Great Smoky Mountains closes trails after bears

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is keeping at least one trail closed and another under warning after a string of black bear encounters this spring, according to National Park Service alerts and a park news release. The park’s current conditions page says Ramsey Cascades Trail has been temporarily closed since May 8 because of aggressive bear activity. A separate closures page lists Abrams Falls Trail under a bear warning, meaning the trail remains open but visitors are told to use extreme caution. An April 20 park news release described three bear-related incidents at Ramsey Cascades Trail in one weekend. Rangers said two encounters involved a bear approaching visitors and taking two backpacks, and a third involved a bear displaying aggressive behavior and briefly chasing a group. The same release said rangers also handled three incidents on Abrams Falls Trail involving an aggressive black bear, including one case in which a bear bit a visitor who entered a closed area. (nps.gov) ### Which trails are affected right now? The National Park Service’s current alerts page says Ramsey Cascades Trail is temporarily closed due to aggressive bear activity. The closure was posted on May 8, and the park said rangers were continuing to monitor the bear’s behavior. The park did not list a reopening date on the alert. The park’s cautions and closures page says Abrams Falls Trail is under a bear warning rather than a closure. (nps.gov) That page also lists Russell Field Shelter under a bear warning, while the bear-closure section lists Ramsey Cascades Trail as the only trail closed because of bear activity. ### What exactly happened at Ramsey Cascades? The April 20 release said rangers responded to three incidents at Ramsey Cascades Trail over that weekend. (nps.gov) In two of them, a bear approached visitors and took backpacks. In the third, the bear displayed aggressive behavior and briefly chased a group, the park said. Ramsey Prong Road and Ramsey Cascades Trail were closed after those incidents, according to the same release. (nps.gov) The park’s more recent alerts show the trail closure still in place as of May 18, though the road closure is not listed on the current conditions page excerpt returned by NPS search results. ### Why are rangers warning hikers this time of year? (nps.gov) Great Smoky Mountains National Park says bear activity is especially high from May through August. The park’s black bear page says visitors face a higher likelihood of bear encounters during that period and describes bears as dangerous and unpredictable wild animals. The April 20 release said spring is a sensitive period because mother bears are emerging from dens with cubs and searching for limited early-season food. (nps.gov) The park said getting too close can stress bears and lead to unsafe encounters. ### How common are human-bear conflicts in the park? The park’s black bear page says Great Smoky Mountains has averaged 339 negative human-bear encounters a year over the last decade. (nps.gov) The page says many more incidents likely go unreported and warns that high bear activity can occur anywhere in the park. The same page says attacks on humans are extremely rare, but have caused serious injuries and death. (nps.gov) Park rules make it illegal to approach within 50 yards of a bear, or any distance that disturbs or displaces one, and violations can bring fines and arrest. ### What are visitors being told to do before they hike? The National Park Service tells visitors to check bear closures and bear warnings before planning a hike in the Smokies. (nps.gov) The park also says hikers should secure food and trash, avoid creating traffic jams around wildlife, stay with their group, and consider carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it. The park’s black bear guidance says hikers should slowly back away if they are too close to a bear and should never run. If a bear approaches or follows, the park says visitors should change direction, stand their ground if the bear keeps following, and use bear spray only if necessary and the bear is within 20 yards. ### What should visitors watch next? As of May 18, the park’s current conditions page still lists Ramsey Cascades Trail as temporarily closed, and the cautions page still lists Abrams Falls Trail under a bear warning. (nps.gov) Great Smoky Mountains National Park directs visitors to its current conditions, cautions and closures, and black bear safety pages for updates before entering the backcountry. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)