GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – A hiker fell hundreds of feet to her death Wednesday (August 27, 2025) while on a popular trail in Glacier National Park.
The woman was a 73-year-old from Iowa, according to park officials. She fell 450 feet from the Highline Trail, which has one particularly precarious stretch along the face of a cliff, where cables are installed for an extra measure of safety. Authorities say she tripped and fell while walking with a large group of people. The exact location of the fall was not released but it was described as being between Big Bend and Triple Arches.
On the same day in a different area of the Montana park, a 34-year-old woman was injured by a female bear who attacked after being surprised by the hiker near Lake Janet. The bear had two cubs with her and charged out of the brush.
“The woman dove off the trail, while covering her head,” said the National Park Service. “The bear swiped at her, injuring her shoulder and arm. As this was happening, her hiking partner deployed bear spray, causing the bear to immediately run away. The entire incident lasted fewer than 30 seconds.”
There are no plans to remove the bear from the park because it appears to have been simply trying to protect its cubs from a perceived threat.
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