Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Black Bears: Wild, Wonderful, and Worth Respecting

Have you ever been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? You should travel there. This National Park acquires its name from what appears to be wispy like  smoke in the mountains, which is really water vapor released from the trees. It remains there, because it is caught in the atmosphere.

Surprisingly the Great Smoky Mountains is actually Americas’ most visited National Park.

The park isn’t just about smoke though, it is home to many animals, one being the Black Bear. Upon detecting a Black Bear in the park be watchful of what the bear is accomplishing.  Always be cautious. If the bear stops what he’s performing, you are too close. When a bear follows or approaches you without any noise or paw swatting, urgently change your direction. Granted, if the bear continues to follow, then you should stand your ground. The National Park website offers more information on the topic.

While our family was there, we observed three bears. The first one we spied was in a parking lot in a town close to the park called Gatlinburg. The second one was close to one of the cabins that had a trail. We hiked it and then we spotted him  in the tall grass just to the side of the trail. That one was a juvenile. The last bear was along Cades Cove Loop Road in the park, but this bear was enormous especially compared to the other ones. We assumed it must’ve been a male.

Known as the American Black Bear, (Ursus americanus) this bear species is the most common in the United States.

These mammals are around 5-7 feet high, when upright and weigh a robust 100-600 pounds.

Summing it all up, the Great Smoky Mountains has the American Black Bear as a resident of the park and you should enjoy the wonder and design of them, but always be cautious too.