3 Places You’re Most Likely to Encounter a Bear in Pennsylvania This Fall

bear made and try to remove whatever attracted the bear.
Bears in the woods
Do not approach any bears you see while camping or hiking. To avoid luring bears close to you keep your campsite clean and store all food in a secure place away from your sleeping tent. Do not leave trash behind at your campsite or in the woods. When hiking in places or at times with low visibility make lots of noise while walking to avoid surprising a bear.
If you encounter a bear in the woods make noise to alert the bear of your presence. This can be done by yelling banging on metal or honking a car horn. Most bears are afraid of humans and will leave if alerted. If the bear does not leave slowly back away. Do not run or climb a tree. Running may trigger a chase response while climbing a tree could be perceived as a threat since bears themselves especially cubs often climb trees to escape danger. Black bears rarely attack humans but if one does attack you fight back with a rock stick or any other weapon you can find. Even if you cannot do much damage many bears will back off if you put up a fight. By taking proper precautions you can enjoy observing bears from a distance without putting either of you in danger.
Laurel Ridge State Park
Pennsylvanias state flower the mountain laurel is abundant in Laurel Ridge State Park and gives it its name.
JayLShutterstock com
Laurel Ridge State Park is a 13625acre park located along Laurel Mountain in southwestern Pennsylvania. This large park spans four Pennsylvania counties Cambria Fayette Somerset and Westmoreland. The main feature of Laurel Ridge State Park is the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. This 70mile trail can be used for hiking or backpacking. A big part of the appeal of visiting Laurel Ridge State Park is its scenery. The park boasts wildflowers and lush greenery in the spring and summer colorful foliage in the fall and snowcovered landscapes in the winter. It is also a good place for wildlife watching being home to frogs toads salamanders box turtles a wide variety of birds whitetailed deer and of course black bears.
Bears roam freely throughout Laurel Ridge State Park. Most of these bears are afraid of humans and tend to avoid them. However they can get aggressive if humans get in the way of their food or approach their