This Land, Your Land

Officials at Great Smoky Mountains National Park say that overcrowding at two backcountry campsites is drawing bears, so use of the sites will change from first-come, first served to by-reservation as of August 1.

Campsites 84 and 85, along the Hazel Creek Trail in the Fontana Dam area of North Carolina, accommodate six campers per night and 10 people and six horses per night, respectively, a news release says.

But, since they are first-come, first-served, they are often overcrowded, which means there is not enough room on overhead cables to store food, and the improperly stored food has led to "repeated bear-human conflicts" in the last couple of years that have required closing the sites for long stretches.

To reserve backcountry campsites up to one month in advance, phone 865-436-1231 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Overnight backcountry camping permits, which are also required, are available at 16 backcountry permit stations throughout the park.

In addition to 24 backcountry campgrounds, Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers five "frontcountry" campgrounds, plus a campground for horse riders, in North Carolina.