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Top Tips to See Bears in the Smoky Mountains
Gatlinburg is a popular destination just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Oftentimes it is the home base for park visitors because of its close proximity to the Surgarlands Visitor Center and entrance to the Park, while still having plenty of family-friendly activities, shopping, and food. But one thing stands out among the rest when people visit Gatlinburg and that is the desire to see bears in the Smoky Mountains.
Gatlinburg is known as the gateway to the Smoky Mountains. If you’re searching for bears, there are three areas that are well-known in the area for seeing bears, Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Little River Auto Tour, and the Cataloochee Area. If you want the guarantee to see black bears, there are two places where you can see black bears: Ober Gatlinburg Wildlife Encounter and Three Bears General Store in Pigeon Forge.
In this blog post, I will share all the best places to see bears in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains, as well as important safety tips for recreating in areas with bears.
Just a heads up! This post contains affiliate links which means I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Where to See Bears in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Approximately 1,500 black bears call the almost 816 square miles of the Great Smoky Mountains their home making it one of the largest protected areas in the Eastern United States for black bears. The allure of seeing bears in their natural habitat is exciting. And while there are a number of areas in the park that are fantastic for catching a glimpse of these fantastic creatures, they also demand our respect and their space.
If you want to know the details of safely increasing your chances of seeing black bears in Smoky Mountain National Park in their natural surroundings, keep reading!
Black Bear Facts and Safety Tips
The American black bear is the only bear that can be seen in the Smoky Mountains. No grizzly bears can be seen in the park, but that does not mean that these bears are not dangerous. With a population density of about 1,500 bears in the park, chances of seeing a bear are high but never guaranteed.
American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Body Shape: Black bears do not have a distinctive shoulder hump. Their back is smooth and their back legs are longer than their front legs.
Facial Features: Black bears have tall, oval-shaped ears.
Coloration: Black bears range in colors from black to brown to a slightly reddish color. When in an area with both black bears and grizzly bears, do not rely on color to differentiate between the two types of bears.
Claws: Claw marks can be easily seen due to the climbing nature of black bears. Their claws are roughly two inches long and curved. When looking for black bears, don’t forget to look up!
Tracks: Claw marks do not always show for black bears, but their toes do form an arc.
Scat: Aka bear poop. Taking note of bear poop is important, especially if you’re camping. If it wasn’t there the night before you know you had a visitor.
Food Sources: Bears are omnivores, eating both meat and plants, but 75% of their diet is plant-based. They’ll eat bugs and scavenge for food. While they will kill an animal, they will not waste a lot of energy to do so.
Hiking Safety
When hiking in areas with black bears remember the following:
- Keep Your Distance: Maintain at least 50 yards from all bears. Approaching, feeding, harassing, or otherwise causing harm to a bear is illegal and could result in a fine or prison time.
- Do Not Feed the Bears: Feeding bears teaches them to rely on humans and could cause dangerous encounters. The saying “a fed bear is a dead bear” remains true. Sections of the Smoky Mountains have been closed due to people feeding bears in the past. Most recently in 2024.
- Leave No Trace: Properly dispose of food and trash and double bag the food you’re hiking with. Use the bear-safe trash receptacles.
- Hike Smart: Wear a whistle (most hiking backpacks have a built-in whistle). Carry bear spray with you. Make loud noises periodically to avoid sneaking up on a bear. Avoid hiking solo.
- Avoid Dawn and Dusk: This isn’t always doable, but bears are typically more active at this time. If you are hiking at this time be extra aware of your surroundings. In the late evening hours, it can be challenging to see bears in the shadows. Pack a headlamp with you.
- Stick to Established Trails: Always remain on the trail. Going off trail is dangerous for numerous reasons, and running into an unsuspecting bear is one of them.
What to do During a Bear Encounter
On my most recent trip to Smoky Mountain National Park, I was 0.1 miles from Grotto Falls when a Female Black Bear cut me off from a trail followed by but four cubs. I immediately started slowly backing up. My parents put their hands up to appear large while I took the pin out of my bear spray in the event of a charge. We all continued to slowly walk backward for almost 0.2 miles until the mama bear and cubs veered off the trail. We then waited and ultimately decided to walk back to the car and did not complete the hike informing others of what was ahead on our way down
- Stay Calm: It’s natural to panic, but remain calm and do not turn your back on the bear.
- Stand Your Ground: Stand tall, raise your arms, and speak loudly before backing away slowly and cautiously. Do not run; this could trigger their chase instinct. Pick up small children.
- Backing Up: Back up until the bear leaves or you (unlikely or unfortunately) have to protect yourself.
- Fight Back: If the black bear attacks, fight back aggressively. If you have bear spray, that will be your first attempt at defense. Spray the bear spray directly towards the bear’s face. The spray can reach between 20 and 40 feet.
Always treat bear encounters with extreme caution. Each encounter is unique and you will have to adjust your interaction to the movements and cues of the individual bear.
