10 Colorado Counties with the Highest Number of Bear Sightings

Life in Western Colorado means encountering wildlife from time to time. From swerving to avoid an elk running across the highway to hiking trail encounters, living in Colorado means staying aware of wildlife in your area.

Have you ever encountered a bear while hiking or biking in Colorado? Many people have. Keep going to see which Colorado counties reported the most bear sightings over the past year to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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Bear Sightings in Colorado Last Year

Colorado Parks and Wildlife totals from 2022 included 4,282 reports of bear sightings and bear conflicts in Colorado. This is up 16% from 2021. Last year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported they had to euthanize 94 bears and relocate 59.

Colorado Counties With Zero Bear Sightings Last Year

Some Colorado counties do not see much bear activity at all. Counties that did not report a single bear sighting in Colorado last year include Bent, Broomfield, Cheyenne, Crowley, Denver, Dolores, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Prowers, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Adams, Alamosa, and Conejos each reported 1 bear sighting.

Colorado Counties With the Most Bear Sightings

We will break down the top ten Colorado counties for bear sightings in the photo gallery below. The region with the most bear sightings reported to Colorado Parks and Rec last year was Northwest Colorado. This region includes Steamboat Springs, Hot Sulphur Springs, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, and Meeker. This region reported 1,892 bear sightings last year alone.