View Full Version : Bear Closures
Just finished section hiking up to Fontana last week, and I'm looking to continue through the Smokies this fall, hopefully October and November time frame. I'm seeing several shelters closed due to aggressive bears at the moment. Does anyone know whether or not this problem is likely to get better later in the season? Thought I read somewhere that bears can find food easier in the fall, which I hope would make them less apt to hang out near the shelters.
HooKooDooKu
08-08-2018, 13:01
...Thought I read somewhere that bears can find food easier in the fall, which I hope would make them less apt to hang out near the shelters.
Depends upon how the mast crop in any given year as to whether or not the bears have plenty of food in the fall or not.
But closures are a hit-n-miss kind-of thing. As people start hitting the trails in spring, there's usually at least one shelter with a closure by April. Once a shelter or campsite is closed, it usually stays that way for about 30 days. There seems to always be closures on thru October... combination of October is a popular time in the Smokies, and that 30 day thing keeps closures that started in September to continue into October.
Of course, that 30 day thing isn't iron clad. Closed shelters and campsites are reopened when the bear is no longer posing a danger to hikers. It might be a case of time for the bear to unlearn a given campsite is going to be a source of food (in which case, it can easily take more than 30 days), or a serious problem bear might be relocated or killed, in which case there's not reason to keep the site closed beyond a brief period to ensure they got the right bear.
Uncle Joe
08-08-2018, 20:27
Reaching out to the park service might be the best way to get information. Certainly in colder climes you could expect significantly less activity but I'm not sure October would be late enough. I think hiking it in the Fall is your best bet, however. Problem bears (and people) and shelters make hiking the park less attractive to me. I'm likely to do it deep into Fall if I do to avoid as much of that as I can, though shelters are sadly unavoidable.
Nothing will change, it's more about politics than bears. They do not have their finger on the pulse of the bear situation. Keep the signs up and then nobody can blame me if a hiker gets eaten by a bear.
BlackCloud
08-10-2018, 09:02
Nothing will change, it's more about politics than bears. They do not have their finger on the pulse of the bear situation. Keep the signs up and then nobody can blame me if a hiker gets eaten by a bear.
That's happening right now, in a different way at Carlsbad Caverns NP. They closed a road due to fire danger, but the fire danger has passed. B/c 2 people died on the road this year they just won't reopen it. Same principle w/ closing area off due to bears or other dangers. The areas stay closed for way too long sometimes. Don't know if GRSM management is like that however. Thankfully the AT has the ATC to kind of over watch the situation.
I may make a phone call to the Park before I finalize my plan, but for now I think I'll skip the Smokies and continue my section hiking from I-40 North. Thanks all for the helpful insight.
They keep cameras at the closed sites and check them periodically. If the bear shows up on camera (generally aimed at the bear cables or a decoy tent), they will not open the site. They generally want to see two weeks without a sighting to open a site. I met rangers monitoring these sites and cameras three or four times last year.
HooKooDooKu
08-16-2018, 14:59
They keep cameras at the closed sites and check them periodically. If the bear shows up on camera (generally aimed at the bear cables or a decoy tent), they will not open the site. They generally want to see two weeks without a sighting to open a site. I met rangers monitoring these sites and cameras three or four times last year.
That explains it...About a year ago, #92 or #93 in the Twentymile area was closed due to bear activity and I remember hiking by the campsite, marked as closed, but with a tent at the campsite and no one around.
We encountered the bear they must have been keeping an eye out for near the Twentymile/Long Hungry Ridge intersection, as well as a ginseng poacher (based on the "gear" he was wearing, the time of year, and the questions he was asking because he didn't seem to know exactly where in the woods he was).
illabelle
08-16-2018, 15:09
October is a great time to hike the Smokies. Fall colors, low humidity, cool crisp temperatures. If you can work out a suitable itinerary that avoids the closed shelters, I think you should go for it.
Shelters closed due to bear activity can dictate your mileage (if you must hike beyond a shelter to the next one), and possibly your route (if you detour to a side-trail campsite). Still if you can work out a good itinerary, it would be a shame to pass it up.
I'd suggest to go earlier (Oct) rather than later (Nov). Bears visit shelters whether they're closed or not. If you're hiking in October, there should be more people and you probably don't want to encounter a curious bear all by yourself.
I am doing the Smokies in October as well. I will call the park service, but I am going no matter what. You only live once!
I am doing the Smokies in October as well. I will call the park service, but I am going no matter what. You only live once!
I hear ya! I've been looking forward to doing this for two years now. Finished everything up to Fontana and really looking forward to it. Will see what it looks like in October then.
I was looking forward to it for a few years now too. I had two knee surgeries and I was supposed to do this hike twice already and was held back. I have the opportunity now and I am going to take it. You never know what will happen next year. You may get hurt, there may be more bear closures, there may be fires. I am not taking any more chances!
illabelle
08-17-2018, 10:48
Out of curiosity, I looked up current closures:
Campsites: #9, #10, #21, #23, #24, #36, #37, and #113
Spence Field, Derrick Knob, and Russell Field Shelters
And warnings:
Mollies Ridge Shelter
Rainbow Falls and Laurel Falls Trails
Appalachian Trail Trailhead at Fontana Dam
With that list, it looks like hiking the AT would be pretty tough for an average hiker like me . It's a doable 11.0 miles from Fontana Dam to Mollies's Ridge Shelter (which has a bear warning), and another not-so-doable 19.5 miles to Double Spring Gap Shelter, the next place on the AT that's open. The nearest campsites to Spence/Russell shelters are #9 and 10, both closed. Campsite #97 is open, but will add close to 10 miles round-trip.
