Recreation+Gardening
Featured
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NPS photo
A Conversation with the Smokies' Chief Ranger
Originally from the mountains of Pennsylvania, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s new chief ranger, Daniel “Boone” Vandzura, grew up hunting, fishing and nurturing a love for the outdoors. Read more
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On the Trail in the Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is often called a hiker’s park. And it’s true that, across the seasons, hordes of hikers take to the park’s 850 miles of established trails to immerse themselves in a mix of scenery, biodiversity and human history. Read more
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Holly Kays photo
The Best Medicine
I sat at a long table at Fontana Village’s Wildwood Grill, sinking my teeth into an enormous burger and enjoying a depth of peaceful happiness that I rarely achieve without a large dose of time in the woods like the one I’d just had. Read more
Tulips, Too Early
I still laugh when I remember arriving for my first day of work in the Smokies, in early January 10 years ago, to find a deserted office. The temperature had fallen a bit below freezing, allowing a very light snow to dust the roads. Read more
Jan 20, 2024
Wikimedia commons / ZachN 0421
On the Trail in the Smokies
At about 90 feet high, Ramsey Cascades is the tallest waterfall in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At roughly 4,300 feet elevation, it also has the distinction of being the highest-elevation major waterfall in the park. Read more
Jan 20, 2024
A Conversation with the Smokies’ Litter Fighter
Jerry Willis, 56, is the chief operating officer for the University Physicians’ Association in Knoxville, and, along with his wife, Darlene, has hiked every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Read more
Jan 20, 2024
Enjoy the Smokies from the slopes
Visitors from around the globe flock to the Smoky Mountain region to hit the slopes and enjoy a day skiing or snowboarding. If you’re visiting the Smoky Mountains this winter or planning a trip for the future, there are a slew of destination options. Read more
Jan 20, 2024
He's walking the walk
Paul Curtin balanced himself on a pile of rocks and raised both fists over his head. The 57-year-old stood next to a weathered wooden sign, its white lettering almost gone: “Katahdin: Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail.” Read more
Jan 20, 2024
A Conversation with the Captain of Wilderness Wildlife Week
Jon Elder is a fifth-generation native of Sevier County, Tennessee, and a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. As special events manager for the City of Pigeon Forge, he’s also at the helm of Wilderness Wildlife Week. Read more
Nov 25, 2023
On the Trail in the Smokies
No stretch of road—long or short—in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has generated nearly as much controversy and ill will over the years as the 6.5-mile Lakeview Drive near Bryson City. Read more
Nov 25, 2023
A Trail for All Seasons
When I moved to Western North Carolina in my mid-20s, every weekend was a hike, and every hike was a destination: the grassy bald of Max Patch, the sweeping view from Sams Knob, the 100-foot falls at Ramsey Cascades. Read more
Nov 25, 2023
