Photo: Zdeněk Macháček // Unsplash
A mountain biker was attacked by a bear last weekend while riding the popular Dome Trail in Anchorage, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. It’s the second “aggressive encounter” on that same trail in less than a year. The other incident occurred in July of 2025, in which a brown bear mauled and injured a hiker.
“He was able to stop before he got right to the bear, and he yelled at the bear, made himself look big, and then the bear charged. He was able to get his bike in front of them. The bear hit the bike once, knocked it down, then knocked the victim down,” local biologist Cory Stantorf told media.
The man reportedly had bear spray but wasn’t able to use it during the incident in which the bear scratched and bit him above the waist. And while his injuries were described as “serious,” the mountain biker was able to get himself to a nearby hospital.
“A lot of times we see brown bears go into that fight mode,” Stantorf said about the encounter, expressing that the attack likely happened because the animal was startled and was displaying normal behavior. “They see a perceived threat, they neutralize it, and then they get out of the area, which is exactly what this specific bear did.” As a result, the department won’t try to find the bear.
As mentioned, this is the second attack on the same trail in less than a year. While bear attacks remain rare, wildlife officials are acknowledging a notable uptick in encounters, property damage, and localized conflicts in 2026. California State Parks has issued a warning of “Increased Bear Activity” after a teenager suffered lacerations on their face and chest in an encounter in Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains. Silverwood Lake has seen campground closures due to an increase in bear activity. An attack on hikers in the Pacific Northwest prompted trail and campground closures in Washington’s North Cascades and around Mount Si. And according to Wyoming News, parts of the Rockies are experiencing a 25 percent increase in human-bear conflicts near popular tourist areas.
