Parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed after bears chased and bit visitors during multiple recent incidents, National Park Service (NPS) rangers stated.
Rangers responded to three incidents over the weekend at Ramsey Cascades Trail, two in which bears approached visitors and took their backpacks, and one in which a bear displayed aggressive behavior and chased a group of people, according to the April 21 NPS press release. No injuries were reported as a result of these three incidents, according to the Charlotte Observer. (RELATED: Mom, 6 Kids Killed As Pennsylvania Home Explodes)
Three incidents also occurred during the previous weekend at the Abrams Fall Trail, including one where a bear bit a visitor who entered a closed area, rangers said. The NPS has not released any details about the extent of the visitor’s injuries.
Bears chase, bite visitors at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, prompting closures. https://t.co/xQNMlyv94F
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 21, 2026
Both sets of incidents prompted closures at the national park. As of April 20, Ramsey Prong Road and Ramsey Cascades Trail remain closed with rangers monitoring bear activity, while the NPS says the trail and the road leading to Abrams Fall Trail have been reopened.
The park has previously closed areas for visitor safety or to allow bears to have undisturbed feeding, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to approximately 1,900 American black bears and is the most-visited national park in the U.S., with about 12 million visitors a year, according to the NPS. Black bear activity tends to rise in the spring as mothers emerge from their dens to find food with their cubs.
An average of 339 negative human-bear encounters have been reported annually over the last 10 years, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. A total of six human-bear conflicts occurred in 2025 compared to 10 in 2024, according to the outlet. The decrease is, in part, due to the humane euthanization of black bears in East Tennessee. A total of 32 bears were humanely euthanized in 2024, while 23 were euthanized in 2025.
The NPS advised visitors not to approach or feed bears to reduce the likelihood of possible attacks via the same press release.