I’ve done a lot of hiking on the trails of Northern California, but I’ve only rarely seen a mountain lion. Hiker interactions with mountain lions are rare. but you need to know what to do.
Mountain Lions and Hikers: Northern California
I’ve done a lot of hiking in Northern California, nearly all of it in mountain lion territory. I like to think I’m a perceptive person, aware of my surroundings. I’m not one of those hikers who walks the whole hike nose down, looking at the trail for the exact point of my next footfall. I look, I listen.
Yet the only mountain lion I’ve ever seen on a hike was a dead one. It was in the mid-1970s in the blue-oak hills outside Anderson, California. I was trespassing on a rancher’s spread; perhaps he shot the lion to protect his calves.
Mountain Lion in the Trinity Alps Wilderness
In the mid-1980s I had another sighting. I was driving down a dirt road on the way back from a backpacking trip to Grizzly Lake and Thompson Peak in the Trinity Alps when a lion darted across the road about a hundred feet in front and quickly disappeared.
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Hiker Meets Mountain Lion: What to Do
Here’s what I wrote about mountain lion encounters in 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, fourth edition:
You’ll probably never see a mountain lion; however, they are definitely around and they will see you. General safety guidelines include keeping children and pets close to you. Also be aware that lions are attracted to four-legged prey such as deer; when you bend over or squat, you look more like food to them. If you do see a mountain lion, first pick up any small children. Then shout and extend your arms in a threatening manner, and also throw rocks. You should fight for your life if attacked by a lion. Note that dogs can attract mountain lions, which is a consideration if you want to take your pooch with you.
Alternatively, some people argue that you should run from a mountain lion.
Bears?
Bears? Seen ’em many, many times. When I lived in rural Del Norte County near the coast of far Northern California, I saw them, heard them, had them rip down my fences, had them climb into my apple trees and break the branches, but have never been truly concerned about a bear attack. (And always had to keep my eye on where I was going so I wouldn’t step in the huge piles of bear crap that littered my pasture and the paths up the hill.) But I’ve never seen a live lion while walking.
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For recent mountain lion encounters with humans, go to Google, select news, and type in “mountain lions.” Read about mountain lions at Wikipedia.
Your Take
Have you encountered a mountain lion while hiking in Northern California? What happened?
Ronald Thompson says
John, The only time I ever saw a mountain lion (I wonder how many times mountain lions have seen me?) was many years ago. A party of us were driving up Mt. Toro, south of Salinas, CA, when a mountain lion came from somewhere and out-raced the car going uphill on the left side of the road, crossed the road and went down into a ravine with cover. It was a beautiful specimem of a mountain lion, and the highlight of our trip. The part of your article about mountain lions being
attracted by dogs concerns me. I have always gone hiking with dogs and never had any sort of problem. I now have a 80 pound boxer- mix dog that I hike with. Besides having his companionship, I feel safer with him, for if I were attacked by a mountain lion, I am sure he would cover my back, as I would cover his back. It would be ironic justice if he were to be killed by a mountain lion, for he has chalked up many notches in his collar from kills of a certain smaller kind of cat.
John Soares says
Hi Ron.
I think dogs look similar to deer. And dogs often go exploring off the trail and cover more ground than we do, so they are more likely to encounter a mountain lion.
In the summer of 1999 I camped way back an old dirt road in Trinity County. At twilight I walked with my two golden retrievers on the road to get water from a nearby stream. On the way back, both dogs seemed very wary and stayed right by my side. At the time I wondered if they had smelled or somehow sensed a lion. The next day they saw a black bear near camp and they chased it away, with me hollering at them the whole time to stop.
Kevin says
I actually saw two together on a small cliff outside of Burney,CA. I hear that this is pretty rare. I’m lucky I guess. They acually stopped and stared for a moment. Probably sizing us up. Luckily we were in a vehicle.
Mark says
They were probably juveniles still running together.
John Soares says
Kevin, I think that is quite rare to see two at once. I have read about such sightings, though.
I love the Burney area. I used to have family there and over in the Fall River Valley.
Brittany says
A few years ago I was hiking on Grizzly peak in southern Oregon. I was with my man and carrying my son on my back who was less than a year old. It was around sunset and we were trying to make the trail back before dark. My son started to cry and wanted to get out of the pack to nurse so I stopped and sat with him to nurse him. My man decided to hit up some fresh cold spring water. there was a little spring in some red willows on side the trail. A moment later I heard him yelling in a voice that was very deep and loud. As he was coming out of the willows a mountain lion “meorrwed” at him and was pacing around and above the spring. He was terrified but managed to be loud and make himself look big. The lion took off. We are not sure if the lion was attracted to our son’s cries or if it had a kill or was being protective around the spring. I feel very lucky that we were not attacked and I was extremely afraid while hiking out of the woods! This was my closest encounter (that I know of) in all my hiking which has been extensive. I hiked 1,500 miles on the PCT and never saw the “big cat”.
John Soares says
Brittany, that’s quite the scary story. I’m glad it turned out well, and now you have a great tale to share around the campfire.
Johanna says
I live in Weaverville wich is in trinity county.
I go running on the trails behind our house with my dog , but I am very afraid that i could be attacked by a mountain lion, is this very likely?
John Soares says
Johanna, I love Weaverville and Trinity County, home of much of the Trinity Alps.
It is very unlikely you’ll be attacked. The statistics are on your side. Your dog may be more likely to be attacked because he is shaped more like a deer than you, and he runs more like one also.