Brown and Black Bears on Wallace's Line?

Mark them as seen. Tick ✓ Seen on each animal's card, add your trips, or link your iNaturalist account. Your passport counts Brown and Black Bears three ways: anywhere in the world, all in one park, and all in a single trip.

The checklist: 2 animals

LC

Ursus arctos

Daily sighting probability >90% · Very likely

LC

Ursus americanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Where to go

Chance of seeing in

Month by month at Yellowstone National Park

<5%

Jan

<5%

Feb

~40%

Mar

~80%

Apr

>90%

May

~90%

Jun

~90%

Jul

~80%

Aug

~90%

Sep

~90%

Oct

~40%

Nov

~60%

Dec

Time of day

Where they are recorded most Parks with some of them Cities with some of them

Parks

#	Park	Country	Animals	All 2 in 3 days
1	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2	~90%
	Brown Bear			>90%
	American Black Bear			>90%
2	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2	~80%
	Brown Bear			~80%
	American Black Bear			>90%
3	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2	~80%
	Brown Bear			~90%
	American Black Bear			~90%
4	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2	~70%
	Brown Bear			~80%
	American Black Bear			~90%
5	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2	~70%
	Brown Bear			~90%
	American Black Bear			~80%
6	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2	~60%
	Brown Bear			~90%
	American Black Bear			~70%
7	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2	~60%
	Brown Bear			~70%
	American Black Bear			~80%
8	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2	~60%
	Brown Bear			~60%
	American Black Bear			~90%
9	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2	~40%
	Brown Bear			~50%
	American Black Bear			~90%
10	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2	~30%
	Brown Bear			>90%
	American Black Bear			~30%
11	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Black bear
	Brown Bear			>90%
12	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			>90%
13	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			>90%
14	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			>90%
15	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~90%
16	Nahanni National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~90%
17	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~90%
18	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~90%
19	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~80%
20	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~80%
21	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	1 of 2	Missing: Black bear
	Brown Bear			~80%
22	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~80%
23	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~80%
24	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~70%
25	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~70%
26	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~70%
27	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~60%
28	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	1 of 2	Missing: Black bear
	Brown Bear			~50%
29	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~40%
30	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~40%
31	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	1 of 2	Missing: Black bear
	Brown Bear			~30%
32	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~30%
33	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~20%
34	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~20%
35	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~20%

Cities

#	City	Country	Animals	All 2 in 3 days
1	Anchorage	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~40%
2	Vancouver	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~40%
3	Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 2	Missing: Brown bear
	American Black Bear			~20%

Zoos & centres

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
2	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	2 of 2 in captivity
3	Denver Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
4	North Carolina Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
5	Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
6	Alaska Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
7	Alligator Adventure	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
8	Bear Country USA	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
9	Bearizona	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
10	British Columbia Wildlife Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2 in captivity
11	Calgary Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2 in captivity
12	Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
13	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
14	Domaine des Grottes de Han	🇧🇪 Belgium	2 of 2 in captivity
15	Fuji Safari Park	🇯🇵 Japan	2 of 2 in captivity
16	Great Plains Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
17	Greater Vancouver Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2 in captivity
18	Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 2 in captivity
19	Grizzly Bear Habitat	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 2 in captivity
20	La Aurora Zoo	🇬🇹 Guatemala	2 of 2 in captivity

Show all 20 Show fewer

Before you go

Where is the best place to see Brown and Black Bears?

Yellowstone National Park

In Yellowstone National Park, United States, the chance of seeing all 2 (brown bear and black bear) on the same day is about 40%, the highest of the 10 parks where all of them live, and over a three-day visit it rises to about 90%. Next come Jasper National Park (about 30% a day), Glacier National Park (about 30% a day) and Grand Teton National Park (about 20% a day). It multiplies each animal's daily chance, as if they were independent, so read it as a rough guide.

Which of Brown and Black Bears is hardest to see?

Brown bear

In Yellowstone National Park, the best park for Brown and Black Bears, about about 60% of wildlife watchers report the brown bear on a given day, against about 70% for the black bear. The hardest one decides how many days you need.

How do you complete Brown and Black Bears on Wallace's Line?

Mark them as seen

Tick ✓ Seen on each animal's card, add your trips, or link your iNaturalist account. Your passport counts Brown and Black Bears three ways: anywhere in the world, all in one park, and all in a single trip.

← All challenges

Brown and Black Bears

The checklist: 2 animals

Brown Bear

American Black Bear

Where to go

Month by month at Yellowstone National Park

Month by month at Yellowstone National Park

Month by month at Yellowstone National Park

Month by month at Katmai National Park

Month by month at Katmai National Park

Month by month at Katmai National Park

Time of day

Parks

Cities

Zoos & centres

Before you go

Where is the best place to see Brown and Black Bears?

Which of Brown and Black Bears is hardest to see?

How do you complete Brown and Black Bears on Wallace's Line?