Searching for Bears on a Smoky Mountain High

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March has the potential to be a wonderful time to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That's not to say there is ever a bad time. It's a gorgeous park with plenty to see, but chief among its highlights are the 1500-2000 black bears that call it home. Visit during winter and unless you stop by one of their hibernation dens, you are probably not going to see them. I was there in early March, which is typically too early for them to emerge but this was an unseasonably warm day so hopes were high.  


To not create any unwarranted anticipation, I'll just say right now and say that those hopes were sadly misplaced. We drove the Cades Cove Loop, which is primo bear territory and came up empty. Zero bears. 




We hiked several trails, all of them lovely, all of them with bear caution signs. No bears.



We saw a bunch of cars pulled over on the side of the road and thought this was our moment. It was deer.


We stopped at the dividing line between two states. To be fair, we did not think this would be something that would interest the bears, this one was more for us. 



In the end, we cut our losses- which really weren't losses, a day in a National Park is always a good day- and went to nearby Gatlinburg to grab a late lunch and possibly some moonshine. 


If this felt familiar, it's because I had done the same exact thing in February of 2023. Granted that was a cooler day and obviously earlier in the year but hope springs eternal. Even if it's only a slight chance to see bears, I'm in. 


We did the same Cades Cove Loop but since we knew the odds were against us, we took our time and stopped at many of the historic buildings along the way.  There are plenty to choose from but one of my favorites was the John Oliver cabin and not just because it shares a name (if not a spelling) with a certain bespectacled Brit. It is the one of the oldest structures in the park, it was in the possession of the Oliver family for several generations and you can roam around inside. 



Continuing along the loop, there are a couple of churches.

Cades Cove Methodist Church

Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church


While exploring the cemetery, we came across a couple of park rangers and asked them the all-important question. Are the bears up yet? They reported that a couple of moms had been spotted out and about but that the majority wouldn't be coming out for a couple more weeks.

Oh, well. At least the historic buildings were a sure thing.



So were the waterfalls. With that in mind, we did the five mile hike to Abrams Falls. Per the signage on the trail, this area is potentially a bear hotspot. Of course, we know that didn't happen but the hike was still pretty great with log bridges, scenic spots and a constant gurgling river soundtrack.








After approximately four hours of hiking (and zero bears), we turned the car towards Gatlinburg for the original late lunch (and possibly moonshine).

It's like this guy behind me is mocking me. 

I may have struck out in both February and March but that's just more reason to return to the park. April 2026 has a good ring to it...

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