Best Time to See Grizzly Bears in the US
June, July and August is the best time to see grizzly bears in the United States. This is a national picture built from 10,856 verified iNaturalist observations across 6 states, showing when and where grizzly bears are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
10,856 verified observations of grizzly bears in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When grizzly bears are recorded in the US
Peak month
June
2,516 records (23.2% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 9 | 0.1% |
| February | 5 | 0% |
| March | 33 | 0.3% |
| April | 145 | 1.3% |
| May | 1,546 | 14.2% |
| Junepeak | 2,516 | 23.2% |
| Julypeak | 2,503 | 23.1% |
| Augustpeak | 2,116 | 19.5% |
| September | 1,422 | 13.1% |
| October | 472 | 4.3% |
| November | 77 | 0.7% |
| December | 12 | 0.1% |
Grizzly Bears you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Brown Bear | 7,399 |
Across the country, grizzly bears sightings peak in June, when 2,516 of the 10,856 annual observations are logged, about 23.2% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through June, July and August.
The best states to see grizzly bears by recorded sightings are Alaska (4,233), Canada (3,457), Wyoming (2,448), Montana (703) and Idaho (10). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The grizzly bears you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Brown Bear, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see grizzly bears
- grizzly bears in Alaska4,233 sightings, peak July
- grizzly bears in Canada3,457 sightings, peak June
- grizzly bears in Wyoming2,448 sightings, peak May
- grizzly bears in Montana703 sightings, peak August
- grizzly bears in Idaho10 sightings, peak June
- grizzly bears in Washington5 sightings, peak May
Most-recorded grizzly bears species nationwide
- Brown Bear7,399 records
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see grizzly bears in the US?+
June is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through June, July and August, based on 10,856 verified observations across 6 states.
Which states are best for seeing grizzly bears?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Alaska, Canada and Wyoming. Alaska leads with 4,233 verified observations.
How many grizzly bears sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 10,856 verified grizzly bears observations are logged on iNaturalist across 6 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of grizzly bears live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Brown Bear, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
Full grizzly bears guides by state