Bear on the Adirondack Rail Trail

I was hoping to see some birds or other creatures from a rail trail in the Adirondack Mountains (Adirondack Rail Trail) that cuts through a wetlands type area before it turns into woods. Did not see many birds or dragonflies. However, on my return heading towards the parking area I saw this bear politely sauntering across the trail after a bicyclist passed by.

Bear on the Adirondack Rail Trail – The cyclist ahead of him had no idea the bear came on the trail right after him.

Down the trail in the photo appears to be Fowler’s Crossing trailhead and parking. It crosses route 86 between Ray Brook and Saranac Lake. My understanding is the trail goes between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. From Saranac Lake it goes to Lake Clear, then Floodwood and on to Tupper Lake. Not all sections or the trail are open yet. I only walked a few miles and back. Check the websites related to the Adirondack Rail Trail to find out which sections are currently accessible.

This was taken on the fly with a regular lens. I did not have my zoom lens on the camera. Rats! Sometimes I think animals are more polite than some people. Have a great Friday! Get out and enjoy the outdoors!

20 thoughts on “Bear on the Adirondack Rail Trail”

    1. Have seen one or two before. Never close. This image is greatly cropped. I put it up on the rail trail site and people are saying it’s fake I added in the bear and the cyclist. Besides cropping I sharpened the image and did haze removal. I put up the original image with it afterwards and crickets from the neigh sayers.

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  7. I have seen one or two in the past. I put this on a rail trail site and people are saying it’s fake. They think I added in the bear and the cyclist. The image is greatly cropped because I had a normal lens on it , I sharpened the image, and did haze removal. Put up the original image after with it and crickets from the neigh-sayers.

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  10. I’ve seen them a fair amount in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado, but one of the best sightings I had was in Connecticut. It was my birthday, and I was on my way home from work in Waterbury, heading north to Torrington on SR 8. A black bear nonchalantly walked across the road a fair bit ahead of me. Sadly, I did not get a picture (because, driving), but it was a great birthday present on that day!

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    1. Cool! You never know when you will see wildlife. This is heavily cropped. I was not that close. Still nice to see regardless. I think other sightings I had were when I was in a car years ago. They stopped letting us feed the birds in my complex because bears raided the feeders maybe 2 years ago. They like raiding bird feeders in the fall and spring.

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  12. Hi, When I was on a conference in Alaska, we took a trip to Kenai where we were walking on a trail and off in the distance was a grizzly bear. Even though it was a quarter mile away, you could still tell it was a huge animal. We were told if we came across a bear to act very human, make noise and they will take off. Whatever you do don’t run they said. But… if you see a moose run!!! LOL Thanks for sharing, Gary

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    1. I have heard grizzlies are more aggressive and more keen to go after people. Black bears only seem to go after people here if people get too close to their young. I only had on the lens that came with the camera and not a zoom. Yes, it was far, and this is greatly cropped, but I knew what it was as soon as I saw it. Just wish I had my zoom on at the time. This bear seemed to not want to be around people as it waited until the bike rider passed. Unfortunately I think around the same week in the Adirondacks they put down a mom and her cubs because they were getting aggressive about food ? after campers had been feeding them. I have only seen a moose while in a car and not too close in Newfoundland(2) and the Adirondacks ( moose with his deer buddy early in the morning crossing the road, moose even paused to wait for his friend). I keep hearing bears eyesight is not that great.

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