Mountain lions, those majestic and elusive predators, are staging a remarkable comeback across North America.
After decades of hunting and habitat loss pushed these big cats to the brink in many regions, they’re now reclaiming territories long abandoned.
From remote wilderness areas to unexpected corners of the continent, mountain lions are proving their resilience and adaptability.
Their return signals hope for wilderness ecosystems and represents one of conservation’s most encouraging success stories.
1. Olympic Peninsula’s Rainforest Valleys
Hidden within Washington state’s misty Olympic rainforest, mountain lions roam ancient valleys untouched by human development. Rangers report increasing sightings along remote trails where massive cedars create perfect stalking grounds for these stealthy hunters.
The peninsula’s isolation – surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on the fourth – creates a natural sanctuary. Researchers believe at least 30 cats now inhabit this lush wilderness after nearly disappearing in the 1970s.
Trail cameras capture these tawny predators crossing moss-covered logs and drinking from crystal streams. Their recovery here demonstrates how protected wilderness allows natural balance to return.
2. Big Bend’s Desert Canyons
Along the remote Texas-Mexico border, Big Bend National Park’s rugged canyons harbor a growing mountain lion population. These cats thrive in the harsh desert landscape where few humans venture, hunting among limestone cliffs and along dry riverbeds.
Park biologists track roughly 25 resident lions – up from just a handful two decades ago. Their comeback coincides with increasing desert bighorn sheep numbers, providing a natural prey base.
Visitors occasionally glimpse tawny shapes disappearing into shadowy ravines at dawn or dusk. The cats’ return represents a wilderness reclaiming its wildness after years of ranching pressure.
3. Minnesota’s Boundary Waters
The million-acre maze of lakes and forests along the Canadian border offers perfect mountain lion habitat far from civilization. Local paddlers report increasing signs – tracks pressed into muddy portages and occasional shadowy glimpses between pine trees.
Wildlife officials confirmed resident populations in 2018 after decades of dismissing sightings as mistaken identity. Motion-sensing cameras now regularly capture images of healthy adults moving through this roadless wilderness.
The area’s dense forests and abundant deer provide everything these solitary hunters need. Their quiet return demonstrates how wild spaces can heal when given enough time and protection from human interference.
4. New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness
America’s first designated wilderness area harbors one of the Southwest’s most stable mountain lion populations. These golden predators patrol pine-covered mountains and steep-walled canyons where human footprints remain scarce.
The Gila’s 558,000 remote acres provide critical sanctuary. Researchers estimate 70-plus cats now roam here – a remarkable recovery considering bounty hunters nearly eliminated them by the 1950s.
Local ranchers report occasional livestock losses, creating management challenges. Yet conservation efforts focus on coexistence rather than control, with programs helping ranchers install protective measures while preserving this wilderness icon’s rightful place in the ecosystem.
5. Maine’s North Woods
The vast, unbroken forests of northern Maine have become the unexpected frontier of eastern mountain lion recovery. Locals call them “ghost cats” – rarely seen but increasingly present in this timber country wilderness.
Wildlife officials documented confirmed sightings beginning in 2011, ending decades of debate about whether eastern cougars survived extinction. Game cameras now capture several individuals each year moving through this 3.5-million-acre forest.
Biologists believe these cats migrated eastward from midwestern populations, following deer herds and undeveloped forest corridors. Their return to New England represents a natural recolonization that few predicted possible in our crowded eastern states.
6. California’s Channel Islands
Just miles from Los Angeles, Santa Cruz Island hosts a fascinating mountain lion recovery story. These cats swim the treacherous channel crossing to establish territory on this isolated landmass where no natural predators existed before.
Marine biologists first documented their arrival in 2016, likely swimming from the nearby mainland. The island’s abundant feral sheep – remnants of abandoned ranching operations – provide easy hunting.
Their presence creates both ecological challenges and benefits. While conservationists worry about impacts on endemic island species, the cats help control non-native grazers that damage native plants. This natural experiment shows how mountain lions adapt to unexpected habitats when given opportunity.
7. Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness
Deep in America’s largest contiguous wilderness area, mountain lions rule a roadless kingdom the size of Maryland. This rugged 2.3-million-acre expanse of mountains, rivers and forests represents prime habitat where these cats never disappeared completely.
Recent wildlife surveys indicate populations are expanding beyond historical levels. Researchers track family groups moving through river canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon, hunting elk calves and mule deer.
The wilderness designation prevents motor vehicles and development, creating a true wildlife sanctuary. Conservation groups point to the Frank Church as proof that large protected areas allow natural predator-prey relationships to flourish without human management.
8. North Dakota Badlands
The rugged terrain of Theodore Roosevelt National Park provides perfect hunting grounds for North Dakota’s resurgent mountain lion population. These cats stalk mule deer through eroded buttes and juniper-studded ravines where few humans venture.
Park rangers documented their return in 2005 after a century-long absence. Today, an estimated 15-20 lions inhabit the park’s isolated North Unit – a remarkable density for this northern prairie region.
Winter tracking reveals how these adaptable predators use badland formations to their advantage, bedding in sheltered draws and ambushing prey from ridgelines. Their recovery here demonstrates how these cats can thrive in surprisingly diverse landscapes beyond their stereotypical mountain habitat.
9. Adirondack Mountains
New York’s six-million-acre forest preserve now hosts the easternmost confirmed mountain lion population in the United States. Sightings remained controversial until DNA evidence in 2018 confirmed resident cats – not just wandering individuals.
These mountain monarchs patrol remote lakes and dense forests where growing beaver populations create ideal hunting habitat. Trail cameras occasionally capture their distinctive long-tailed silhouettes crossing frozen waterways during winter months.
Conservation groups celebrate their return as evidence of improving forest health after centuries of logging and development. Their presence completes an ecological puzzle, bringing balance to deer populations that exploded without natural predators.
10. British Columbia’s Gulf Islands
Canada’s remote Pacific islands host a unique coastal mountain lion population that hunts among misty beaches and dense cedar forests. These remarkable swimmers travel between islands, creating a connected archipelago population unlike any other in North America.
Island residents occasionally spot the cats walking shorelines at low tide, hunting seals and collecting beached marine life. Their seafood diet represents a fascinating adaptation not seen in mainland populations.
Researchers believe approximately 40 lions inhabit this island chain, moving freely between landmasses. Their isolation from mainland hunting pressure allowed this population to develop unique behaviors while maintaining genetic diversity through ocean-crossing individuals.
11. Nevada’s Ruby Mountains
Known as Nevada’s Alps, these isolated peaks rise dramatically from Great Basin desert floors, creating island-like habitat where mountain lions thrive. Recent wildlife camera studies reveal surprising density – one cat per 25 square miles in this rarely-visited range.
Lions here develop specialized hunting techniques targeting mountain goats along near-vertical cliffs. Their remarkable climbing abilities allow them to navigate terrain too extreme for human hunters.
Mining threats and development pressure make this recovery story particularly significant. Conservation groups successfully protected key corridors connecting these mountain islands, allowing genetic exchange between otherwise isolated populations.
The Ruby Mountains showcase how strategic land protection creates wildlife success stories even in development-friendly states.