The City of Gatlinburg is the gateway community to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In addition to being the most-visited National Park in the country, the Park is also a natural habitat for the American black bear. If you are visiting Gatlinburg you will more than likely see a black bear.
To ensure a safe and harmonious coexistence between our community, visitors, and these magnificent creatures, it is important for everyone to be "BearWise."
The City of Gatlinburg is proud to be represented on the Smokies BearWise Task Force, which is an organization that has been established for over two decades to help communities in the Great Smoky Mountains live responsibly with black bears. This Task Force is made up of representatives from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Appalachian Bear Rescue, Smokies Life, the City of Gatlinburg, the Gatlinburg Police Department, local citizens, and representatives from area businesses.
The Smokies BearWise Task Force is an extension of the national BearWise Organization, which was developed by state agency bear biologists who wanted to make sure that no matter where people lived, played or traveled, they got the same consistent message about coexisting with bears.
BearWise Resources
BearWise provides a number of resources to assist citizens, home owners, businesses, and visitors on tips to help keep both humans and bears safe.
These resources include:
BearWise Tips for Homeowners: Learn how to secure your home and property to deter bears.
BearWise Tips for Visitors: Learn important information on steps to take to keep yourself and bears safe if visiting areas where bears are active.
BearWise Lodging Safety Tips: Guidance for businesses in bear country to keep their premises bear-safe, including tips for lodging companies and checklists for their guests to follow as well.
These resources can be downloaded as free PDF files from BearWise or printouts of these resources can be ordered from the organization as well.
The Six BearWise Basics
The BearWise Program has adopted six basic facts to help reduce and eliminate human-bear interactions to keep both people and bears safe.
Never Feed or Approach Bears: Feeding bears, whether intentionally or unintentionally, teaches them to approach people for food, creating dangerous situations for both bears and humans.
Secure Food, Garbage, and Recycling: Store all food, garbage, and recycling in bear-resistant containers or inside your home, garage, or a bear-proof enclosure. This also includes removing all sources of food from vehicles and making sure that your vehicle doors are locked at all times.
Remove Bird Feeders When Bears Are Active: Bird feeders can attract bears. Take them down and clean up spilled seeds to reduce the risk of attracting bears to your property.
Never Leave Pet Food Outdoors: Feed pets indoors or remove uneaten pet food immediately if fed outside. Bears can smell pet food from a distance.
Clean and Store Grills Properly: After use, clean your grills and store them securely to avoid attracting bears with leftover food smells.
Alert Neighbors to Bear Activity: If you see a bear, let your neighbors know. Working together as a community is vital to keeping bears and people safe.
What to do if you see a bear?
Whether you live in Gatlinburg or you are just visiting our beautiful area, chances are you will see a bear. A study estimated the black bear population in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was home to 1,909 black bears from data collected in 2017 and 2018. The study results were released in 2020 and it is likely that the population of black bears well exceeds over 2,000.
Tips for any encounters you may have with a black bear:
Stay Calm: Do not run. Back away slowly and make yourself appear larger.
Give the Bear Space: Never approach or corner a bear. Allow it to move away naturally.
Make Noise: Clap your hands, shout, or use a bear horn to scare the bear away.
Report Bear Encounters: Notify the Gatlinburg Police Department of any nuisance bear at your home, rental property, or business. The Police Department can respond to this bear and engage the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as well.
BearWise Community Initiatives in Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg is proud to be a part of the Smokies BearWise Taskforce, which is an extension of BearWise. In the 1990s, the City established a Bear Management Program and in 1999 began partnering with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to co-fund a Bear Management Officer Position. This position is filled with a trained TWRA Wildlife Officer, who is responsible for dealing with nuisance bear issues. This officer provides guidance to the City of Gatlinburg on items that can attract bears into the City, and educates citizens and visitors on black bear laws and how to be proactive in dealing with the visiting bears. The Officer also conducts routine compliance checks of garbage containers in the zone where these devices are required.
The City has an Animal-Resistant Container Zone, where all devices that store garbage are required to be animal-resistant. In addition to this zone, the City also has an Animal-Resistant Dumpster Program. In 2023, the City Commission appropriated approximately $3 million for the purchase of 460 animal-resistant dumpsters to provide to area businesses which have dumpsters. The City owns and maintains these dumpsters, whereas previously, these containers were privately-owned and maintained. The City owns and maintains these dumpsters in order to help reduce these containers as a food source for bears.
In addition to the dumpsters in this zone, all devices - including trash cans - in this area, are required to be animal-resistant.
The City also routinely holds community education programs and involves agencies such as the National Park, TWRA, Appalachian Bear Rescue and other organizations.
Join Us in Protecting Our Bears
Living in harmony with bears requires community effort. By following BearWise guidelines, you can help ensure a safe environment for both people and bears. Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear. Let’s work together to keep the black bears and all citizens and visitors safe.