A group of hikers hoping to spot a bear during a trip through Glacier National Park got their wish — and then some — when a large bear appeared on the trail ahead of them and began moving in their direction.
The encounter was shared on TikTok by @hikewjesus, who said the group saw two grizzly bears and two black bears during the hike.
In the video, the hikers can be heard reacting with a mix of excitement and nerves after spotting the bear farther up the trail.
Rather than running or moving toward it, the group begins backing away while continuing to make noise.
Then the bear starts coming down the trail behind them.
For several tense moments, the hikers and bear appear to be traveling the same path, with the group continuing to give the animal room.
Eventually, the bear moves away from the trail. One of its final movements even looked to amused viewers like a little farewell wave — although, of course, the bear was simply behaving like a wild animal.
“Only in Glacier!” the TikTok creator wrote, adding that the group encountered four bears during the outing and calling it a memorable experience.
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Commenters were especially impressed by how the hikers handled the close encounter.
One viewer noted that the group was making plenty of noise without screaming directly at the animal, while another joked that the bear appeared to reward them with one last memorable moment before disappearing.
The hikers’ reaction actually lines up with several recommendations from Glacier National Park.
The National Park Service says visitors should never run from a bear. Instead, hikers should remain calm, slowly create distance and speak or make noise so the animal recognizes them as people. If a bear is traveling toward hikers on a trail, visitors should get out of its way and allow it to pass.
Park officials also require visitors to remain at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and strongly encourage hikers to travel in groups and carry easily accessible bear spray.
That advice is especially important in Glacier, where both black bears and grizzlies live throughout the park.
And even experienced hikers can unexpectedly find themselves face-to-face with one.
In May 2026, a 32-year-old hiker suffered a fractured arm after unexpectedly encountering a grizzly on the Grinnell Glacier Trail. Park officials said rushing water made it difficult for both the hiker and bear to detect one another before the animal charged.
That incident prompted another reminder from park officials to hike in groups, make noise around blind corners and dense vegetation, carry bear spray and never run from a bear.
Fortunately, this latest encounter ended very differently.
Nobody was hurt, the bear eventually went on its way, and the hikers walked away with the kind of Glacier National Park memory they probably won’t forget anytime soon.