The solo trail runner was hospitalized after encountering the animal on Anchorage’s Wolverine Bowl trail near the Prospect Heights trailhead.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A woman injured in a brown bear attack on a popular Anchorage trail managed to deploy bear spray during the encounter and make her own way back to the trailhead before being taken to a hospital, Alaska wildlife officials said.
The attack was reported Thursday, Aug. 13, near the Prospect Heights trailhead, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Officials said the adult woman had been trail running alone on the Wolverine Bowl trail when she encountered the brown bear. Her name was not released, and officials did not provide details about the extent of her injuries.
The woman had bear spray with her and was able to use it during the encounter, the department said. She then reached the trailhead without requiring a wilderness rescue and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Authorities have not released additional information about her medical condition.
Wildlife biologists interviewed the woman after the attack and went to the site to search for the bear and other signs of bear activity. They also collected samples as part of their investigation. Officials said no bear was located during the search, and the department did not announce whether investigators had determined what caused the encounter.
Fish and Game officials posted warning signs at the Prospect Heights trailhead following the attack. The agency noted that thick summer vegetation can reduce visibility along trails and increase the chance of unexpectedly encountering wildlife. The department also urged people to stay away from trails that have been closed because of wildlife activity.
The incident came less than a month after another woman was injured during a brown bear encounter in Anchorage’s Bear Valley area. In that July incident, wildlife officials said a woman hiking with another person and three dogs encountered a bear along a narrow trail with heavy vegetation and limited visibility. Authorities said her injuries were not life-threatening.
Anchorage’s extensive trail system runs through areas where people and large wildlife regularly share the landscape. State wildlife officials monitor reports involving bears and investigate attacks to determine whether an animal remains in the area and whether additional public-safety measures are needed. In the Aug. 13 case, officials had not reported finding the bear after checking the scene.
As of the department’s latest public update, warning signs remained part of the response at the Prospect Heights trailhead, and officials continued asking that unusual or aggressive wildlife activity in Anchorage be reported. No additional information about the injured runner’s identity or recovery had been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated August 17, 2026.