On top of that, if the AT trailhead at Fontana Dam has a bear warning, what's the chance that the Fontana Shelter has bear problems? Problems there wouldn't show up on GSMNP website.
Maybe by October these closures and warnings will have been lifted. Good luck getting your reservations.
Out of curiosity, I looked up current closures:
Campsites: #9, #10, #21, #23, #24, #36, #37, and #113
Spence Field, Derrick Knob, and Russell Field Shelters
And warnings:
Mollies Ridge Shelter
Rainbow Falls and Laurel Falls Trails
Appalachian Trail Trailhead at Fontana Dam
With that list, it looks like hiking the AT would be pretty tough for an average hiker like me . It's a doable 11.0 miles from Fontana Dam to Mollies's Ridge Shelter (which has a bear warning), and another not-so-doable 19.5 miles to Double Spring Gap Shelter, the next place on the AT that's open. The nearest campsites to Spence/Russell shelters are #9 and 10, both closed. Campsite #97 is open, but will add close to 10 miles round-trip.
On top of that, if the AT trailhead at Fontana Dam has a bear warning, what's the chance that the Fontana Shelter has bear problems? Problems there wouldn't show up on GSMNP website.
Maybe by October these closures and warnings will have been lifted. Good luck getting your reservations.
Strangely enough, when I hiked into Fontana 2 weeks ago, I saw two cubs hanging off the side of a tree within 200 yards of the Fontana Hilton. That was my first bear sighting on the AT.
HooKooDooKu
08-17-2018, 12:23
...With that list, it looks like hiking the AT would be pretty tough for an average hiker like me . It's a doable 11.0 miles from Fontana Dam to Mollies's Ridge Shelter (which has a bear warning), and another not-so-doable 19.5 miles to Double Spring Gap Shelter, the next place on the AT that's open...
You left out Silers Bald Shelter... but you still make a valid point... with three shelters in a row closed, it's still 17.8 miles from Mollies' Ridge to Silers' Bald.
Out of curiosity, I looked up current closures:
Campsites: #9, #10, #21, #23, #24, #36, #37, and #113
Spence Field, Derrick Knob, and Russell Field Shelters
And warnings:
Mollies Ridge Shelter
Rainbow Falls and Laurel Falls Trails
Appalachian Trail Trailhead at Fontana Dam
There is also a warning at Cosby Knob.
About half of the Yellowstone Backcountry is regularly closed to protect the bears. Or protect the hikers from the bears.
Y'all are spoiled.
Wayne
HooKooDooKu
08-17-2018, 12:44
There is also a warning at Cosby Knob.
Constantly changing:
Check the GSMNP Temp Closure page for latest
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm
Current page claims to have been updated 8/15/2018 and matches what illabelle posted.
Every National Park and National Forest from New Mexico to Montana have permanent Be Bear Aware instructions in all of the campgrounds and accommodations parking lots.
Is this the type of “warnings” that GSMNP is posting at backcountry campsites and shelters?
If so, it sounds like they are late to the party.
Wayne
So coming out of Fontana you will have a short day and then you would have to really hoof it day 2. If you are packing light and get up early, it should be doable. Not ideal, but doable. I am not taking any more chances. I am going.
HooKooDooKu
08-17-2018, 14:37
Every National Park and National Forest from New Mexico to Montana have permanent Be Bear Aware instructions in all of the campgrounds and accommodations parking lots.
Is this the type of “warnings” that GSMNP is posting at backcountry campsites and shelters?
If so, it sounds like they are late to the party.
Wayne
We are NOT talking about the basic warnings and "what to do when you see a bear"...
We are talking about trail and campsite specific warnings because a "problem" bear has been in the area.
Click on the link I provided above to see campsite and trail specific closures and warnings that are currently in effect in GSMNP.
Okay. I get that a few backcountry sites are closed. That happens occasionally in all of the Parks.
I need to look at the campsite/backcountry area/visitors density for GSMNP & the western parks.
Overcrowding might be the contributing factor.
Wayne
HooKooDooKu
08-17-2018, 17:29
Okay. I get that a few backcountry sites are closed. That happens occasionally in all of the Parks.
I need to look at the campsite/backcountry area/visitors density for GSMNP & the western parks.
Overcrowding might be the contributing factor.
Wayne
I think "overcrowding" is more of an issue out west... specifically Yosemite NP compared to Great Smoky Mountains NP.
So many people camp in YNP, that bears there have learned to break into cars at night and it's now a park rule that you may not keep food in your vehicle overnight.
GSMNP might be the "most visited national park", but the park is located right next to a tourist town. Most of those visitors are staying in hotels compared to the percentage of people that stay in hotels in YNP.
As such... bears breaking into locked cars isn't a 'thing' yet in GSMNP and front country camping rules call for keeping food in your vehicle overnight for bear protection.
However, there are enough back country campers in GSMNP that YOU MUST HANG YOUR FOOD BY THE BEAR CABLES. Tons of people talk about sleeping with their food, but when you're in GSMNP, you REALLY need to hang your food. There is no reason for GSMNP to have "problem bears" other than humans "creating" them because they don't properly protect bears from their food.
Relative to the CDT Parks, GSMNP is overconcentrated with inexperienced folks in the backcountry. In contrast, Yellowstone closes off huge areas every spring and early summer when the bears are coming out of hibernation, with cubs, cross and crabby and hungry.
Wayne