Bear attacks in the Smoky Mountains are incredibly rare. If you are heading to this national park, you may wonder how safe you and your family may be. Don’t worry, more people suffer from reactions to bee stings and horse related accidents than they do from bear attacks.
As you visit the Smoky Mountains, you may notice bears wandering around and sleeping up trees. Please remember, as cute as they look, they are wild animals and should not be approached as they are incredibly dangerous.
Read on to learn more about bear attacks in the Smoky Mountains and how to stay safe when visiting the national park.
Are Bear Attacks Common in the Smoky Mountains?
Bear attacks in the Smoky Mountains are very rare, and to be killed by a bear even rarer. Generally, the black bears found in the Smoky Mountains eat berries, nuts, and acorns. They will also eat small animals and scavenge on carcasses. Usually bear attacks happen when the animal is desperate for food, or they have felt threatened by the presence of humans. They don’t make a habit of eating hikers.
The Smoky Mountains are the most-visited national park in the United States. In recent years, the park has recorded roughly 12 million or more recreation visits annually, with many of those people seeing bears. Even with that huge visitation, serious bear incidents remain uncommon.
The first person who was known to be killed by a black bear within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a hiker in 2000. The second happened tragically in 2020. These remain the only two confirmed fatal black bear attacks in park history. Park managers track bear incidents and have euthanized problem bears over the years when public safety requires it. It is not a decision made lightly by park rangers, but once a bear is food-conditioned or involved in a serious attack, the risk to people and the bear can escalate.
If you’re hiking in the Smoky Mountains, check the park’s Alerts & Conditions and Temporary Closures pages before planning the trip. They have sections dedicated to bear closures and bear warnings, so please pay attention to the signs to ensure your safety.
What To Do If A Bear Approaches You?
Although bears generally mind their own business, there are some things you can do to ensure you are safe from attacks when visiting the Smoky Mountains. Bears are quick and have very keen senses, so you don’t want to be approached by a threatened one.
Keep your distance
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park bans visitors from approaching any wildlife within 50 yards or any distance that causes a disturbance. The maximum fine for approaching or feeding wildlife within the park is $5,000 and can earn the perpetrator up to six months in prison. The offense carries such a severe penalty because it puts both the human and the animal at serious risk.
Getting too close to a black bear may cause them to see you as a threat, especially if they do not see an escape route. We recommend not hiking alone in case you are met with one of these wild bears.
You should never approach a black bear, but you should especially never approach a cub. Females are especially protective of their babies, and the chance of an attack increases if a bear thinks her cub is in danger. Generally, cubs stay with their mother for the first two years from birth. If a cub looks like it’s alone, the mother bear is likely going to be nearby.
A bear is unlikely to attack a human unless provoked. If the bear is in a standing position, it may be curious and checking the situation out. Speak calmly, slowly back away, and never run. If a bear persistently approaches you, stand your ground, make yourself look bigger, shout, and be prepared to fight back if it attacks.
Do not feed them
Feeding bears and leaving your trash behind will encourage the animals to move closer to you, which is dangerous for both humans and bears. You will also get a significant fine if you get caught feeding the bears, or any of the wildlife. It’s important to pick up your trash as well.
Feeding bears human food can cause them to lose their instinctive fear of humans. Over time, these black bears could start approaching people, looking for food. When hunting for food, their behavior may become more unpredictable and dangerous. Bears who get a taste of human food will start breaking into properties, vehicles, and garbage bins.
Studies have shown that bears who lose their fear of people due to obtaining human food and garbage don’t live as long as bears that feed on natural foods and are afraid of people. An over-friendly bear could be poached or even euthanized.
Leave your pets at home
Dogs and other non-service pets are not allowed on most park trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park, except the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail. Dogs can be seen as prey for bears, can affect the ecosystem of the park and their barks could make a bear feel threatened.
Carry spray
If you are worried about a bear attack, we recommend carrying bear pepper spray. It should always be used as a last line of defense if you need to protect yourself from bodily harm. Park rules allow bear pepper spray for protection against aggressive wildlife, but it should be used only in an emergency and according to the product instructions.
Other ways to scare the bear away include making loud noises by banging pots or pans. Move to higher ground if possible, although don’t run or climb a tree (the bear will run or climb much quicker than any human). Spread your arms to make yourself seem bigger. You can also fight back, but this is another last resort, using rocks or sticks. Aim for the eyes and snout.
