LOLO - Plan to visit Travelers' Rest State Park near Lolo this month to see a new bear art exhibit and to learn more about bear safety. The exhibit, featuring vintage grizzly bear prints by noted artists, opens May 9 and is free to explore during regular visitor center hours. Then on May 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., stop by the park for a special bear aware event featuring a series of demonstrations and hands-on activities related to bear safety and conflict prevention.
"Ursus Horribilis: The Grizzly Bear Illustrated" exhibit on display from May-September
Travelers' Rest State Park will host a temporary exhibit, "Ursus Horribilis: The Grizzly Bear Illustrated," beginning May 9. The display features 50 prints by noted artists which illuminate the complex history of grizzly bears, humans and habitat.
Visitors can view the free exhibit just in time for the University of Montana Grizzlies' graduation weekend and throughout the spring and summer during regular visitor center hours, daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A collection of 50 vintage prints illustrates the grizzly bear of the American frontier West by acclaimed artists such as Karl Bodmer, Titian Ramsay Peale, and Frederic Remington. The art includes scenes of the bear in its natural habitat as it pursues its prey, Native Americans who sought to enlist its power, hunters engaging "Old Ephraim" in a dangerous contest of wills, those who subdued it for sport and in defense of their business, and distinctive portraits by artists who justly admired the bear's commanding stature.
The special exhibit was curated by local collector Lee Silliman and is brought to Travelers' Rest State Park by its nonprofit partner, Travelers' Rest Connection, with support from Park Side Credit Union, Jackson Contractor Group, and First Security Bank.
May 23 bear aware event at the park
Travelers' Rest State Park will host a bear aware event on Saturday, May 23 where visitors can learn practical tools for reducing conflicts with bears around home and when out recreating. Refresh on bear safety tips, practice with inert bear spray cans, and connect with local experts.
This free, family-friendly event runs from 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. with a variety of drop-in booths and activities. Meet with representatives from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and other organizations dedicated to keeping people and bears safe.
Practice safe bear spray discharge with inert training cans and a simulated charging bear, learn tips and tools for how to be bear aware at home, see shepherding by Wind River Bear Institute's Karelian bear dogs, and more! A special kids program focused on bears will also be offered from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. as part of the "Trekker Kids" program series that runs each Saturday at the park through the end of May.
Bears can be found throughout Montana. People venturing into the outdoors should be "bear aware" by following these precautionary steps:
- Carry bear spray close at hand and know how to use it.
- Travel in groups whenever possible.
- Make noise, especially near streams or in thick forest where hearing and visibility is impaired. Warning bears of human presence can be key to avoiding encounters.
- Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers.
- Watch for signs of bears such as scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses.
- Don't approach a bear.
- Keep attractants secured and follow all food storage regulations.
For more information on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware.
For more info on the May 23 event, contact FWP's Savannah Malosky at savannah.malosky@mt.gov or 406-273-4253. Bear aware event partners include Travelers' Rest Connection, Wind River Bear Institute, Bitterroot Bear Resource Committee, and Defenders of Wildlife.
Travelers' Rest State Park
Travelers' Rest State Park includes the only archaeologically verified campsite of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and is an important cultural site for the Séliš and Ql̓ispé people.
The park is open to vehicles daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The visitor center is open daily from 9:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. during the spring and summer months. Pedestrian entrances and park trails are open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. Call the state park at 406- 273–4253 or visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/travelers-rest for more information.