Cades Cove Bears - How to Spot Them

Perhaps our favorite thing about the Cades Cove Scenic Loop is the Cades Cove bears! We have driven through the Cades Cove Scenic Loop several times, and more often than not, we have seen at least one bear. Let’s see if we can help you find some, too!

Let’s see if we can help you find some, too!

What's Inside This Post...

Getting to Cades Cove

From Pigeon Forge, TN, to the entrance to Cades Cove is 26 miles, a bit less than an hour’s drive, depending on traffic and where you’re starting from. Follow Parkway to Wears Valley Road and turn left. Drive 15 miles on Wears Valley Road/Hwy 321 to E Lamar Alexander Parkway and turn left.

Drive 2.2 miles and you’ll be at the “triangle”. Turn right on Laurel Creek Road, drive 7.5 miles and you’ll be at the entrance to Cades Cove.

(Click anywhere on the map below to enlarge the image.)

Map giving directions from Pigeon Forge, TN to Cades Cove

From Gatlinburg, TN, to the entrance to Cades Cove is 28ish miles, and approximately an hour’s drive, depending on traffic and where you’re starting from. Follow Parkway southwest out of Gatlinburg to Sugarlands Visitors Center and turn right on Fighting Creek Gap Road. This quickly becomes Little River Gorge Road, and then Laurel Creek Road. This will take you to the entrance of Cades Cove.

(Click anywhere on the map below to enlarge it.)

Map showing directions from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove

A Little About Cades Cove…

The Cades Cove Scenic Loop is an 11.4-mile loop. The loop is one-way, with a speed limit of 20 mph. The area is both beautiful and historic, with several old churches and homesteads along the way.

The Great Smoky Mountains surround the cove, with numerous large fields edged by wooded areas. Gorgeous wildflowers adorn the area.

The cove is also home to abundant wildlife, including deer, elk, beavers, foxes, turkeys, and…BLACK BEARS!

A Little About the Bears in Cades Cove…

The bears in Cades Cove are black bears (no grizzly, polar, panda, or teddy bears in the Smokies… well, maybe teddy bears…) Males can stand over 6′ tall and often weigh over 600 lbs. The largest black bears can weigh up to 900 lbs!

The black bear is omnivorous, meaning it will eat just about anything. It enjoys plants and fruits but is also a powerful predator. The bear is incredibly strong and surprisingly fast, able to run 30-35 mph over short distances.

What are My Chances of Spotting Cades Cove Bears?

Your chances of seeing a bear in Cades Cove are good. According to the National Park Service, there are approximately 1,900 black bears in Great Smoky Mountains, and many of them are in Cades Cove.

Follow the suggestions below to increase your odds of viewing a bear in Cades Cove.

The Best Time to Spot Cades Cove Bears

Like many things, the odds of seeing a bear depend a great deal upon when you’re looking.

The Best Time of Year

Technically, black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park don’t hibernate. Instead, they sleep for long periods during January and February. What’s the difference? Bears will wake up during sleep periods, unlike during hibernation. This is because the temperature in the Smokies is more moderate.

That said, you’re chances of seeing bears in Cades Cove are best in spring, summer, and fall. You’re much less likely to spot a bear in winter.

The Best Days of the Week

Bears, of course, don’t know what day it is (at least, I don’t think they know what day it is). But the crowds are much smaller on weekdays than on weekends. Less traffic means you can take your time driving the loop, giving you more time to scan for bears. There are also fewer cars present to frighten the bears away.

Pro Tip – Cades Cove is closed to motor traffic on Wednesdays May-September. However, it is open to bikes, electric bikes, and hiking on Wednesdays during this time. Go slow on two wheels or two feet, and your odds of spotting a bear will go up.

The Best Times of the Day

Black bears are crepuscular, which is a fancy way of saying they are most active at dawn and dusk. That’s when they are out and about looking for something to eat. They generally enjoy a couple of power naps during the daylight hours.

Since Cades Cove opens at 8:00 a.m. and stays open until dusk, this works in your favor. Get there early or stay until closing time for your best chance of seeing a bear or two.

The truth is, your chances of seeing bears in the cove are good any time you are there, but they increase if you time it just right.

The Best Places to Spot Cades Cove Bears

We have seen bears in most areas of Cades Cove – meadows, the edge of wooded areas, up in trees, on the gravel roads leading away from the cove…they roam over the entire Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Often, your first sign that a bear is in view is a traffic jam. Watch for people parked both on and off the road, cameras out, and pointing off in the distance – it’s probably a bear.

Black bear wearing a tracking collar sitting in a tree

What to Do When You Spot Cades Cove Bears

Rule #1 – Give wildlife plenty of space. The National Park Service recommends staying 50 yards away.

Rule #2 – Never, ever feed wildlife, especially bears…for your safety and for the safety of the bears. When people feed bears, the bears begin to connect people with food and can become a dangerous nuisance. Therefore, park rangers sometimes have to relocate or even destroy the animals.

The National Park Service has an excellent “Bear Page” with much useful information. I encourage you to check it out.

Family of black bears - mother and three cubs

Takeaways…

Cades Cove is open from sunrise to sunset every day. Go early or stay late to up you chances of seeing bears.
Cades Cove can be VERY crowded, especially on the weekends and holidays. We suggest going on a weekday morning, if possible.
Cades Cove is closed to motor vehicles every Wednesday, May-September. You can, however, rent a bike or e-bike, or even hike the loop.
Bring your binoculars, camera, drinks, and snacks. You’ll thank me later.

The Verdict – Cades Cove Bears – How to Spot Them

Seeing a bear (especially with her cubs) in her natural environment is a special experience. It’s hard to forget. It also makes for a great story when you get home!

Spotting a bear can happen anywhere in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but your odds go way up by following the suggestions above…so get out there!

Happy Bear Watching!