Recreation+Gardening
Featured
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On the Trail in the Smokies
Although the heavily traveled Blue Ridge Parkway follows the brawny Balsams outside the park, the trailhead for Balsam Mountain Trail is one of the most remote in the Smokies. Read more
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Take Fido Along
Frolicking through the woods with our four-legged sidekicks is one of life’s simplest pleasures, but not all hiking trails welcome canine companions. The following are hiking trails that are conducive to every family member, even the furry ones. Read more
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Holly Kays photo
Settling on the Smokies
As 2021’s arrival brought a welcome end to 2020, my hopes for international travel were high. But as the year wore on, it became clear that “normal” was still too distant to venture outside the U.S. Read more
West Virginia Department of Tourism photo
Hold Onto Your Helmets
Fact: kids love playing in the mud. The bigger the kid, the bigger the mud puddle required, as the creators of West Virginia’s Hatfield-McCoy Trails have discovered to their delight. Read more
Aug 1, 2022
Park Association Publishes Fish Field Guide
Great Smoky Mountains Association has published a field guide dedicated to the aquatic residents of the Smokies. Small enough to fit in a pocket, Fishes of the Smokies includes detailed photography and key details for each species featured. Read more
Aug 1, 2022
Sue Wasserman photo
A Conversation With the Smokies’ Resident Writer
In 2019, Sue Wasserman found out she’d been chosen to spend six weeks living in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as the 2020 Steve Kemp Writer in Residence, a program funded by the Great Smoky Mountains Association. Read more
Aug 1, 2022
Photo courtesy Ben Anderson
On the Trail in the Smokies
It’s difficult to imagine a more popular part of the Appalachian Trail than the 4-mile stretch from Newfound Gap to the colorfully named Charlies Bunion in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Read more
Aug 1, 2022
Mike Wurman photo
Resurrection, At A Price
A visit to Max Patch is like eating dessert before vegetables, I decided after making my first trip there that fall. You exit the car, walk half a mile or so, and cash in on the view. Read more
Aug 1, 2022
NOC Archives
Fun, Friendship and Adventure
In 1971, National Public Radio, Federal Express and Disney World were all born. Apollo astronaut Alan Shepard became the fifth person to walk on the moon and the first to try golfing on it. Read more
Jun 1, 2022
Karen Kays photo
Out-Hiking the Clouds
Somewhere around the time winter was surrendering to spring, my mom sent me an unusual text message. “I have a proposition for you,” she wrote. “I’ll tell you the next time we talk.” Read more
Jun 1, 2022
Holly Kays photo
On the Trail in the Smokies
Whenever the high-elevation Heintooga Ridge Road is open—typically from mid-May through October—and the weather is favorable, a hike on Hemphill Bald Trail is an excellent choice. Read more
Jun 1, 2022
