Where To Find the Black Bear in the Park S moky Mountain Black Bears range in every elevation of the park, but due to the bear's avoidance of human contact, you would hardly know the bears are present.
Many people come to the park for several years without seeing any bears and are disappointed.
You can increase your chances of seeing a Black Bear in the park if you know a little about bear behavior and look for bears accordingly. Do be careful however. It is helpful to know that Smoky Mountain Black Bears often spend their days high in trees. During spring, summer and fall, the bears like to stay in the trees so that they can forage for food such as buds, acorns, bird eggs, salamanders, and insects. In summer when bears are not eating the bounty found in the treetops, they sprawl out on large limbs to rest.