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This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Back away slowly, give them their space, and never approach them for both your and their safety. National Park Service Arrowhead Zippo Lighter W/Leather Sheath - eBay They like to scour picnic areas looking for human food and food scraps, but food should never be left out where bears might find it. On a leisurely drive along the Cades Cove Loop Road, visitors can see historic buildings, stunning mountain scenery, a beautiful green meadow, and more wildlife than they can ever imagine! Cades Cove was definitely a highlight of our trip. Best Time to Visit Canada - Natural World Safaris However if you just simply explore the park, ask some locals, and visit a couple of the places mentioned in this article, you have a better than average chance of seeing one in the wild. In general, just using common sense is the best way to stay safe while viewing bears. One animal you will most likely see is the white-tailed deer. In this article, well tell you about the best places to go. $7 for a hamburger!). The Cades Cove Visitor Center, however, has different hours that vary depending on the month. Though, if traveling slow isnt your game, choose to go on a weekday as the cove tends to become more crowded on the weekends. Luckily there have not been many incidents of bear attacks on humans in the Smoky Mountains, and if you view bears from a distance then you are usually fine. This scenic 33 mile route travels through some of the highest elevations of the national park, so there are plenty of gorgeous mountain overlooks to enjoy too! Required fields are marked *. Black Bears in Cades Cove - cades cove Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tissfla is a website that writes about many topics of interest to you, it's a blog that shares knowledge and insights useful to everyone in many fields. Black bears love to climb. Representations of the beautiful black bear can be found everywhere. A dollar or two helps us more than you know and is ALWAYS much appreciated!PayPal https://paypal.me/questcapsuleFollow us on Social Media! September and early October are beautiful with the colorful fall foliage and crisp temperatures. So dont feed the bears. Learn the best times to visit Cades Cove if you want to avoid traffic, want to see wildlife, or take some stunning photos of the area! Learn more. If youre looking for a great place to see bears in the Smoky Mountains, we recommend checking out Cades Cove or one of the other areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Early in the morning. Bears choose a denning site with the coming of cold weather. Please zoom back in. Carry binoculars and scan the edge of the woods for the tell-tale shape of black bears. According to bear.org, black bears hibernate for up to 7.5 months a year. The entire loop takes anywhere between two and four hours to drive through. 2. Top 4 Places to See Bears in the Smoky Mountains Although you probably wont need to use it, the peace of mind and security of knowing you have it on your hip so you can enjoy your hiking, camping or swimming is priceless. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. October 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. The selection of souvenirs was massive, though. During the heat of the day or lunchtime traffic tends to slow down. I would say any time in May through September will be your best bet, I saw a young male recently in July. Late spring and early fall are particularly good times to visit if you're looking for bears. Because you dont want to get too close to the bears, binoculars are a great way to get that close look that you will inevitably desire. But, equally important as the blooms is Cades Cove's history as Cherokee land. May 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. There are no grizzlies in the Smokies, or Tennessee at all for that matter. The tree serves as a reminder of what happened in 1941 and to honor those who died. What Time Do Bears Come Out in Gatlinburg? While getting up early may not be your cup of tea, the wee morning hours are when black bears come out for breakfast. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Increase your distance, the bear will most likely do the same. In front of us were 3 pick up trucks with 12 kids in the back with the tailgates down. 6 Secret Spots in Cades Cove You Have to Explore - Visit My Smokies While you may not like traffic, fall is one of the best times to visit Cade Cove! Best Places to See Bears in the Wild Near Gatlinburg Cades Cove Cades Cove is an 11-mile loop road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that is home to lots of wildlife. CADES COVE WILDLIFE. It's nestled in its own 82 acres of lush, wooded terrain. Its one of the most popular spots for bear sightings. 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? Remember that these are wild animals, so keep a safe distance both for your safety and bear safety. So pack accordingly. 