The 22 Most Unhinged Things Smokies Black Bears Have Done on Camera
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We all know what a bear does in the woods. What nobody tells you is that Smoky Mountains black bears are out here auditioning for their own sitcom outside of homes and shops. Between wandering through Gatlinburg like they’ve got dinner reservations and taking a dip in hot tubs up and down mountain backroads, these furry agents of chaos keep getting caught on camera doing things no wildlife textbook ever prepared us for.
With about 1,500 bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s not odd to see a bear. However, we’ve rounded up more than 20 outrageous things bears have been caught on camera doing.
The Smokies Chainsaw Bear-sacre
A black bear can deliver a single paw swipe with hundreds of pounds of force, which is basically nature’s version of power tools. That makes it all the more surprising that a bear recently stole a chainsaw from a Smokies home. The good news? The man found his chainsaw. The bad news? It was right outside the bear’s den.
Whole Lot of Shaking Going On
Bears don’t scare easily, but this one took off running when an earthquake hit! The 4.1 magnitude quake in May 2025 might not’ve done a lot of damage, but it sure rattled this wayward bear in Greenback, about 20 miles west of Cades Cove.
Bear vs. Balloon
Bears might be avid hunters, but did you know they are also curious? In September 2025, a bear was looking at some balloons on a mailbox, part of a high school football celebration. The bear tried to take a bite and ended up getting a face full of confetti!
Bear Pumpkin Carving
What do you get in the Smoky Mountains when you mix pumpkin season and hungry bears prepping for hibernation? Adorable videos of bears trying to eat pumpkins. Bears love the sweet pumpkin scent, along with the gluttonous gourd, which provides vitamins and minerals. It’s also a fun toy to pique their curiosity and get in some play time.
Homeward Bound Bear
It turns out, you can go home again, especially if you’re a determined black bear. Bear 609 was relocated 150 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park because she was getting a little too comfortable around humans (and their food supplies). She was dropped in the Cherokee National Forest with a tracker. After 1,000 miles of wandering across four states, she returned to her campsite in the Smokies within six months. (Nobody tell the bear she took the longest route possible, okay?)
The Bear Brawl
With an average of two bears per square mile in the Smokies, most people worry about a man vs. bear situation. However, in April 2022, a couple of bears were caught on camera brawling while humans recording it hid in a nearby garage. While we’re not sure what caused the fight or who won in the end, wildlife officials believe this was a case of resource guarding.
An Unbearable Day at Work
The next time you have a bad day at work, remember this: At least a black bear wasn’t waiting on the other side of your office door. A black bear wandered into a concession stand at Anakeesta and started splurging on some gumbo. A worker who had no idea what was happening ended up face-to-face with the bear. Both got quite a surprise. The worker wasn’t hurt, just shocked!
Roller Coaster Chaos
A mountain coaster at Anakeesta gave a visitor a ride she’ll never forget. While on the final lap of the Rail Runner, a momma bear and her two cubs started playing on the rail. Luckily, these mountain coasters allow riders to control the speed. The woman slowed down as much as possible until the bears went on their merry way.
Taco Tuesday for Bears?
No Way Jose in Gatlinburg should be called No Way Bear after this viral moment when a bear tried to get into the Mexican restaurant. A worker shooed the bear off, but the bear wasn’t done yet. It jumped from the wall to a tree and then shimmied down to the ground and took off. Maybe it just wanted a bear-ito?
Playful Es-cub-pade
A cub and its mom playing caused a social media sensation in June of 2025. The people inside the cabin recorded as the playful mom and cub rolled around. Eventually, the cub came right up to the window, looking for more playtime. The momma bear seems to have won that round of wrestling!
Lunch Trade
A group of workers thought they were looking for car bandits when they saw their work vehicle messed up inside. After reviewing home security camera footage, they saw that the bandit was really a black bear who took the foreman’s lunch and ran off. Bet they’ll never leave a window open in bear country again!
