Smoky Bear Sightings!
Just about everyone wants to see an American Black Bear when they come out to the Smokies. During our visit, Traci and I were fortunate enough to see seven of these furry friends! Each of our encounters occurred in unique locations, and each time the bears were up to something slightly different. You are breaking federal law if you approach any closer than 150 feet from these big lugs within the park, but fortunately there is a bit of leeway when you are driving down the road. As a result, there is a bear-specific traffic condition called a “bear jam” that is all too common when one of these furry critters appears along a roadway.
Typically emerging at dusk with the most excellent furry faces, black bears make you want to hop out and plant a smooch on their big schnoz when you see them. Common sense tends to prevail, especially when you realize that even if you could get that close, you would likely get a claw upside your dome pulling a such a stunt. Therefore, it is both wise and legal to hang back and enjoy the show.
Black bears are omnivores and, while it would be rather impressive to see them consuming prey, it was most entertaining and humorous watching them munch down on plants. With that, let’s take a look at the lineup!
Sighting #1: Cades Cove - Momma Bear and Cub
Our first bear sighting was of a momma bear and her cub hanging out beside the Cades Cove loop. The Cades Cove valley is one of the most stunning locations in the entire Smoky Mountains National Park, and home to a huge variety of wildlife. We arrived at sunrise and spotted elk, deer, wild turkeys, and a myriad of other creatures. It was on our second pass, however, that we spotted this momma and her cub, and it was a heartwarming experience. We wanted to snatch up the cub and take it with us, but we also did not wish to die, so we opted to take pictures instead.
Momma bear, watching out for her kiddo
Momma bear and cub, spotted at Cades Cove
Traci is a big fan of bears… so long as they are at a safe distance and the doors are installed on the jeep!
Momma bear loosened up a bit after a while and let her little buddy out to explore a bit on his/her own.
Sighting #2: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail - Juvenile
Just outside of Gatlinburg, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a beautiful driving loop consisting of some old settlement structures, as well as a couple of popular waterfall hikes: Grotto Falls and Rainbow Falls. We certainly did not expect to see any sign of bears on this heavily travelled loop. As we were driving along, we were waved to the side of the road by a most excellent, wildly pointing gentleman, and proceeded to watch what appeared to be a juvenile bear get down with noshing on some foliage. Traci was a bit nervous on this one, as the doors to the jeep were not installed and this guy was quite close to the road. Nonetheless, she mustered courage and we drove by without a hairy hitchhiker or Traci maiming.
Quietly contemplating the next delectable weed that shall be consumed.
The bold hunter prepares to viciously attack and consume his daily intake of plant fiber for the evening.
Bear: “ROAR!!! Okay, kidding. You actually just caught me chewing on this weed right here.”
Woah there buddy! A bit too close! ! I feel like we should pass this picture along to the federal government to post in the park on what NOT to do around bears.
Sighting #3: Clingmans Dome Road - Adult (Maybe?)
For our third spotting of the visit to the Smokies, we had just went on the hike up to Clingmans Dome (the highest point in the park) and were on our way back toward Newfound Gap. Along the road, we were stunned to spot a large bear right beside the road. What was he doing there, you may ask? We’ll let the pictures tell the story. Needless to say, he was fairly large and absolutely incredible. This was probably the coolest spotting of the trip, but we were only able to get him in focus for a couple of pictures due to his high level of activity. Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience.
Sighting #4: Gatlinburg Bypass Road - Trio
Once again, with our friends Bob and Anna in town, we had yet another bear spotting on our way into the mountains for a hike. Headed down south from Pigeon Forge, and driving along the Gatlinburg Bypass Road, we ran into a bear jam. At first, we saw nothing in front of us but cars, but eventually three bears emerged from the forest and crossed the road! Being that we were in the midst of a bear jam, we chose not to dally, so we really only caught a couple good pictures, but it was most definitely another great bear encounter.
Overbearing Conclusion
There is nothing that compares to spotting a bear out in the wild. Strong, extremely intelligent, and so darn cute (perhaps not so cute if you are attacked, I would imagine), American Black Bears are a treat. From motherly affection, to chowing down on some greens, the familiarity as fellow, intelligent mammals grants a special kind of connection to bears that cannot really be fully explained in a short blog post. We would strongly advise getting out to the Smokies if and when you have a chance, and witnessing these fun, furry beasties for yourself!
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