Best Places to See Black bears in Gatlinburg and Smoky Mountains
With almost 1,500 black bears in and around the Great Smoky Mountains, you might be thinking to yourself that it would be easy to find them. And sometimes that is true. They may just be walking along the road like this fella.
But there are three areas in the park that are particularly known for viewing black bears. Here are the three top places for bear sightings in the Smokies.
Cades Cove
Cades Cove is an 11-mile one-way loop road known for its self-guided tour of a historic homestead, wildlife viewing, and beautiful scenery. Since wildlife is most active during dusk and dawn, consider doing the Cades Cove loop first thing in the early morning or as your last activity of the day! This could also help mitigate crowds.
The scenic and wide open spaces make it easy to spot bears, but more often than not it will be a collection of pulled-off vehicles and people that will clue you into a bear spotting in the distance.
Keep in mind that Cades Cove Loop Road is Closed to Motor Vehicles on Wednesdays and can only be accessed via foot or bicycle. Experiencing Cades Cove on a bike is a wonderful experience if you’re up for the challenge!
For an increased opportunity to see bears in Cades Cove, you can choose to hike Abrams Falls a 5-mile round trip trail to a waterfall, or camp in Cades Cove.
Roaring Fork motor Nature Trail
Roaring Fork Motor Trail and Little River Auto Tour are another scenic drive with multiple stops along the way from gorgeous vistas to trails to historic sites. I like using the AllTrails “trail” for the Auto Tour because the different tour sites are marked on the map and if you use AllTrails Pro you can download the map without worrying about losing service.
HINT: In 2000, my sister saw her first bear in this area after she ran ahead of our family on the Baskins Creek Trail. She ran right into a bear and my mother is very grateful she taught us how to respond to bears if we saw one.
This drive can get backed up easily and there are limited parking spots at the parking lot for each of these trails. If you’re planning on doing a hike, and don’t care which hike you do, consider parking at the first spot that you see available.
The following trails are great hiking options along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail:
Rainbow Falls Trail – 5.1 miles roundtrip, 1,620 ft elevation gain, moderate difficulty
Grotto Falls Trail – 2.6 miles roundtrip, 550 ft elevation gain, easy to moderate difficulty
Baskins Creek Trail – 3.1 miles roundtrip, 790 ft elevation gain, moderate difficulty
This area is closed in winter. But from Spring through Fall, April 8 – November 28, you will be able to see bears in the area due to the provided shade from the canopy of trees.
At the end of the scenic drive, be sure to stop at Noah “Bud” Olge Place. This is another opportunity to learn about the early settlers in Gatlinburg!
Cataloochee
One of the more remote areas of the park, Cataloochee is a haven for wildlife due to the nearby Balsam Mountain area and reintroduced elk herd.
Black bears are considered opportunistic eaters, which means that they are going to eat anything and everything when the easiest opportunity arises for them. They are not likely to hunt elk, but they may prey on young elk in the spring after they are born or a black bear may steal an elk carcasses from another predator.
75% of a black bear’s diet comes from plants which is another reason for Cataloochee being an amazing area for grazing and raising young.
While you’re on the search for a black bear, keep an eye out for the reintroduced elk population! You can typically see them near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and nearby barn. They typically graze here 1-2 hours before dusk. Remain 150 ft from elk minimum.
A popular trail in the area is Boogerman Trail, on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains is a longer, more challenging route for hikers. At 7.3 miles and 1,200 ft of elevation gain, technical terrain, and plenty of water crossings, this trail is not suitable for everyone. However, it is a fabulous trail for avoiding the crowds of the Smokies.
Wildlife viewing in Cataloochee is best done in Spring and Fall. Spring while flowers are blooming and elk calves are being born and Fall when foliage is changing and elk are in their rut. Animals are more active in the fall as they prepare for winter.
General Tips for Spotting Wildlife in the Smokies
While it is exciting to see wildlife, spotting wildlife can oftentimes be a test of patience. Here is a list of tips for increasing your chances of spotting wildlife and bears in the Smoky Mountains.
- Familiarize Yourself with Park Rules: In the Smokies, the park needs visitors to remain 150 ft from wildlife. Use the “Rule of Thumb”. If you stick your thumb up and can still see the animal, you’re too close.
- Bear Jam: One of the best ways to identify bear sightings is a bear jam. This is when traffic piles up from people pulling over due to a bear sighting. While likely frustrating for locals, it is a great way to see bears. Just make sure if you’re pulling over all of your tires are off the road and you’re not on greenery.
- Do Not Disturb the Animals: Watch wildlife from a safe distance and avoid disrupting their routine.
- Stay Alert When Driving: Wildlife can appear on roads. The Smokies have a number of pull-offs that you can use. If you have small children in the car, put them on “bear alert”.
- Know Before You Go: Identify areas where there is wildlife activity! Talk to a park ranger about recent viewings, active times of day, and general areas where wildlife may be active that time of year.
