This is taken very seriously in the Smokies and I suggest you take it seriously as well. This could result in a person being injured and the bear being euthanized.Īlmost everywhere you go are notices and flyers about how you should never, ever feed the bears. It can also make the bear too brave and result in a bear attack. As I mentioned above, allowing the bear to eat human food and trash also will decrease its lifespan significantly. Additionally, if a park ranger catches you, you can receive a fine of up $6,000 and a jail sentence of up to 6 months. It is illegal and irresponsible to feed the bears. Of course it most likely would never come to this as bears as long as you follow these basic guidelines for bear encounters, but maybe better safe than sorry? Can I feed the bears?Ībsolutely not. If you get into a situation where it requires that you defend yourself, then a can of bear spray may come in handy. So it is best to just do the right thing and go the other way. Most of the time bears will flee when they encounter humans, however in the national park these bears are protected and are probably pretty bold. It’s best to turn around and go back the way you came, especially if it appears to be a mother with cubs nearby as they can act aggressively if they feel threatened. What do I do if I encounter a bear?įirst and foremost the consensus is to stay calm. It is said that bears who have had regular access to human food may only live for half of this time. The females are much smaller, weighing around only 100-120 lbs.īlack bears can live anywhere from 12-15 years. There have been reports of bears weight upwards of 600 lbs. Males may weigh around 250 lbs in the summertime, but can double their weight in the fall when they are fattening up for winter. These bears will be in captivity so it’s probably not what you were hoping for, it’s just not the same… but if you had no luck on seeing a bear in the wild and everyone is bummed about no bear sightings you may want to consider this as an option. So pack accordingly.Īnother place to see a bear is Ober Gatlinburg. It’s a 5.4 mile round trip hike and is rated as moderately strenuous. You may also like: Can Hippos Breathe Underwater?Īlso, you can find Rainbow Falls here which is a really popular waterfall. Feeding bears in the Smokies by the way is a big no-no and illegal. He was obviously begging for food, someone must have been dropping him snacks. Every time we looked off of our balcony there he was. I was staying at a Lodge just about a mile off of the Gatlinburg strip last month and saw a young male black bear right outside our room in the creek. Allow 2-4 hours time for this excursion, maybe more if you plan on doing a bit of exploring or having a picnic perhaps. It’s an 11 mile loop to circle the cove, you will see many other tourists driving through here in the busy season trying to catch a glimpse of black bears and other wildlife. There are many places because they are literally all over the place. Where are the best places to see a bear in Gatlinburg? If you visit the park there is a very good chance you will encounter one. The black bear is kind of like the mascot for the Smokies, you see black bears on everything you can buy or rent. The park is one of the largest protected areas where black bears live in the wild in the eastern United States. There are around 1500-1600 black bears living in the Smoky Mountains National Park. If you do a bit of exploring you are likely to see one. It’s common knowledge that black bears can be seen all over Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains National Park, we were excited to see one right out in the creek outside of our hotel room. I would say any time in May through September will be your best bet, I saw a young male recently in July. Having determined when they are probably laying hibernating and making themselves scarce… you can assume that the best time to spot a black bear is going to be in the spring, summer or early fall. Best time to see bears in the smoky mountains You can learn more about hibernation here. It can really vary based on how available food is but generally black bears will go into hibernation sometime around September – October and remain dormant through April. According to, black bears hibernate for up to 7.5 months a year. After all, they are pretty much the face of the park and Gatlinburg.Īs you may know, bears hibernate in the winter. If you are planning a trip to the Smokies, you may be wondering when the best time to see bears in the Smoky Mountains is. A bear sighting at the GSMNP makes for a great memory that won’t soon be forgotten.
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