Smoky Mountains, Black Bears & The Trail Of Tears: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
It’s the sort of thing you take with a pinch of salt, advice placed inside the apartment on what to do if you meet a bear when you go out the door. I mean, it’s never really going to happen, is it….
Except it does. On our fourth, and last, night here, we set off towards town for our last evening meal, and get no more than 50 yards from our door when we come face to face with a young black bear in the street outside. Thankfully he or she is more scared than we are, and turns and trots the other way, soon joined by what looks like Mummy Bear. To our absolute amazement, we then realise that Daddy Bear and two more cubs are eyeing us suspiciously, and, what’s more, are coming towards us along the tarmac.
We had previously heard talk that a family of five were occasionally venturing into town in search of food, but we never dreamt for a moment that we would have such an astonishingly close encounter right on our doorstep. We watch them for a while as they search for food – Daddy Bear even checks out the vending machines – before they disappear behind the buildings. We know we’re supposed to be scared and take precautions but the joy and excitement of such a sighting just takes over, snapping photographs and making videos as the bear family go about their business. It’s so exhilarating and we feel elated to have been so close.
Gatlinburg has been about more than just bears though – it’s a small town tucked in a river valley in the Smoky Mountains, very much geared to its role as a getaway destination for outdoor weekends. At this time of year, in May, it’s all about hiking trails and scenic drives, whereas in the winter months the town is a gateway to the snow for those who like to ski. There’s no white in the scenery today, just a spectacular collage of verdant shades as the forested mountains watch over the town below nestling amongst a network of fast flowing rivers and streams.
The much anticipated fresh trout is as good as we had hoped, after which we sit on the balcony of our apartment, the dark line of the mountaintops, the sweet fresh air and the sound of the rushing water in the creek below are just the most perfect antidote to our city fatigue. It feels great, and so, so relaxing. Roughly thirty minutes later, the thunder which has been rolling around the mountains crashes into town, bringing torrential rain and spectacular fork lightning with it.
Before long the roads look like rapids and the creek is flexing new found muscles. We wake next morning to a repeat as a second storm calls in for breakfast, pounding Gatlinburg with extremes to encourage everyone to linger just a little longer over morning coffee. What an effect the storms have though : the rivers and streams have become thrilling high speed white water spectaculars, crashing against walls and racing through town just inches below the underside of footbridges, frothing and swirling as they go.
It adds a thrill to our first hike along the trail towards Grotto Falls. It also cuts it short as one cascade has breached the top of a footbridge and is hurtling by at far too fast a pace to risk taking it on. Instead we continue in the car along the tiny winding road through dense forest, along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, through shady glens and past raging torrents, stopping regularly for brief strolls. This is a truly beautiful area and a drive which lives up to its interesting name.
At one such stop, commemorative boards tell the story of the Bales family who lived in the tiny wooden shack on the hillside. Somehow, this family, with their NINE children, lived together in this cramped space, grew what they could on the unforgiving rocky ground in the little clearings between the trees – in a climate which is stiflingly hot in summer and snowbound in winter. As harsh lives go, the Bales family’s was right up there.
Gatlinburg has three different chair lift routes up the mountainsides, one of which, the Skypark, leads to the Skybridge, a suspended footbridge which not only gives great views of the town and countryside but is also America’s longest pedestrian only suspension bridge at 680ft long. A section of reinforced glass in the centre gives vertical views to the valley 140ft below and probably vertigo to those who are prone.
The drives out from Gatlinburg up into the “Smokies” are fabulous, stopping regularly to admire the panoramic views or take a short hike along pretty trails. Along with quite a few other visitors we climb the tarmac pathway from the parking lot to the peak of Clingman’s Dome, the summit of which is a whole 6,643ft above sea level. A board at the top tells us that the peak is named after the man who measured the height of each of the Smoky Mountains, although it stops short of telling us exactly how he did that.
This is truly beautiful country, so good on the eye that it’s impossible to avoid making regular stops just to admire the amazing scenery. From Gatlinburg to the top is roughly twenty miles, which makes it even more remarkable that when we leave town the temperature is in the mid 70s (around 24C), then at Clingman’s Dome it’s just a whisker above 40 (around 5C). It’s cold up here in our T-shirts!
