Their descendants thrive here today. The trail is a moderately strenuous hike at 3.8 miles round-trip. Like most mountain tales, stories about how the mountain and corresponding gap got their names vary. One cites the oddly shaped spring nearby, and another claims a frying pan was always left hanging at the camping area favored by local herders. Humans aren't the only ones to flock here in late summer and early fall.
Birds flock here, too.
The trees' small white blossoms turn to dark reddish-black fruit in July and August, providing a feasting paradise for many species of birds. Fauna figures prominently in life along the Parkway, and several overlooks pay them tribute. According to U.S. Geological Survey maps, the 3 miles across the Balsams between mileposts 427.6 to 430.4 host at least 10 mountains, coves, and streams named after the bear. Bear Pen Gap, Bear Trap Gap, and Bear Trail Ridge are three popular examples. During the Civil War when men were busy fighting among themselves, wolves thrived.