Surprising facts about the Smoky Mountain black bear A couple of years ago – in the early spring when the black bear yearlings are moving to establish their own territories – we had a bear in our neighborhood. More accurately, a bear was spotted in our neighborhood. There are enough tracts of trees and forest around that there are probably
Where Is the Best Place To See Bears in Gatlinburg? What’s the number 1 question from visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Is that bathroom locked? No, but I like what you’re thinking. The most popular question is: Where is the best place to see a bear in the Smoky Mountains? Honestly, we don’t know. If we did,
A Local’s Guide to Finding Bugs Whose Butts Light Up in the Great Smoky Mountains I was an adult man, young but fully adult, before I found out there were parts of the United States without lightning bugs. I suppose I’d just never really thought about it. Lightning bugs were just a part of summer. I remember being a youngster
Local Lists Items That Are Banned Across the National Park Growing up with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in my backyard, I never gave much thought to the rules. I just, you know, went to the park without putting much thought into it. I mean I knew what would be considered the park commandments from a young age. You
What Types of Foods Do Bears Eat? I’ve been bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Like a hungry trout on a fly, I swallowed a flashy internet factoid and took off, running. I was told bears don’t like honey. Specifically, I was told they want the bee larvae or baby bees. I was told that bears don’t have a sweet tooth per se, but
A Smoky Mountain local shares his favorite spots to visit in North Carolina As someone who’s been to Gatlinburg hundreds of times over the past 35 years of living in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, I’ll admit it will always hold a special place in my heart. Especially when it comes to magnificent views of the Smokies. But some
A Local Offers Tips on What Not To Do When Hiking in the Smokies There’s something primal about the great, wide places of the world. You feel it standing on a lonely shore, looking out over a great grey ocean. You feel it on the precipice of a canyon or valley, looking across a wide expanse. And you feel it
Efforts are being made to reintroduce the endangered population to North Carolina Of the countless amazing experiences visitors can find in the Smokies, perhaps one of the most unique and memorable are animal sightings and encounters. Watching a mama bear cross the road with her twin cubs was certainly one of the highlights of our recent trip to the Smokies.
Take the Quiz below Test your bear knowledge! Make sure to share your score on social media! Read more about bears below
TVA has indicated that Hammerhead worms have been spotted around Norris, Tennessee, just north of Knoxville and may thrive in rainy summer weather As someone who has been digging in the East Tennessee earth for more than 30 years, I thought I had a handle on most of the creepy crawlies one might encounter. I’ve turned over rocks and scared