Each year, millions of tourists flock to the mountains of North Carolina to take in the breathtaking sights. Some secretly hope they’ll have a long-awaited bear sighting – which rarely happens. But oh well, there’s always next year, right?

Flickr/Valerie
What those tourists don't know is the best place to spot a bear in North Carolina is actually along the coast!
Flickr/ Brian Henderson
North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge has an estimated hundreds (that's a plural of hundred!) of bears. You just need to know where to find them.
Flickr/Deb K
TripAdvisor/
During the summer, the wildlife refuge has guided safaris once a week to help you discover the elusive black bear, one of the prominent residents of the refuge.
TripAdvisor/G C
Mind you, their safaris aren't for hunting; they're for bear spotting and for photography. The adventure is perfect for the whole family and is by car, not on foot. But once you spot a bear (or bears!) you can usually get out and take photos.
Flickr/Dan Davison
And who knows WHERE you'll spot them. Or how long you'll have to wait if they're blocking the road. They tend to take their time.
Flickr/ Teddy Fotiou

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Over the years, amateur photographers have posted their shots of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge's famous black bears doing a variety of activities.
Flickr/ Henry T. McLin
This one is practicing gymnastics on the parallel tree setup.
TripAdvisor/Laura A
Someone caught this guy taking a soak...
TripAdvisor/James O
And here he is looking for his towel.
TripAdvisor/James O
This mother and cub photo almost looks like she's teaching it to stand on two legs. So cute!
TripAdvisor/Seth M
The bears don't seem to mind the once-weekly safaris that trek into the outback of the refuge, but they're not friendly either. Caution is to be used at all times.
TripAdvisor/Jthomp01
The safari program is called "Bear Necessities." It takes place each Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. from June until August.
TripAdvisor/Laura A
No reservations are necessary and the program is free. Meet at Creef Cut Wildlife Trail parking lot prior to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays (June through August only). You'll find that parking lot on Milltail Rd in East Lake, NC. Here's a link to the location of the parking lot on Google maps. Find out more here.

For more outdoor fun in North Carolina, check out these 11 Epic Outdoorsy Things Anyone In North Carolina Can Do.

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