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Gatlinburg, Tennessee is one of the most popular gateways for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it’s not rare for bears to wander into the bustling town. That was the case last week, as more than a dozen people were filmed scrambling for safety after one of those animals wandered into a busy parking lot.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an approximately 800-square-mile expanse located on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, and it attracted more than 11 million visitors in 2025.
It’s believed to be home to upwards of 80,000 unique species of animals (around 22,000 have been officially documented), including the approximately 1,900 black bears that comprise the densest population of that particular type of mammal in the United States.
Their habitat is not restricted to the confines of the park, and they are not shy about wandering into populated areas outside of it. They are a fairly common sight in one place that is known for being a bit of a tourist magnet, and more than a few people got a bit of a scare thanks to what went down there earlier this month.
A bear sent people scrambling after roaming into a parking lot in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is located directly on the northern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which experienced a spike in incidents involving black bears within its borders during a busy weekend earlier this year.
The town is filled with hotels, stores, and tourist traps that make it an attractive destination for humans, but bears have also learned it’s a solid place to visit if they’re in search of a meal. In 2025, one of them wandered through the middle of the annual Christmas parade, which transpired a year after another had to be rescued from the top of a roof.
On July 18th, the “Days Since A Bear Caused A Scene In Gatlinburg” counter was reset back to zero thanks to what unfolded in the parking lot behind Arcade City, as a woman captured a sizable number of people scrambling for shelter after spotting one in their vicinity (including one man who whipped out his phone to get some footage of his own while hiding behind a van).
A woman witnessed a dramatic scene from her balcony as a bear ran through a parking lot in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, sending people scrambling for safety. https://t.co/rJO1NIiQLL pic.twitter.com/NOu3bzHrdN
— ABC News (@ABC) July 23, 2026
The bear didn’t harm anyone before wandering away, but based on how many times similar situations have unfolded in Gatlinburg, you want to keep your head on a swivel if you ever end up there.