Yes it’s on the property of Hemlock Inn where my family and I stay most of the time when we visit the Smoky Mountains. It’s about halfway up a mountain and the views are gorgeous. I used a photo from the porch of that Inn for the cover of all the books in my “Smoky Mountain Novel Series.”
And yes there are loads and loads of black bears in the Smokies. That particular national park has one of the largest and most diverse collections of plant and animal life of any place in the world. It’s also the most visited national park in the whole country. One year, as we were driving along the road, headed out of the park, a young back bear (probably adolescent) ran out of the woods and started chasing our car just like a dog. All traffic came to a stop both ways until he finally figured out nobody was going to give him anything and went back toward the woods. The road signs remind people throughout the whole area that drivers need to be alert to bears, deer, and other wild animals coming onto the road at any time.
One year when my sister was there at the Inn, a big black bear came onto the Inn property, and the owner had to sit up that night with his gun to make sure he didn’t come back during the night and cause harm. But once he left, he didn’t come back.
The Happy Wordcrafter 
So, where is the pedestrian? 🙂
Did you stay there? It looks like a nice place for a hike. Any bears in the smokies?
Yes it’s on the property of Hemlock Inn where my family and I stay most of the time when we visit the Smoky Mountains. It’s about halfway up a mountain and the views are gorgeous. I used a photo from the porch of that Inn for the cover of all the books in my “Smoky Mountain Novel Series.”
And yes there are loads and loads of black bears in the Smokies. That particular national park has one of the largest and most diverse collections of plant and animal life of any place in the world. It’s also the most visited national park in the whole country. One year, as we were driving along the road, headed out of the park, a young back bear (probably adolescent) ran out of the woods and started chasing our car just like a dog. All traffic came to a stop both ways until he finally figured out nobody was going to give him anything and went back toward the woods. The road signs remind people throughout the whole area that drivers need to be alert to bears, deer, and other wild animals coming onto the road at any time.
One year when my sister was there at the Inn, a big black bear came onto the Inn property, and the owner had to sit up that night with his gun to make sure he didn’t come back during the night and cause harm. But once he left, he didn’t come back.