Smoky Mountain Field School

09/24/2026

Register today: tiny.utk.edu/I1pT2

09/17/2026

🍂 With the change in leaves comes increased activity in some of our iconic wildlife. If you’re visiting the Smokies this fall, help us keep yourself, other visitors, and wildlife safe by following our wildlife viewing guidelines:

🦌 Elk rut season: Autumn brings the elk rut—when bulls clash antlers and bugle across the valleys. It’s an incredible sight, but elk can be unpredictable during this time. Always stay at least 25 yards away when viewing elk and do not enter closed fields.

🐻 Bear activity in the fall: Black bears are entering hyperphagia, a period of intense feeding to prepare for winter. They’re traveling more and foraging longer. When viewing bears, stay alert and give them space.

Wildlife viewing basics:
• Keep your distance
• Never feed wildlife
• Respect closures and follow volunteer/staff instructions
• Use pull-offs for viewing—never stop in the roadway

🔗 More information about elk and black bears can be found on our website (link in comments)

Left Photo by Paul Driessche, right photo by Sam Hobbs

09/08/2026

Register now: tiny.utk.edu/I1pT2

09/03/2026

WHAT ARE BEARS UP TO IN SEPTEMBER?

Bears enter hyperphagia in September and may look for food up to 20 hours a day. Berries, nuts and acorns are important fall bear foods. Bears can gain two to three pounds a day. Even bears that don’t hibernate eat as if they’re going to. Moms-to-be look for a good birthing den and nursery.

• Eating goes into hyperdrive
• It's peak time for an important bear food
• Bears are "nesting"
• About-to-be moms binge eat
• Cubs become curious

Learn more about what bears are doing in September: https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-september/

Thanks for being BearWise and helping keep bears wild.

09/01/2026

08/25/2026

The Smokies is putting its party hat on today because the National Park Service is turning 110! 🎉

Though Great Smoky Mountains didn’t become a national park until 1934, people have been working to protect these mountains for well over a century. To honor this legacy, no parking tag is required today as we celebrate more than a century of conservation, resilience, and connection.

🎂 So tell us… does the Smokies get a 10/10 for its birthday?

Happy 110th, NPS!



Original Photo by Jim Bennett

08/20/2026

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is bear country 🐻

If you're visiting the Smokies, help us protect the animals who live here, in both the national park and the surrounding areas, by being BearWise.

• Have an open or soft-topped vehicle? Never leave food or scented items unattended inside of it (Rubber ducks are fine!)

• Planning to hike? Never leave your backpack or belongings unattended. Pack all trash out with you and dispose of it in a bear-proof dumpster.

• If you see a bear by the road, use pull-offs to view it, do not stop in the roadway. Never approach a bear within 50 yards or any distance that may disturb it.

To learn more about black bear safety, visit our website: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/black-bears.htm

Photo by Paul Driessche

08/12/2026