Never play dead; this doesn’t work with black bears. Also, never provoke a bear fight, this should be a last resort if they are threatening you or your family. Generally, respect their space and they will respect yours.
Bear Attack Incidents in the Smoky Mountains 2022
In June 2022, a black bear tore into a family’s tent at Elkmont Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, injuring a mother and child. Park officials later captured and euthanized a bear that matched the description from the incident.
The incident was another reminder that food, scented items, and trash should be secured properly whenever you camp in bear country.
Bear Attack Incidents in the Smoky Mountains 2021
In June 2021, a teenage girl was backcountry camping deep in Great Smoky Mountains National Park when a bear attacked her as she slept in a hammock at night. It was unusual, as the bear attacked in the middle of the night while she was asleep. The young girl suffered from head injuries and lost a lot of blood. She had to be evacuated by helicopter, but thankfully survived the incident.
In July 2021, a different bear was reported to be causing problems at the Paint Creek Campground in the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. The bear had been lingering around campers and being threatening towards visitors. Although it never attacked anyone, it was deemed a safety threat and was euthanized.
On Memorial Day weekend in 2021, a visitor caught three adults throwing peanut butter balls to a 100-pound male bear near the roadside in Cades Cove. They were issued a $100 fee for feeding wildlife.
The Citizen-Times also reported in 2021 that some campgrounds were closed due to dangerous bear activity in the Pisgah National Forest near the Appalachian Trail. If a trail, forest, or campsite is marked as closed, please respect the signs and warnings.
Bear Attack Incidents in the Smoky Mountains 2020
WKRN reported that at least 40 bear-human related incidents occurred in 2020. All these incidents resulted in the black bear needing to be trapped, relocated or euthanized. The incidents are almost always related to bears trying to feed from leftover food, garbage or litter.
A man was found dead in the Hazel Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains in September 2020 and was confirmed to have died due to a bear attack. Patrick Madura’s death is the second bear-related fatality in the park’s history.
The 43-year-old Illinois resident was found dead on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, after backpackers hiking the Swain County’s Hazel Creek Trail discovered an empty tent at Campsite 82 with a single sleeping bag inside. They then saw a bear dragging a human body across the creek.
Bear Attack Incidents in the Smoky Mountains 2019
A viral video happened in 2019 of a mama black bear charging at a man who repeatedly approached her and her cubs at Cades Cove. The man was approached in this popular tourist spot by a female, who was leading her three cubs across the street.
He put his hand out like he was trying to pet one of the cubs and repeatedly approached the bears. The cub’s mother charged at the man, who quickly jumps back. The man was unhurt, but his behavior was criticized online. You should never approach a bear this way, especially a protective mother bear with her babies.
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FAQs
How common are black bear attacks in North America?
Research into black bear attacks in the United States and Canada between 1900 and 2009 found there were 63 human fatalities in 59 incidents. Most of these attacks happened between 1960 and 2009.
Although it is uncommon to be attacked by a bear in North America, you should still take precautions and act with caution when visiting the Smoky Mountains.
When do bear attacks commonly happen?
Fatal black bear attacks in North America have most often been recorded in summer, with August standing out in one long-term study, when bears are feeding heavily before denning and more people are outdoors.
In the Smoky Mountains, research has found that the highest number of conflicts between humans and bears happens in May and June, when food is scarce, and the animals are hungry.
Are black bears in the Smoky Mountains aggressive?
Most black bears in the Smoky Mountains are not aggressive toward people and will avoid close contact when given space.
The bigger safety concern is food-conditioned behavior: bears that get human food or garbage can lose their natural fear of people and become more bold and unpredictable. The black bear population has recovered strongly within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the park now estimates about 1,900 bears live there. That is one more reason to give them space and keep food, trash, and scented items secured.
Final Thoughts
You could encounter a black bear anywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its surrounding wildlands. Cades Cove is a common spot to see a bear out in the wild, particularly in the early morning or evening. If you’re staying in the Gatlinburg area, you may even glimpse a bear wandering around town.
Fear not, it is incredibly unlikely that you will be attacked by the bear. As long as you follow some basic rules and respect these wild animals, you will stay safe in this stunning national park.