"Night of the Grizzlies" — How Two Teens Died in the 1967 Glacier Park Bear Attacks

Despite Glacier National Park in Montana being a hot zone for wildlife strikes, its expansive hiking trails and pristine wilderness attract hikers and nature enthusiasts all year round. However, visiting unspoiled nature comes with its own set of dangers. Even during summer, when the park experiences its peak tourism season, the wildlife inhabiting the area poses a threat to the visitors.

For the small number of people living near the park, the infamous "Night of the Grizzlies” still sends a chill down their spine. It refers to two separate bear attacks that claimed the lives of two teenage girls, who were working at the lodges inside the park back in 1967. Surprisingly, the night marked the first time a bear attack had proved fatal in the park's 57-year history.

The incident inspired a series of movies and a book by author Jack Olsen.

Julie Helgeson from Minnesota and Michele Koons from California, both 19 at the time, were employed in summer positions. Against their better judgment, they had decided to go on nighttime hiking trips, which ultimately cost them their lives.

Although bear attacks at the Glacier National Park rarely occur, the young women were unlucky enough to come face to face with grizzlies on two separate occasions.

Julie was reportedly watching the sunset with her friend Roy Ducat when they chose to settle down near their chalet with visitors still around. At around midnight, the duo sensed that a grizzly had entered their campsite. Roy later told reporters that Julie advised him to "play dead,” the Daily Star reported. The popular theory suggests that grizzly and brown bears tend to leave humans alone if they sense zero threat.

The bear, however, had other plans. Roy recalled that upon discovering them, the bear kept dragging both from their sleeping bags as they remained motionless. Both sustained bites from the wild animal. However, it was Julie who was targeted primarily and was dragged approximately 100 yards downhill. Roy said he remembered hearing her scream as she begged for help.

Roy then ran to get help. However, it was already late when searchers finally were able to track her down. She died moments before a helicopter arrived to take her to the hospital.

Michele endured the same fate as Julie. Several miles away, Michele and four of her colleagues had set up camp near Trout Lake after finishing a long trek.

A bear reportedly had already stolen their dinner earlier in the evening, and it came back for more.

Similar to the first assault, the bear tried to dig through the sleeping bags, causing the campers to run for their lives. While others climbed nearby trees to seek shelter, Michele helplessly screamed as the bear dragged her away.

Authorities were able to hunt down the three bears suspected of being involved in the attacks. One of them was found with a "big ball of blonde hair" in its stomach.

The double attack forever changed the rules of interaction between humans and wildlife in the area. Over 50 years after the incident, feeding wildlife inside or near the park is still an offense.