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View Full Version : Shenandoah National Park temporarily closes campsites due to bear activity



RuthN
07-03-2019, 09:31
"According to a press release from the park, all eight designated campsites surrounding the Blackrock Hut/Shelter will be closed to overnight camping until July 11.

Park officials say a bear recently tried to get a camper's backpack from inside a tent in a campsite in the area, which is off the trail between the Blackrock Summit Parking Area and Blackrock Gap (mile 84.8 and 87.0 on Skyline Drive)."

https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Shenandoah-National-Park-closes-group-of-campsites-due-to-bear-activity-512070231.html

chknfngrs
07-03-2019, 09:34
We tried riprap hollow last weekend and were turned away for same reason.

Dogwood
07-03-2019, 19:23
That speaks plainly to me...human behaviors can create negative consequences. That tells me be mindful of my behavior. It also tells me avoiding established CS's can be a part of avoiding negative human bear or other critter encounters.

Slo-go'en
07-03-2019, 21:50
That speaks plainly to me...human behaviors can create negative consequences. That tells me be mindful of my behavior. It also tells me avoiding established CS's can be a part of avoiding negative human bear or other critter encounters.

The last part is a little hard to do in the SNP. You either stay at the shelter area or on top of a hill next to the trail. No doubt a bear could find you at either spot as they likely wander up and down the AT. It's really an issue of too many people (many who are careless with their food) in an area with too many bears.

Compounding the problem is the SNP has no means of managing the crowds since unlike the GSMNP, the SNP does not have a reservation system. On top of that, they have all those car campers.

SWODaddy
07-03-2019, 21:52
More bear problems in a designated camping area...

SWODaddy
07-03-2019, 22:01
Compounding the problem is the SNP has no means of managing the crowds since unlike the GSMNP, the SNP does not have a reservation system. On top of that, they have all those car campers.

Which park do you think has more per visitor bear issues... SNP, or GSMNP?

I'd say the latter by a long shot.

BlackCloud
07-04-2019, 19:15
SHEN has 300 bears in a 300 square mile park. Doubt any other park is so stacked with them...

FreeGoldRush
07-04-2019, 19:23
SHEN has 300 bears in a 300 square mile park. Doubt any other park is so stacked with them...

GSMNP has about 2 bears per square mile. If your Shen. estimate is accurate then they are twice as dense in the Smokies.

Slo-go'en
07-04-2019, 22:12
The difference I would think is the SNP is a much narrower strip of land then the GSMNP and the bears are pushed higher up the ridge. Which happens to be where all the people are too.

BlackCloud
07-05-2019, 04:55
Here is the official word: https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/black-bear.htm.

Here is the media's word, wherever they're getting these numbers?!?!: https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Bears-are-starting-to-come-out-of-hibernation-at-Shenandoah-National-Park-478338733.html

Traveler
07-05-2019, 07:00
It looks like the NPS site uses a map from 2009. If they are using 10 year old estimations I suspect that's where any discrepancy is.