Blue Ridge Parkway Section Closed Due to Bear Feeding and Interaction

A segment of the Blue Ridge Parkway has been temporarily shut down by authorities "after multiple documented reports of visitors feeding and attempting to hold a young bear in recent weeks."

This closure pertains to an eight-mile stretch of the parkway located in the vicinity of Asheville, North Carolina, coinciding with the prime season for leaf-peeping. The affected section was closed as of Monday and will remain so "until further notice."

Superintendent Tracy Swartout emphasized, “When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food it can lead to very dangerous situations. In this instance we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.”

The autumn season holds special significance for bears, as they invest considerable time, often up to 20 hours a day, foraging for sustenance. According to the NPS release, bears are actively seeking nourishment between September and November in preparation for winter hibernation.

The National Park Service underscored its bear safety recommendations within the release, which underscore that "deliberately approaching within 50 yards (150 feet) or any distance that disrupts or displaces a bear is prohibited within the park." Breaching these regulations can lead to fines and legal consequences. These guidelines also urge visitors not to feed bears and to securely store all food.

Moreover, the safety recommendations furnish detailed instructions for encounters with black bears, including the guidance to cautiously retreat to provide the bear more space, or if a black bear persistently trails an individual, to stand one's ground and act assertively.

The recent incidents took place at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook. The closed section spans from milepost 367.6, situated near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area, to milepost 375.6 at Ox Creek Road.

While the Craggy Gardens recreational area, a favored hiking location renowned for its captivating sunrise and sunset panoramas, can still be accessed via NC80 from the north, the visitor center at milepost 364.5 will remain closed until the parkway reopens.

As of 2022 data, the Blue Ridge Parkway ranked as the most-visited among the 425 sites overseen by the National Park Service. Last year, this scenic roadway welcomed an impressive 15.71 million visitors.

The Blue Ridge Parkway originates in Waynesboro, Virginia, stretching over 469 miles and concluding in the Great Smoky Mountains close to Cherokee, North Carolina, according to NPS.

Source: cnn.com