WA hiker injured in bear attack at Glacier National Park

WA hiker bittten by grizzly in Montana

A Washington man was bitten and attacked by a grizzly bear in Glacier National Park in Montana.

WEST GLACIER, Mont. - A section of a popular Glacier National Park trail was closed last week after a man was attacked by a bear and injured, park officials said.

The 35-year-old man from Washington state sustained non-life-threatening injuries after he was bitten below the knee on Thursday morning.

His hiking party encountered the bear near the Grinnell Glacier Overlook trailhead on the Highline Trail.

Officials with Glacier National Park said, based on information from witnesses, park wildlife biologists determined the man was bitten by a grizzly bear, most likely a male.

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), Ursidae, Glacier National Park, Montana, United States of America. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

"The hiking party was walking into the wind and faced foggy conditions, which could have contributed to the encounter," says John Waller, supervisory wildlife biologist. "They were well-prepared with bear spray, a satellite communication device, a first aid kit, were hiking as a group, and kept their cool when dealing with the bear."

The man hiked over a mile (1.6 kilometers) to Granite Park Chalet with assistance and was flown to a spot where he could be taken by ambulance to a hospital in Whitefish.

The trail from Haystack Butte to the Granite Park Chalet remained closed.

Park officials reminded visitors that the fall season is when bears are more likely to be active due to hyperphagia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.