Bear Burglar
If you want to bear-proof the vehicle, be sure to roll that window all the way up. This video from July 2023 shows a big black bear wrestling with a window that was left cracked a few inches. In less than 10 seconds, the bear shatters the window and gets inside.
The Scream Heard ‘Round the Smokies
It’s worth pointing out that you should also lock your car doors when visiting the Smokies. A bear in Gatlinburg approached a vehicle while the owner looked on from inside. We’re not sure what was scarier – the black bear or the pitch of the people screaming at the bear.
Sleeping Like a Bear
While most of our videos on this list showcase bears doing something crazy, this one shows a bear doing absolutely nothing. Bears in the Smokies are known for denning as high as 60 feet in the air. This picture was captured inside the park where the bear napped on a branch. The next time you’re hiking a Smokies trail, don’t forget to look up!
Why Did the Bears Cross the Road?
There’s a reason the speed limit in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 20 miles an hour in Cades Cove. That’s because you never know when a mother bear and her four cubs might be trying to clumsily cross the road. This video from 2019 shows the particularly large bear family near the entrance to the popular spot.
The Swing Saga
Black bears are powerful, but they are also quite playful. That’s what an Airbnb couple found out in October 2025. The bear took over the swing outside the cabin and even shredded another swing. Try explaining that to the rental owner!
The Run of a Lifetime
If you’re going for a morning run in the Smokies, be sure to keep an eye out for bears. This runner habitually ran from Byrson City deep into the national park. One day in September 2025, a bear not only popped out of the bushes but tried to keep up pace! Despite lots of noise, water splashing, and a big stick, the bear was rather persistent. Both runners eventually went their separate ways.
Hot Tub Bear Machine
All this talk about bears in the wild might make you want to relax in the hot tub. Well, the bears might be there too. You decide which is funnier – the bear being tempted by the hot tub or the homeowner getting hot-headed about the bear’s brazenness! The man said he was glad he wasn’t in the jacuzzi when it happened. In fact, people in hot tubs won’t stop bears, as another couple leaned.
“Guys, we were in the hot tub chillin’ and this bear popped up over the side like ‘Hey, what are y’all doing?’” the woman said in the video posted to YouTube.
Bear at Bachelorette Party
Bears just want to have fun, too! Note that if you host a honey-themed bachelorette party in Gatlinburg and start grilling steaks, there’s a chance a bear is gonna be a surprise guest. The bear visited for about 20 minutes, eating steak off the grill and even coming up to the main table for some curious sniffing.
Jumping Bear Cub
Hikers in the Smokies know that many trails are famous for their water crossings. In December 2024, a bear cub was trying to cross the water but wasn’t sure how to make the leap. It took a little bit of trial and error (in addition to getting soaked), but it eventually made its way across the water and deeper into the forest.
The Sweet Tooth Bear
It turns out that a kid in a candy store is about the same as a bear in a candy store. A black bear stumbled into the Sweet! store in Gatlinburg back in late November of 2024. It munched on some sweet treats, ignoring many calls to get out and even chomping away when the police arrived. Once the bear was filled up with sugar, it took off into the street.
Ca-bear-net, Anyone?
Last but certainly not least, we toast this bear who tried to get VIP seating at a Gatlinburg wine store. Given that the average life span for a black bear is 15-20 years, we’re pretty sure this one wasn’t 21. Before strutting out of the store, it managed to knock down a display and stare down the worker behind the counter. No wine was spilled in this unbearably funny video.
The Bear Necessities
Before you go down a full bear-spiral on TikTok, a quick reality check. These clips are fun to watch, but the people who filmed them were almost always far enough away to avoid becoming an accidental snack.
Black bears might look like fuzzy comedians, but they can do real damage if you crowd them, feed them, or treat them like cast members at a theme park. Close encounters can also spell trouble for the bears since repeated human interaction often leads to relocation or euthanasia.
Enjoy the show, keep your distance (at least 50 yards), and let the bears stay wild enough to steal chainsaws another day. More bear safety tips are available from the National Park Service.
