You Can See This Little-known Natural Phenomenon in the Blue Ridge Mountains Starting Next Month – Travel + Leisure January 29, 2022

I saw this today on Travel + Leisure – You Can See This Little-known Natural Phenomenon in the Blue Ridge Mountains Starting Next Month: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/north-carolina-shadow-of-the-bear. Longer article.

By Jessica Poitevien January 29, 2022

The Shadow of the Bear only appears for 30 minutes around sunset.

The iconic Blue Ridge Mountains attract nature-loving visitors year-round, with each season bringing different outdoorsy adventures and changing landscapes. For those who head to Jackson County, North Carolina in the late winter, they’ll have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of a little-known natural phenomenon: Shadow of the Bear.

From mid-February through early March, locals and tourists alike can watch as the sun sets behind Whiteside Mountain and casts this uniquely shaped shadow. At first, it looks like a small dark spot at the bottom of the valley. As the sun sinks, the shadow takes its full form, creating the appearance of a bear in an almost lounging position on the side of the mountain. The phenomenon only lasts for 30 minutes, beginning around 5:30 p.m.

Conditions have to be just right for the Shadow of the Bear to make its appearance. First and foremost, it must be a sunny day, and the angle of the sunset has to be just right, which is why this naturally occurring phenomenon can only be seen at certain times of year. And for those who miss it this winter, visitors can also admire the Shadow of the Bear in the fall, when colorful foliage makes for an even more pleasing show put on by Mother Nature.

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