Wildlife in the Smokies
The Smokies are an amazing place to see wildlife. There is 1 black bear for every 1-2 square miles of the park!
Bears
The best place to spot bears in the Smokies is Cades Cove. The 11mi scenic drive called Cades Cove Loop Road that passes many open fields bordered by forest, and those are the easiest places to spot bears and elk. The internet says that the morning (7am-11am) and late afternoon (3pm-7pm) are the best times to see bears, and lo and behold, our ~6pm Cades Cove drive yielded not one but TWO bear spottings! It is possible that my husband considers this the best day of his life, and we got married a little over one year ago.
More good news about Cades Cove: there are trailheads en route to and along the scenic loop. A strategy that worked well for us was to plan a "rest day" hike in the Cades Cove area that we finished around 5 or 6, so that we'd have a great shot at spotting bears on the way out of the area. The hike we did was the Abrams Falls Trail, which ends at - you guessed it - Abrams Falls, a lovely waterfall and a great spot for lunch.
Obviously, bears must be treated with respect and an appropriate degree of fear, and signs all over the park warn you to stay 50+ feet away and/or behind designated barriers. Never feed the bears and never leave food (or any!) trash in the park. Most black bears are not aggressive towards humans. However, mama bears with cubs can attack you to protect their young, and a startled bear can react aggressively. If you encounter a black bear while hiking, make yourself big and loud, and walk - don't run - away at a brisk pace. Being generally noisy while hiking can help you avoid startling a bear. Ian and I encountered a bear in Yosemite a few years ago, and after taking a quick photo at a safe distance, we walked briskly away singing the Irish tune "Whiskey in the Jar," probably at an elevated tempo.
Elk
Elk are also native to the Smokies, but by the 1700s, hunters had shot the last remaining elk in the park. In 2001, the National Park Service began reintroducing elk to the area. I can't comment on exact numbers, but I can say that we saw a herd of grazing elk immediately upon entering the park on the Cherokee side! Seriously, welcome sign + 10 ft = elk.
Apparently, the best place in the park to see elk is the Cataloochee area. We didn't make it there, but the advice is similar to that for seeing bears: go in the morning or the late afternoon/evening.
