Recreation+Gardening
Featured
-
Word from the Smokies
Every morning, Kimberly Baxter leaves her home in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, long before most of its residents have hit their first snooze button. She’s on the road toward Cades Cove by 5 a.m., reaching her first stop of the day in the Cable Mill area.
-
On the Trail in the Smokies
For roughly a century, beginning in the 1830s, the only established route across the great crest of the Great Smoky Mountains was the Oconaluftee Turnpike. But as you might imagine, it differed greatly from today’s turnpikes.
-
Park Mule Team Celebrates 50 Years
After years of long days spent together in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Danny Gibson knows his coworkers inside and out. “That’s the first thing you do,” Gibson said. “Learn your mules.”
Photo by Bryan Watts
Word from the Smokies
With striking white-and-gray plumage, yellow beaks and talons, and powerfully compact bodies, peregrine falcons are beautiful birds in any posture.
Jun 1, 2026
On the Trail in the Smokies
Nearly all the 150 or so maintained trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park end at another trail or at a road. But a few paths in the Smokies’ 850-mile network of trails end at backcountry campsites.
Jun 1, 2026
Photo courtesy Thomas Mabry • instagram.com/honeybadgerimages
Linville Gorge
The Linville Gorge is one of those rare places where you can glimpse part of the North Carolina landscape in its wildest, most rugged form. Other than changes created by nature, it remains virtually the same as when it was part of Cherokee territory.
Jun 1, 2026
Word from the Smokies
From George Masa’s 1915 arrival in Asheville, North Carolina, until his death in 1933, the trailblazing Japanese photographer explored the Smoky Mountains, mapping trails and capturing the region’s grandeur and beauty in photographs.
Mar 30, 2026
On the Trail in the Smokies
Of the many wonderful wildflower excursions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in early to mid spring, a half-day outing along sections of Bradley Fork and Chasteen Creek trails likely ranks among the most rewarding.
Mar 30, 2026
Cades Cove
Arriving in Cades Cove, it’s hard not to be taken aback by the beauty of the place—lush meadows surrounded by the cool, green peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Mar 30, 2026
Photo by Holly Kays, courtesy of Smokies Life
Word from the Smokies
Backcountry rangers Lydia Williams and Jordan Gibeault have almost reached their destination, Kephart Prong Shelter, when they purposefully veer off-trail.
Jan 25, 2026
On the Trail in the Smokies
Yes, there really was a Rocky Top before the catchy tune was written in the 1960s and later became the Tennessee Vols’ unofficial fight song as well as a designated state song.
Jan 25, 2026
