TROUTVILLE (WSLS 10) - Multiple bear sightings and interactions have temporarily closed Lamberts Meadow Shelter and Campsite.
"We were going to hike to Lambert, but with the situation with the bears come out we're probably gonna cut a hike a little short," said Bunkie, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker.
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Diana Christopulos, the president of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, believes this is the first time bears have been this bad of a problem.
They received several reports in a span of four days and some of those reports are hard to believe.
"We heard one report the moms were sending the cubs up so the bears can climb up the limb and reach down and pull the food up and were removing food bags this way," explained Christopulos.
She said ultimately people are the problem as more and more people are visiting the trail and leaving behind their mess.
Last year, volunteers collected 154 gallons worth of trash between Dragon's Tooth and Lamberts Meadow.
"This problem has been completely created by people," said Christopulous. "The bears have always been there and hopefully they always will be, but what's happened is that there's more and more people."
Christopulous said they're looking into buying metal containers used at other campsites that are considered certified bear resistant for Lamberts Meadow.