National park closes 8 miles of road after visitors try to hold bear cub

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - Officials in North Carolina have closed a portion of Blue Ridge Parkway after visitors recently had interactions with bears in the area.

According to the National Park Service, the team decided to shut down the section after it received multiple reports of people feeding and trying to hold a young bear at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook.

The scenic route from milepost 367 near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to milepost 375 at Ox Creek Road will be closed until further notice.

“We are closing this section of the road temporarily for the safety of both the bear and park visitors,” said Blue Ridge Parkway’s Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “We want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.”

The park service added that visitors can still access the Craggy Gardens recreational area from North Carolina. However, the visitor center at milepost 364 will close until the road reopens.

Park officials stated that visitors and residents in the area should keep food out of sight and follow their bear safety tips.

“When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food, it can lead to very dangerous situations,” Swartout said.

Anyone who sees a bear in the area is asked to call 828-298-2491.

The National Park Service calls the Blue Ridge Parkway an “experience unlike any other” that offers a relaxing drive through vistas, rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes.

The parkway runs a reported 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina.

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