- Alert Staff to Problems: Park staff are also responsible for the animals in the park, if you notice an animal is injured or in distress, you can always alert park staff to the problem. If you notice a person harassing or otherwise harming park animals, you can also alert park staff.
- Be Patient: It may sound silly to let the animals come to you, but the bears and elk in this park are very accustomed to people in the area. If they want to avoid people, they will. Oppositely, if they do see you they might not behave like other wild animals less accustomed to people.
- Timing: The best times of day to see wildlife are typically in the early morning and around late afternoon. However, that is not to say you won’t have any bear sightings in the high heat of the day.
- Binoculars or Telephoto Lens: Pack a pair of binoculars like the Nocs and consider bringing a telephoto lens with you for photography! Many local camera shops can rent larger lenses for a trip.
Where to See Bears in Gatlinburg Guaranteed
While it is exciting to see bears in the wild, sometimes we want to be guaranteed the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures in a controlled and safe environment. Here are two places you can see bears in Gatlinburg and around Gatlinburg!
Ober Mountain Aerial Tramway and Adventure Park in Downtown Gatlinburg has a privately funded zoo, black bears among them with two generations of black bears. The park is family-friendly and visiting the Wildlife Encounter is included with the wristband purchase of $59 which includes access to all of the activities on Ober Mountain for the day.
If you’re visiting the park with children, this is a great place to go in Gatlinburg!
The Three Bears General Store is in the heart of the main strip of Pigeon Forge. The general store is the largest gift shop in the area so you can have some fun shopping before heading to their 5,000 square feet live bear habitat to see their resident bears. The cost to see these bears is $3 and includes an educational overview of bears, their role in the Smokies, and their conservation needs.
This is an affordable and guaranteed way to see bears in Gatlinburg.
Wildlife in the Smoky Mountains
While seeing black bears in Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains is thrilling. There are plenty of other amazing animals that can be spotted in the park! The Smoky Mountains have vastly diverse landscapes and elevations of the park, so this section is going to be broken up by forest type.
Hemlock, Pine, and Oak Forests
Hemlock Forests can be found at elevations between 3,000 and 4,000 feet and are typically around exposed slopes and streams.
Pine and Oak Forests can range in elevation from 0 to 4,500 feet with almost 11 different species of oak trees and 5 species of pine.
In these forests and at these elevations, you can find Chipmunks, Pileated woodpeckers, Wild Turkeys, Brook Trout, Bobcats, Barred Owls, River Otters, and Blackbelly Salamanders, to name a few.
Cove Hardwood Forest
The old-growth cove hardwood forests are an extremely diverse part of the Smokey ecosystem and are typically on sheltered slopes up to 4,500 ft. It is in these areas where you can see the Eastern Box Turtle, Black Bear, White-Tailed Deer, Elk, and the world’s most diverse plant community.
Northern Hardwood Forest
Known for its broad leaves, the Northern Hardwood Forest is a safe haven for the bird population in the Smokies. You can also see Red Foxes and the invasive Wild Hog. This forest is most recognized in the drive up the Clingman’s Dome along Newfound Gap Road(another great area for seeing black bears).
Spruce-Fir Forest
The highest elevation forest in the park at between 4,500 and 6,600 feet, the Spruce Fir Forest is home to the Dark-eyed Junco, Veery, and Jordan’s Salamander.
Pack It Up
Seeing bears in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains is an exciting and memorable experience for the entire family. I still remember eating a picnic lunch with my family in the Smokies when a bear walked right into the picnic area(to everyone’s surprise and alarm).
Hint: When eating a picnic lunch in an area with bears, always use a picnic blanket so you can quickly grab the ends of the blanket and leave the area. Leaving the food could result in the bear becoming dependent on human food. Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear.
There are so many beautiful areas in the Great Smoky Mountains to explore. The animals are an important part of the ecosystem and I firmly believe that when we respect them, they thrive keeping the area in balance for us to enjoy. They are an iconic symbol of the smokies and we’d all love to see them in their natural surroundings for many years to come.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service does an excellent job of providing resources around the park about bears, bear safety, and what you can do to help keep bears safe in the park. Take the time to read the signs and if you’re bringing children with you, bring them into the conservation conversation as well!
Happy Bear Spotting and Enjoy this Beautiful Park!
If you have any specific questions about bears, trails in the park, or anything at all, please drop them in the comments!
Meet the Author -
Sarah Borgen
I am an Educator and outdoor Enthusiast based out of Seattle and writer of Exploren Borgen! My adventures consist of weekends spent in the woods, on a hike, car camping, and taking a deep breath of fresh air. When not on an adventure, you can find me in a classroom teaching high school science! I love having a job that allows me to the opportunity to discuss things like conservation, sustainability, and accessibility.
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Meet the author
Sarah Borgen, AKA your outdoor bestie
I’m an outdoorsy educator and adventure advocate, which is why I’m passionate about creating resources – like blogs, guides, and interactive maps – to simplify your travels. I’m eager to share some of Washington’s greatest destinations and hidden gems with you.