Our final excursion from Gatlinburg is out over the Smoky Mountains and across the state line into North Carolina, to the Indian reservation town of Cherokee. There is some serious history to unravel here, this little town strung along its shallow river is one of the epicentres of native American history.
In 1830, the US Government introduced the Indian Removal Act, bringing about the enforced displacement of thousands of Cherokees and other Indian tribes, taken nearly 900 miles from the land they called their own and placed in unfamiliar territory west of the Mississippi. This route, along which a quarter of Cherokees perished during the arduous journey, is today referred to as The Trail Of Tears. By coincidence we find out much more about this at our next stop, more on that piece of history in our next post.
Cherokee the town remembers this unfortunate episode with storyboards, a museum and a large number of gift shops – the museum recording not just the history of land seizure and enforced displacement, but also how in more recent times the Cherokees have used the “white man’s stereotypes” of Indian appearance to build a micro economy through selling souvenirs that match that imagery. We’re not quite sure how that dovetails with the “Made in China” labels which we spot on some of the heavily priced goods in the shops, mind you.
Saturday brings a different feel to Gatlinburg, the town has filled with weekenders and day trippers and is a different place, with gridlocked streets and rammed sidewalks, and even queues at candy stores (alien to us!). Despite the extra people the atmosphere is lovely, with almost a seaside feel in the afternoon sunshine.
It isn’t in the slightest bit surprising that Gatlinburg is popular, the surrounding Smoky Mountains create beautiful scenery and the town plays its gateway role neatly without ever feeling overblown.
It’s been a lovely stay here for many reasons – but there is no doubt that our fabulous close encounter with the bears will be our memory of Gatlinburg which lingers the longest.
31 Comments
Andrew Petcher
What an excellent couple of days, wildlife adventure and mother nature thrills.
Phil & Michaela
Τhe Trail of Tears is interesting too, a bit more to come on that subject
restlessjo
You had me with you all the way, Phil. Did you cross the Skybridge? Not sure if I’d have coped with that, but the surrounds and scenery are breathtaking.
Phil & Michaela
Oh yes, the bridge had to be done! It’s a lovely area, Jo, some beautiful scenery
restlessjo
🤗🩵
Heyjude
What stunning scenery. Beautiful photos Michaela. Such light. I’d have loved to see the Smoky Mountains, but I would never do that suspension bridge.
Phil & Michaela
Beautiful area, Jude, so scenic. The bridge is fine, you’d be alright 🙂
Toonsarah
Wow, seeing those bears must indeed have been a thrill! I’m not sure however that it’s a good thing that they feel comfortable coming into a town like that – I wonder if people have been feeding them and thus accustomising them too much to humans? We visited a moving museum about the Trail of Tears in New Mexico, at the other end of the long trail, so I’ll be interested to read more about your visit to Cherokee. As for that scenery, and the Sky Bridge – just wonderful!
Phil & Michaela
I doubt that they get purposefully fed, as there’s a real fear of them amongst the locals. I think it’s more that bears have become very adept at stealing, you will no doubt remember all the warnings in the National Parks about not leaving food in your car etc etc…as well as the bearproof bins. The barman at the brewery told us that the bears only tend to come into town when they have cubs – it’s easier to feed five by raiding the town! Great scenery around the Smokies, really lovely. Yes, more to come about the Trail of Tears in next post….l
Julia@travelthefourcorners
You gave me an entirely different perspective on Gatlinburg. I recently reviewed Bill Bryson’s hilarious book, “A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.” I didn’t mention it specifically, but the author found Gatlinburg “appalling” after eight days on the trail. However, I think I would prefer Gatlinburg to eight days on the trail. I enjoyed your post very much. The experience with the bears is priceless and your writing and photos so good!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you so much Julia. Well we definitely didn’t find it appalling – not the most rural/remote of the places we included on this road trip but it certainly had appeal. Thank you for your very kind comments…there’ll be a bit more about the Trail Of Tears in our next post too.
Christie
I would love to do that suspension bridge someday, (although I’m afraid of heights LOL). We did the longest one in Canada, few years ago, at 600 feet long.
