Great Smoky Mountains National Park shut down multiple trails after several unsettling encounters with black bears, joining a growing list of closures across national parks due to bears.

What's happening?

People reported that, as of May 14, the Ramsey Cascades Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park remained closed due to aggressive bear activity.

According to the National Park Service, rangers responded to three bear-related incidents on that trail in late April. In two cases, a bear approached visitors and took two backpacks. In a third, a bear behaved aggressively and briefly chased a group.

People also reported a separate incident on the park's Abrams Falls Trail, where a black bear attacked a visitor who entered a closed area. The trail later reopened after several days without any new bear activity.

The park spans Tennessee and North Carolina. It is one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States where black bears can live in their natural habitat, and it is home to roughly 1,900 black bears.

It also welcomes about 12 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited national park in the U.S., People noted. Bears can be found throughout the park at every elevation, and they tend to be especially active in the early morning and late evening. 

Why are these encounters concerning?

These incidents show how fast wildlife conflicts can escalate in heavily trafficked outdoor spaces.

Spring is already a sensitive season for black bears, especially for mothers leaving dens with cubs as they search for food. When millions of visitors are added to that environment, the possibility of risky encounters increases. Not every bear encounter is caused by people, but human actions can make the problem worse.

Getting too close, ignoring trail closures, or leaving food and scented items accessible can all raise the risk for both people and bears.

Unsecured food, trash, scented items, and even backpacks can teach bears to associate people with easy meals. Once that happens, bears can lose their natural wariness around humans. That creates obvious risks for visitors, who may be chased or injured. But it can also have serious consequences for the animals.

People reported that the park tells visitors to keep at least 150 feet from bears, and violating that rule can lead to fines or arrest. The park also tells visitors to lock food, trash, and scented items in vehicles — although sometimes even that is not enough — and not to bring pets since dogs can provoke defensive and predatory behavior in bears.

In a place as crowded as the Great Smoky Mountains, one person ignoring the rules can create a dangerous situation for everyone else on the trail. Human-wildlife conflicts often worsen when animals become accustomed to human food or to heavily used recreation areas.

What's being done about bear safety in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

For now, park staff is relying on trail closures to reduce the immediate risk. Visitors also play a major role in keeping both people and wildlife safe. 

The park's guidance is straightforward, and following those steps can make a major difference. In busy national parks, preventing bears from becoming comfortable around people is one of the best ways to protect hikers while also supporting the long-term health of wild bear populations.

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