Face it, make yourself look as large as possible, keep eye contact, and back away slowly without ever turning around or running. What do you do if you see a mountain lion that matters most is what you do not do, because running and crouching both trigger the response you are trying to avoid.
This advice is close to the opposite of the advice for a grizzly. Our guide to seeing a bear on trail covers why the two animals need different instincts.
Safety Disclaimer
This article is general information for hikers in the United States. It is not a substitute for guidance from the land manager or state wildlife agency where you are hiking, and local protocols differ. If you are attacked or injured, call emergency services. Report any aggressive encounter to the managing agency so other hikers can be warned.
Quick Answer
Stop and face it. Open your jacket, raise your arms, pick up small children, and speak firmly in a low voice. Back away slowly while watching it. Never run, never crouch, never turn your back. If it attacks, fight back and aim for the face.
Key Takeaways
- Looking large and unafraid is the entire strategy.
- Running invites a chase, which you will not win.
- Crouching makes you resemble prey in size and posture.
- Eye contact helps here and hurts with some other animals.
- Children and small dogs need picking up, not leading.
- Playing dead is exactly wrong for a cat.
- Most sightings end with the animal leaving.
| Moment | Do this | Never |
|---|---|---|
| First sighting at distance | Stop, face it, look big | Run or turn away |
| It is watching you | Hold eye contact, speak firmly | Crouch or bend down |
| Children present | Pick them up without bending low | Tell them to run |
| Dog present | Short leash, keep close | Let it chase or bark loose |
| Retreating | Slow backward steps, keep facing it | Turn your back |
| It approaches | Shout, throw rocks or sticks | Stay passive |
| It attacks | Fight back, target face and eyes | Play dead |
| Afterward | Report it to the managing agency | Assume someone else did |
Why the Advice Inverts
The reason this differs so sharply from bear guidance comes down to what each animal is doing.
A defensive bear encounter is usually about a surprised animal removing a threat. Appearing non-threatening and passive can resolve it.
A mountain lion assessing you is making a predatory calculation about whether you are manageable. Everything you do should answer that question with no.
The National Park Service advises hikers who encounter a mountain lion to make themselves look large, maintain eye contact, avoid crouching or bending over, and never run.
Held together, those instructions have one purpose: to look like something difficult rather than something small and fleeing.
What You Are Probably Actually Seeing
Worth knowing before the rest, because a large share of reported sightings turn out to be something else.
The tail settles it. A mountain lion has a long, thick, heavy tail that hangs nearly to the ground, usually with a dark tip. A bobcat’s tail is short and stubby, which is the single most reliable distinction at any distance.
Size is the other check. A mountain lion is long and low with a small head relative to its body, closer to a large dog in length than to a house cat. A coyote at distance has upright pointed ears, a narrow muzzle and a bushier tail carried lower.
None of this changes what you do. Back away from any of them, keep facing it, and do not approach for a better look to settle the question.
What Looking Bigger Means in Practice
Use what you are wearing
Open your jacket and hold it wide. Raise your arms above your head. A pack held overhead adds real height.
Keep your pack on
It makes your silhouette bigger and protects your back and neck. This is the opposite of the advice for some bear scenarios.
Use your voice low and firm
Speak or shout in a deep, steady voice. High screaming sounds more like prey than like a problem.
Poles are genuinely useful
Held up and out they add width and height, and they give you something to fend with. Our roundup of trekking poles covers a piece of kit that earns its place for several reasons at once, and our note on whether trekking poles help covers the everyday case.
The Two Instincts to Override
Both of the things your body wants to do here are wrong, and knowing that in advance is most of the preparation.
The first is running. A mountain lion is far faster than you over any distance, and a fleeing shape reads as prey. Running converts an assessment into a pursuit.
The second is crouching or bending. Picking up a rock by bending at the waist, or ducking to grab a child’s hand, drops your apparent size and changes your outline into something four-legged.
If you need something to throw, get it without lowering your head and shoulders. Squat straight down while keeping your torso upright and your eyes forward, or simply use what is in your hands already.
Children go up, not along. Lift them without bending low, and hold them rather than setting them on their feet to walk.
Small dogs come up too. Larger dogs go on the shortest possible leash, tight to your body, and our guide to hiking with a dog covers the wider handling question.
If It Does Not Leave
Most sightings resolve when the animal decides you are not worth it. A few escalate, and the response escalates with them.
An animal that holds position while you back away is watching rather than stalking. Keep retreating slowly and keep facing it.
An animal that follows, crouches, or moves toward you has decided something different. That is the point to become actively aggressive: shout, wave your arms, throw rocks and sticks in its direction.
State wildlife agencies, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, advise hikers to fight back if a mountain lion attacks rather than remaining passive, and to concentrate on the face and eyes.
Use whatever you have. Poles, rocks, a knife, a water bottle, fists. Staying upright matters throughout, because going to the ground gives away the only advantage you have.
Reducing the Odds
- Hike in company where you can. Groups are rarely approached.
- Avoid dawn and dusk on quiet trails. Those are the active hours.
- Keep children in the middle of the group. Never trailing behind.
- Make some noise on blind corners. Surprise helps nobody.
- Keep dogs leashed and close. A loose dog can bring one back to you.
- Do not hike with headphones on quiet trails. Hearing is most of your warning.
- Report any encounter afterward. Agencies act on sighting reports.
Our note on hiking with headphones covers that awareness question directly, and our guide to hiking with kids covers group positioning for the youngest members.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do if you see a mountain lion?
Stop and face it, make yourself look as large as you can by opening your jacket and raising your arms, keep eye contact, speak firmly in a low voice, and back away slowly without turning around. Never run and never crouch.
Why should I not run?
A mountain lion is considerably faster than you and a fleeing shape reads as prey. Running turns an animal that was assessing you into one that is pursuing you, which is the worst available outcome from a situation that usually resolves itself.
Should I make eye contact or avoid it?
Make it. The National Park Service advises maintaining eye contact with a mountain lion, along with looking large and avoiding crouching. This differs from guidance for some other animals, which is why treating all wildlife advice as interchangeable is a problem.
What if I need to pick up a rock?
Get it without dropping your head and shoulders. Squat straight down with your torso upright and your eyes forward rather than bending at the waist, or use something already in your hands. Bending over changes your outline into something smaller and four-legged.
What about my kids?
Pick them up, and do it without bending low. Hold them rather than putting them down to walk, and never tell a child to run. On the trail generally, keep children in the middle of the group rather than trailing at the back.
Do I play dead like with a grizzly?
No, and this is the most dangerous confusion in wildlife advice. State wildlife agencies including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife advise fighting back against a mountain lion attack, targeting the face and eyes, and staying on your feet.
How do I know it was not a bobcat?
The tail. A mountain lion’s is long, thick and hangs nearly to the ground, often with a dark tip, while a bobcat’s is short and stubby. A mountain lion is also long and low with a small head for its body. Either way, back away rather than approaching to check.
Is bear spray any use?
It is a capsaicin deterrent rather than a species-specific product, so it can help if you have it out and the animal is close. It is no substitute for the posture and retreat sequence, and fumbling for it is worse than using your voice and your poles.
When should I see a doctor after an encounter?
See a doctor immediately for any bite, scratch or puncture, however minor it looks, because of infection and rabies risk. Call emergency services for anything more serious, and report the encounter to the managing agency once you are safe.
Sources
- National Park Service. Mountain lion safety for visitors.
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Keep me wild: mountain lions.
- National Park Service. Wildlife encounters and reporting.
