![]() Respect all wildlife, for their safety and yours. Do remember that the Park is the black bear’s home. A bear can hear you coming from twice as far away as you can hear a bear! (And although there’s not much you can do about your natural scent, know that a bear can smell the human in a footprint from a mile away.) If you’re quiet, treading softly and not talking, you might spy a bear cross the trail in front of you or send its cubs up a tree. Bears have astounding senses of hearing and smell. They instinctively know it’s wise to keep their distance from humans. If you’re out on a trail, try to be quiet. Pull completely off the road when you spot a bear or bear family. ![]() ![]() Maybe have a companion with you who can look for bears while you’re keeping your eyes on the road. Please drive slowly (the speed limit on Skyline Drive is 35 mph), as bears aren’t the only wildlife active in early morning and early evening. Bears are not nocturnal, necessarily, but they are most active in the early morning hours before sunrise and the golden hour between sundown and dark. Travel through the Park in the dusk-to-dawn hours. So, how do you up your odds of catching a glimpse of this handsome creature? The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is accessible from the Park entrance stations, and many other trails are easily accessible from the Park boundary. You could even see one in winter, although there is less likelihood of spotting a bear in the cold months. Even if Skyline Drive is closed due to inclement weather, Shenandoah National Park is still open to hiking. Your chances of seeing one is more than decent, especially if you visit when bears are most active-between late March and early November. Skyline Drive was documented in 1996-97 by the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), a division of the National Park Service, U.S. Shenandoah is home to hundreds of black bears. You can cover all of Skyline Drive’s 105 miles in just a few hours, but it is highly recommended to set aside at least a full daybut preferably two or moreto explore this phenomenal mountain road. Seeing a black bear in its natural habitat is magical, every single time. Shenandoah National Park Skyline Drive Guide 2023. If you asked 100 Shenandoah National Park visitors what they most look forward to when they come to the Park, 99 of them are going to tell you it’s seeing a black bear.
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