One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is “Where can I see bears in Gatlinburg?”. The short answer to this questions is Everywhere and Anywhere! I work as a tour guide here in the Smoky Mountains National Park. I see bears all the time, almost every day. Cades Cove loop is one the more common places where bear sightings happen. However, you don’t have to spend half a day driving through there to see them. You’re able to see them right here in Gatlinburg.
Now the bears can show up anywhere at anytime. Our bears here in the Smoky Mountains National Park don’t hibernate, so they are active year round. But sightings can be very random. I’ve seen bears walking right down Parkway in Gatlinburg, inside stores, and on every single road in the National Park. People staying in cabins have a great chance to see them roaming around, since those bears know the routes with the best garbage cans. There isn’t a road or place in Gatlinburg that I have not seen a bear. The video below was taken at the top of Campbell Leads Road.
If you want to better your odds on where you can see the bears in Gatlinburg, head on over to the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail. Now here is what you want to do. Don’t actually take the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail, instead follow the lower loop which is Cherokee Orchard Road. There is a big possibility you might see some on the Roaring Forks Trail, but I’ve seen the most just past the entrance to it. Once you pass that entrance to the Roaring Forks, start looking down in the woods on your left hand side. Check out the map below where I have highlighted.
Now I can’t guarantee the bears will be there. I’ve asked them to show up but they don’t listen very well. But this route, in my opinion, is the best place to see them in Gatlinburg. The optimal time for sightings are just past sunrise, and just before sundown.
