Bow Valley bear sightings are surging this spring, and if you're planning a drive along Highway 40 or Highway 93 toward Radium Hot Springs, there's a reasonable chance you'll see why. One driver recently reported spotting eight bears in a single day – which is either extraordinary luck or a sign that the valley's grizzlies have collectively decided May is their month.
Wildlife officials are urging drivers to slow down but not stop. That distinction matters more than it might seem.
Eight Bears, One Road, and a Problem Called the Bear Jam
When vehicles pull over to watch a roadside bear, others follow. Within minutes, a quiet wildlife moment becomes a traffic bottleneck – and a genuinely dangerous situation for the animal. Bears that associate roads with human activity don't tend to fare well long-term.
The social media response to recent sightings has been revealing. Alongside the enthusiastic posts, local wildlife advocates have been pushing back on requests for precise locations. One commenter put it plainly: if you're lucky enough to encounter one from a safe distance, consider that a gift – but don't go searching for these animals.
What Bear-Wise Actually Looks Like on Highway 93
Grizzlies are emerging from dens hungry and focused. They're not particularly interested in your vehicle, but they will notice if you park beside them. The standard advice applies: keep moving, watch from inside the car, and resist the urge to roll down the window for a better photo.
If traffic has already stopped ahead of you, slow right down. Bear jams don't just inconvenience other drivers – they put the bear in an impossible situation between a line of idling cars and whatever it was trying to eat.
Highway 93 toward Radium Hot Springs is currently one of the more active corridors. Drive accordingly.
The Rule That Actually Protects Them
Parks Canada requires a minimum 100-metre distance from all wildlife – roughly the length of a football field. It's not a suggestion, and wardens do issue fines. More to the point, it's the difference between a bear that tolerates humans at a distance and one that doesn't survive the season.
Spring is genuinely one of the best times to see bears in the Bow Valley. It's also the time of year when one bad encounter – caused by one stopped car – can set off a chain of consequences that nobody intended.
Keep driving. Keep watching. Just don't make them come to you.