← Back to Blog

Tag: wildlife

2 posts with this tag

Guests enjoy berry-inspired food and live music at the Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival at Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with the Great Smoky Mountain ridgeline visible in the background on a warm summer afternoon.

Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival 2027: Dates, Food & Wildlife at Ober Mountain

Ober Mountain's Black Bear & Berry Jam Festival returns for its second year in mid-to-late July 2027 — three Friday–Sunday weekends of berry-inspired food and drinks, live music on the outdoor soundstage, local artisan vendors, and wildlife programming from Ober's resident wildlife biologists, including guided tours of the Wildlife Habitat where resident black bears, red wolves, and river otters live. At 3,300 feet, it's 15 degrees cooler than the Parkway below — and one of the most distinctive mid-summer events in Gatlinburg. Here's what to know.

A small group of nature enthusiasts follows a guided winter hike through the bare hardwood forest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park during Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2027: Pigeon Forge's Free Nature Festival

Wilderness Wildlife Week returns to Pigeon Forge in early 2027 — a completely free, week-long celebration of Great Smoky Mountains National Park featuring hundreds of guided hikes, workshops, wildlife seminars, and nature programs led by biologists, park rangers, and expert naturalists. It's been running for more than three decades and costs nothing to attend. Here's what to expect and why January in the Smokies is better than most people realize.

Get Exclusive Cabin Deals

Special rates, last-minute openings, and Smoky Mountain travel tips. No spam.