American Black Bear
American Black BearAmerican Black BearAmerican Black BearAmerican Black Bear

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
70–80% · Very likely
overall probability at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
1,741 Verified records at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's active Active throughout day and night

The American black bear (Ursus americanus), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with a diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It primarily inhabits forested regions, but may venture beyond forest boundaries in search of food. Individuals are occasionally drawn to human settlements due to the availability of easily accessible food sources. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American black bear as a least-concern species because of its widespread distribution and a large population, estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Wikipedia →

70–80% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 1,741 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Coyote
LC Endemic

Coyote

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Canis latrans

20–30% · Possible
Common Raccoon
LC Endemic

Common Raccoon

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Procyon lotor

10–20% · With luck
Northern River Otter
LC Endemic

Northern River Otter

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Lontra canadensis

10–20% · With luck
🐒 No photo available
LC

Striped Skunk

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Mephitis mephitis

5–10% · With luck
Red Fox
LC Endemic

Red Fox

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Vulpes vulpes

5–10% · With luck
Bobcat
LC Endemic

Bobcat

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Lynx rufus

5–10% · With luck
Eastern Spotted Skunk
VU Endemic

Eastern Spotted Skunk

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Spilogale putorius

<5% · Rare
Gray Fox
LC Endemic

Gray Fox

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

50–60
Jan
30–40
Feb
50–60
Mar
70–80
Apr
80–90
May
80–90
Jun
80–90
Jul
80–90
Aug
70–80
Sep
70–80
Oct
80–90
Nov
60–70
Dec

☀️🌙 When They're Spotted

Active throughout day and night · across all parks (global)

☀️🌙Day & Night
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
70–80%
2 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
3 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
4 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
5 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
6 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
7 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
8 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
9 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
10 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
11 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
12 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
13 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
14 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
15 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
16 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
17 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
18 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
19 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
20 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
21 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
22 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
23 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
24 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
25 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
26 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
27 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
28 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
29 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
30 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
31 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
32 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
33 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
34 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
35 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Black Bear in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

About 77% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 1,741 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Black Bear in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for American Black Bear in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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