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. Since Cades Cove features a stunning mountain backdrop and wide open valleys, many bears enjoy this beautiful space in the park. Best Time to See Bears in the Smoky Mountains - Wildlife Informer Do Sugar Gliders Pee and Poop Everywhere? Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail A fed bear is a dead bear, because they will become reliant on humans for food and will eventually be killed. With deer, fox, coyote, raccoons and more there's never a shortage of critters to be seen. Stay at least 150 feet away. Get ready for breathtaking valley views, incredible historic structures, adventurous nature trails, wild animals all around, and best of all higher chances to spot a Smoky Mountain black bear! Also, you can find Rainbow Falls here which is a really popular waterfall. How Many Bears Live in the Smoky Mountains? The scenery was beautiful, and we were lucky enough to be able to spot two different mama bears with their three cubs apiece! What is the working principle of a centrifugal pump. Rent a few for the whole family at the Cades Cove Campground Store at only $7.50 per hour for adults and $4.50 per hour for kids. This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile. I avoid the summer months and October because of the crowds. Top 4 Things to Know About the Great Smoky Mountains Parking Pass, 4 Interesting Facts About The Cades Cove Loop, 3 Interesting Facts About Hyatt Lane in Cades Cove, Your Guide to Abrams Creek Fishing in Cades Cove, 3 Tips for Planning Your Spring Stay at The Cades Cove Campground, Top 4 Things You Need to Know About the Cades Cove Bike Rentals. 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. Now I have not raced a bear recently so Ill have to take the internets word for this. Ever feed a family dog from the table or give him food off your plate? We did it and found the entire route was one massive traffic jam--you felt like you were speeding if you got up to 5MPH. The loop is, like life, whatever you make of it. This State Is One of the Best in the U.S. for a Spring Road Trip With 800,000 Miles of Wildflower-lined Highways, 25 Best Mother-daughter Trips Around the World, 12 Best Places to Go Camping in Colorado for an Incredible Outdoor Adventure in the Centennial State, This Small Town in North Carolina Has the Only Hot Springs in the State. Bears - Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Traveller While you may not like traffic, fall is one of the best times to visit Cade Cove! Though populations are variable, biologists estimate that roughly 1,500 bears live in the park. In fact, there are around 1,500 black bears within the boundaries of the national park, and Cades Cove is the best place to catch a glimpse of this magnificent animal. TripSavvy / Ellen Lindner. bear oh bear - Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park With luck on your side, you may even spot a few cubs keeping close to mama bear, as they would have ventured out of their den for the first time only a few months ago in spring. Specifically, it's found its way to the hidden valley of Cades Cove, Tennessee. gift shop we visited out of all the places we went to on our Smoky Mountain vacation. You can learn more about hibernation here. 12 Most Stunning National Parks in the U.S. In Smoky Mountain terminology a Cove is a relatively flat valley between mountains or ridges. Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains National - National Park Service According to numerous sources, the best place to see black bears is in Cades Cove, a few miles from Gatlinburg and Townsend, Tennessee. Another place where many bear sightings are reported is Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. When it comes to bear sightings, the best time to drive along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is during the early morning or evening hours. While we cant guarantee that you will see a bear on your trip, we can say that your chances are pretty good if you go to the right place and time of day (especially early morning or late evening in the spring and summer months). The narrow, winding road of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail encourages motorists to travel at a leisurely pace and sometimes yields sightings of bear and other wildlife. 9 Amazing Animals That Live On Mountains (With Pictures), Smoky Mountains Wildlife (12 Species With Pictures), these basic guidelines for bear encounters, List of Tennessee State Animals and Plants, 10 Types of Turtles in Michigan (With Pictures), 22 Types of Turtles in Alabama (Pictures), 9 Types of Turtles in Minnesota (Pictures), 14 Types of Turtles in Texas (With Pictures), 13 Types of Turtles in North Carolina (Pictures). Keep your eyes on the trees. Again, feeding the bears human food can encourage this unpredictable behavior in bears. The females are much smaller, weighing around only 100-120 lbs. Adorable Cades Cove bear cubs cross the road with mama bear. Ober Gatlinburg is an amusement park and ski resort in Gatlinburg, and they have a wildlife encounter where you can see black bears, river otters, birds of prey, and more. Explore the historic buildings! Black Bears. Best Times to Visit Buenos Aires - Weather, Season, Temperature - TripHobo