BOONE, N.C. — The number of bear sightings is on the rise in the North Carolina mountains. At Julian Price Campground in Watauga County, posted signs warn of a daytime bear sighting.

The National Parks Service warns people should put their food away in their car or hang it from a tree while camping. People should also make sure to clean up food scraps and properly dispose of trash in bear-proof containers at camp sites.

Some campers say they are taking precautions.

Paul Adams and his brother made their way to Julian Price Campground this week.

“I’ve got a nice sleeping bag and it’s actually pretty warm,” Adams said.

It’s something he got into as an adult.

“I did a little camping with the Boy Scouts,” Adams said.

He does it for the peace and quiet. Hanging out on his hammock is a perfect day. Adams and his brother are stopping at many camp sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

“The lake is a big reason we stopped,” Adams said.

When he stopped, he saw a sign posted around the campground that read, "daytime bear spotted."

“The really important thing is to make sure anything smelly that the bears are going to be interested in are either locked in your car or hung in a bag,” Adams said.

He hasn’t seen a bear, but camper Frank Thomas and his grandson have seen some signs of bears.

It’s something campground Ranger Greg Adkin said is happening more lately.

“Normally they are kind of just active at night, so it’s a little unusual that they are out in the day,” Adkin said.

He believes many of the bears are yearlings that are looking for territory, but he said they have seen older bears as well.

“There’s more of something around last year that made them produce more babies this year,” Adkin said.

He said most people say they are walking through campsites at night but he said the most important thing is to not feed the bears. It’s not only dangerous for you, he said, but also for the bears.