Cades cove

[Jerryjaws]

Looking for some tips on traveling to Cades cove this springs. I’m thinking the month of May to hopefully find some bears to photograph. I know for sure I would wanna avoid that place on the weekends due to high volume of people. Any other info would be great. Thanks in advance

 

[abc123brian]

May is a great time to go. The park gets busier as the month goes on. There are many bear there so finding them won’t be much of an issue. There were many new Cubs this year which means you’re likely going to see more yearlings next year. The tree cover can be thick, so having a fast lens is helpful. Having focal lengths between 200mm and 500mm is also a good idea. This time of year the bear are out feeding and many are visible from the Loop Rd.

The bear are quite adjusted to people and not too skittish so remember to respect their space. You will also likely either by near or around other wildlife photographers and tourists so be sure to follow good wildlife etiquette. I’ve seen too many times where a “professional wildlife photographer“ thought it was ok to approach a bear and bring with them a group of tourists with phone cameras.

 

[PhilcTx]

Arrive when they open gates even on weekdays.

 

[Steve]

I agree with all of the above. May is a great time to look for bear but as noted, get there early. Most of the time it gets too crowded for my taste around 9:30 or so, but often the light is pretty lousy by then anyway.

Also, while the bear are fun, don't forget to look for other opportunities too. We had a great time with the meadowlarks and indigo buntings on Hyatt lane and there was a nest of pileated woodpeckers at the old baptist church. This owl was a regular at the little creek on the way out:

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[abc123brian]

I agree with all of the above. May is a great time to look for bear but as noted, get there early. Most of the time it gets too crowded for my taste around 9:30 or so, but often the light is pretty lousy by then anyway.

Also, while the bear are fun, don't forget to look for other opportunities too. We had a great time with the meadowlarks and indigo buntings on Hyatt lane and there was a nest of pileated woodpeckers at the old baptist church. This owl was a regular at the little creek on the way out:

View attachment 25271

I didn’t see the owl as much this year, but last year it landed on the ground a few feet from my feet as I was walking down the trail. That is a good point about the other opportunities.

Early mornings you may see a coyote in the fields. Also, if you get there in early May, there are a lot of wildflowers in the area. The Tremont area is great for cascades and waterfalls. @Jerryjaws I plan to get there around mid April and stay through mid June next year. If you send me a DM closer to the time you’re going to be there, I may be able to share more information regarding the bears.

 

[Steve]

I didn’t see the owl as much this year, but last year it landed on the ground a few feet from my feet as I was walking down the trail. That is a good point about the other opportunities.

Early mornings you may see a coyote in the fields. Also, if you get there in early May, there are a lot of wildflowers in the area. The Tremont area is great for cascades and waterfalls. @Jerryjaws I plan to get there around mid April and stay through mid June next year. If you send me a DM closer to the time you’re going to be there, I may be able to share more information regarding the bears.

Yup - I forgot about the coyotes!

 

[Whiskeyman]

Yup - I forgot about the coyotes!

Any roadrunners?

 

[fulltimewanderer]

Looking for some tips on traveling to Cades cove this springs. I’m thinking the month of May to hopefully find some bears to photograph. I know for sure I would wanna avoid that place on the weekends due to high volume of people. Any other info would be great. Thanks in advance

As stated, early May and be in line when park ranger opens the gates or even better park at the first overlook or by the stables and walk in. Can’t go wrong with Cades Cove it is a special and magical place. May also try Cataloochee on the North Carolina side.

 

[EricBowles]

Cades Cove can be good for bears, but I find it's the bear cubs that are the ideal subject. In May the adults are still recovering from the winter and can look a bit ratty.

Cades Cove is known for "bear jams". If you see traffic come to a stop or if you see a bear, pull over, park the car, and start walking with your camera. You'll have far better luck than waiting for your car to reach the subject. Try to anticipate where the bears are moving. When they are around crowds, they often are looking for an exit route. I've walked 400 yards back up the road and over a hill top and watched the bears come to me 20 minutes later with no crowds.

Owls, pileated woodpeckers, and hawks are all common subjects in Cades Cove, but don't forget the songbirds. Hyatt Lane and Sparks Lane are terrific for songbirds in the spring.

May is a good time to visit Cataloochee Valley on the east side of the park. To go there you probably want to stay in a different location than Townsend - maybe Sylva NC or Waynesville NC. Cataloochee has bears, but is best known for the elk early morning and late afternoon. May is the time for elk calving.

A story on the elk and bears. When the elk were initially introduced in the 1990's, the rangers trapped bears in Cataloochee and hauled them across the park to provide safety for elk calves. It would take bears a week to make it back to the valley, and by that time the elk calves could outrun the bears. After 10 years or so they realized that was no longer needed. The elk cows had learned to aggressively defend their calves, and the bears had learned that elk hooves were painful or deadly. At this point the bear avoid the elk cows with calves.

 

[chuck1376]

Cade's Cove is fantastic. For bears a great park a little south in North Georgia is Fort Mountain state park. Have seen multiple critters every time I have been. They are not skittish, especially the cubs.