The scenery is fantastic, although I would have expected the black bears in the wilderness, rather than in the city..
Phil & Michaela
The bridge was cool thing to do. I don’t think it’s very common for the bears to cone into town, and our apartment was on the edge of town close to the foot of the mountains – but having said that, we were told that when the bears are rearing cubs they tend to come into town and raid the dumpsters. Probably the easiest way to feed five mouths!
grandmisadventures
Amazing to be that close to a family of bears there in the city! And all the water rushing down at Laurel Falls was crazy. You certainly got some beautiful pictures of the Smokies and of Gatlinburg 🙂
Phil & Michaela
We really didn’t expect to get that close to bears, Meg! Enjoyed the mountains, was the change of scene we needed.
Helen Devries
Bears, like foxes, have to feed their young…..so glad you saw them.
Phil & Michaela
Yes exactly, and they’re learning that the town presents easier ways to feed five mouths at once, I reckon
Travels Through My Lens
This brings back some nice memories; my great grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee, so when I was a teenager my dad thought it was important for us to visit Cherokee and learn about our heritage. We spent a few days in Gatlinburg along the way. We didn’t see any bears though; what an amazing experience that must have been! It certainly is a beautiful place as your photos show.
Phil & Michaela
Yes we enjoyed it there. Learning about the evacuation of the Cherokees and other tribes was quite a learning curve, quite a bit more brutal than we had realised. You and your father may also know where we stayed next after we left Gatlinburg, more about the Trail Of Tears in our next post. Some of the stuff we learned was really shocking.
Monkey's Tale
The Smoky Mountains look pretty, and very green. Did the people tell you that was dad bear with mom and the cubs? They don’t usually stay in the picture. It might have been a 2 year old cub still being raised by the mom. Funny, we had bears in our post this week too. 😊
wetanddustyroads
You should have given the Daddy Bear some coins for the vending machine! Gatlinburg is really picture perfect and the Smokey Mountains should actually be renamed “Greenest Mountains”. The hiking trails (with roaring rivers) are stunning and I can understand why tourists will come here often. Beautiful photos!
Phil & Michaela
Yes it has a lot to offer, Corna – the bears were just a big bonus!
WanderingCanadians
How wild to see the family of black bears in town! Glad you were able to take some pictures from a distance. Love the views from Clingmans Dome. We visited here late in the fall a few years ago and the path up to the observation tower was pretty icy.
Phil & Michaela
Wow, I don’t think I’d trust myself to tackle that path if it was icy!
leightontravels
Ah The Smokies, this is probably top of my list if I ever make it back to Tennessee for a third time. Looks like you had a fantastic hike with some (as usual) great wildlife captures. As for the bears how fantastic, I would love to experience that… Sladja less so. Also glad to read that Gatlinburg has managed not to become just another tacky mountain town.
Phil & Michaela
We were pleased about that, too. I’m sure some people would say it’s overdone (Bill Bryson did, apparently) but we really didn’t think it was bad at all. It’s a gateway town so we knew what to expect and it didn’t disappoint. Better restaurants with more choice than the places further south, too.
Annie Berger
It sounds like you got more than you bargained for, Phil, encountering the bears but also the thrill of your lives, too! America’s history with its/our indigenous people is not a pretty story and one, like the dealings with blacks, we all should understand, learn from, and vow to do a damn sight better.
Phil & Michaela
Couldn’t agree more, Annie.
Lookoom
There are so many places like this in the USA that seem to have been built as theme parks, even the bears could be part of the show.
Phil & Michaela
Gatlinburg isn’t too bad, actually – but the neighbour, Pigeon Forge, is dreadful.
IndiaNetzone
Indian black bear is a vital component of India’s rich biodiversity. Its physical features, such as powerful limbs and large paws, make it well-suited to its arboreal and foraging lifestyle. Inhabiting a range of forested environments from the Himalayan foothills to northeastern forests, the bear’s presence is a marker of healthy forest ecosystems. Conservation efforts in northern and northeastern India are crucial to mitigate threats and ensure the continued survival of this distinctive bear species.
https://www.indianetzone.com/15/indian_animals_black_bear.htm