US EditionBears Chase, Bite Visitors at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Prompting Closures
Rangers cited three bear encounters, including stolen backpacks and a brief chase, as they monitor activity and keep visitors away from the trail.
- On Tuesday, The National Park Service closed Ramsey Cascades Trail and Ramsey Prong Road after rangers responded to three bear-related incidents over the weekend.
- In these encounters, two bears "approached visitors and took two backpacks," while a third "displayed aggressive behavior and briefly chased a group," the agency reported.
- Rangers recently responded to three separate incidents at Abrams Falls Trail involving "an aggressive black bear," including one case where the bear bit a visitor who entered a closed area.
- Although Abrams Falls has since reopened, visitors are asked to give bears their "space" and store food "responsibly"; violating safety regulations can result in fines of up to $5,000.
- Bear activity is especially high from May to August as mother bears emerge with cubs searching for food; separately, Bullhead Trail will close Monday through Thursday each week starting May 4.
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Tennessee National Park On High Alert After Slew Of Incidents Where Bears Stole Backpacks And Bit Visitors
black bear America’s national parks tend to be home to potentially dangerous animals you need to keep an eye out for while visiting. That includes the protected expanse in the Great Smoky Mountains, and rangers who are no strangers to the bears who live there were kept busy during a weekend where the animals were at the center of six reported incidents involving people roaming its trails. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is composed of nearly…
Bear incidents close Ramsey Prong Road, Ramsey Cascades Trail
GATLINBURG — Rangers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park responded to three bear‑related incidents at Ramsey Cascades Trail this past weekend, including two encounters in which a bear approached visitors and took two backpacks, and a third in which a…
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Three bear incidents prompt trail closure in Great Smoky Mountains
Ramsey Prong Road and Ramsey Cascades Trail are closed as rangers monitor bear activity.
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