Crystal Lake Camp Grounds Bear Sightings and Reports

Bear sightings and reports as of 06/Oct/2020 -- A great deal of habitat around the Recreation Area has been destroyed due to the Bobcat Fire, bears cam be expected to be increasing their roaming through the campgrounds.

Adult bears and their cubs have rarely been seen recently and there have only been minor bear contacts with humans this year, usually yearling bears that are sick and can't forage normally.

The bears who live in and around the Crystal Lake Camp Grouns are California Black Bears -- which includes bears that are actually brown.

Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear. -- The American Heritage Dictionary

Since there have been so many fires in the San Gabriels, and since there has been human encroachment into bear habitats, bears are being seen in numbers that are higher than usual. During Summer months when it is extremely hot in the mountains, bears have been known to travel down the mountain in search of swimming pools to cool off in.