The National Park Service has closed an 8-mile portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway indefinitely following multiple attempts by visitors to feed and hold a young bear.

The instances of human-bear interaction took place at North Carolina’s Lane Pinnacle Overlook, park officials said.

The overlook falls within the stretch now closed, between mile marker 367.6 near a picnic area and mile marker 375.6 where the parkway meets Ox Creek Road.

In addition, a visitor center at milepost 364.5 also is closed until the roadway reopens. The overlook is about 12 miles northeast of Asheville.

“When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food, it can lead to very dangerous situations. In this instance, we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed,” Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout said in a statement.

Fall is critical for bears, who spend the season bulking up and eating for most of their days in preparation for hibernation when they will subsist on the fat they build up.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was the most visited national park in 2022, drawing just over 5% of the nation’s recreational park visits with 15,711,004 visitors, per NPS data.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.