Human adaptation to climate change is increasingly well documented and understood in mountain areas globally. This has led to important insights in terms of who is (or is not) adaptable, why, and with what implications, all of which is improving efforts to secure human well-being in a changing climate. However, there is emerging concern that some human responses might have unintended consequences that shift the burden of climate change to other groups/systems, places, or times. This presentation discusses results from a horizon scan of all adaptation efforts in North America’s 1.3 million km2 Yellowstone to Yukon region, one of the planet’s most intact large mountain systems. Drawing on these data, it examines the extent and characteristics of human adaptations that might pose a threat to the region’s ecological integrity (e.g. building dams, cutting fire breaks), as well as those adaptations that effectively balance human well-being with the responsible stewardship of mountain environments. The work aims to support scholarly and applied efforts to better align the needs of people and nature in a changing climate.