The Best National Parks Where You Can See Bears In The USA

The Best National Parks Where You Can See Bears In The USA

The Best National Parks Where You Can See Bears In The USA

While we’re all about polar bears here at polarbear-world.com, we know that a lot of polar bear enthusiasts also love all the other varieties of bears as well. Who doesn’t love a big furry animal? 

While we’ve already told you about the places to go to visit polar bears at the zoo as well as where to go to see polar bears in the wild, we know some of you are also interested in learning about which national parks in the USA are home to other types of bears.

Before going into the details about the habitats of bears in national parks, we would like to give you a little more insight into polar bears. One thing that might amaze you about polar bears is that some decades ago through a genetic pedigree experiment, scientists were able to discover the first-ever reported case of identical bear twins!

Now, we know that many zoophilists and animal lovers out there will be curious to know more facts about polar bears, so feel free to explore our site further where you’ll find out everything you need to know about polar bears.

But, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best national parks in the US to see bears. 

1. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone national park is one of the first, oldest, and most beautiful national parks in the USA. Because of its geothermal and scenic areas, you can call this park wildlife heaven on earth.

The ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park is considered to be one of the largest habitats of grizzly bears and black bears. The total number of grizzly bears found in this park is about 700. 

What are the spots to see bears in the Yellowstone National Park?

Here are some of the areas where you can see bears while visiting Yellowstone national park

  • Mount Washburn
  • East entrance of the park
  • Hayden valley
  • Snow lake flats
  • Lamar valley 

What is the best time to visit this park to see the bears?

We would suggest you visit the park during the spring season or somewhere at the end of April, the reason is that during these periods bears are awake from hibernation and roaming in the above-mentioned places. The only thing you need to take care of while visiting this park is your safety.

2. Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Alaska is one of the states in the USA that has various parks to see bears, but Denali National Park is the most famous one. You will find almost 300 to 350 bears in the north range of Alaska.

Denali is a true nature exploring site because of its long hikes trails, wildlife display, and striking nature sceneries, but we just want you to be careful while choosing the path for long hikes.

What are the spots you can find bears in Denali National Park?

best national parks to see bears usa
  • Savage River
  • Toklat River
  • Sabla Pass Area
  • Teklanika River
  • Along 92 miles of the park

What is the best time to see bears in Denali National Park and Reserve?

You can visit the park during the warmer summer months, which makes the period from June to mid-July. You can plan the trip according to your choice but the timing you can see bears in the park should be 10 am to 4 pm. 

3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

This park is located in the southern estate of the USA. The rare black bears are the ones that can be seen here in a wild number. According to the last recorded estimations, it has been noted that almost 1500 bears are living in this park.

The spectacular landscapes, rivers, hiking routes, and sight of the flowers blooming year-round make this national park more beautiful. 

What are the places where you can see bears in Great Smoky National Park?

Here are some of the spots where you can find bears in the park

  • Cades Cove
  • Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
  • Little River Road
  • Loop Road
  • Newfound Gap Road

What is the best time of year to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

The best time to visit this park is the end of the summer season as well as the fall season. So, June, July, and August are the most suitable months to visit Smoky National Park.

Other than just seeing bears you can also enjoy seasonal activities at the Great Smoky Mountains. 

Some of the other national parks where bears exist are as follow

  • Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
  • Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

We hope visiting these national parks gives you an amazing wildlife experience, but at the same time we want you to follow some tips to ensure your safety – bears are wild and dangerous creatures after all. 

Firstly, never approach a bear or if you’re alone don’t go close to it and always maintain a safe distance. Keep a GPS tracker with you so others will always be able to locate you and never make any sudden noise to surprise a bear.

Read and follow any instructions provided by park rangers and locals, they’re the people who know and understand these creatures best.

Have a safe bear/sight-seeing trip and enjoy the wonders of nature at its best.