Recreation+Gardening
Featured
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Photo by Christopher Cannon
Wait, Don’t Kill It!
Although the word “spider” may elicit a “yuck” from many readers, the true nature of these oft-feared critters is not as icky as one might suppose. Arachnids play key roles in balancing our ecosystem by keeping herbivorous insects in check.
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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.
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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.
Uncovering the Secrets of Owls
If you have day-hiked in the Smokies, you have undoubtedly been monitored, unawares, from a tree cavity. The unseen watcher? A winged super-predator resting with one eye open, waiting for dusk or nightfall.
Dec 1, 2025
On the Trail in the Smokies
Chimney Tops Trail, about halfway between Newfound Gap and Sugarlands Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has long been a crazily popular path.
Dec 1, 2025
On the Trail in the Smokies
“Something for everyone” is often an overused phrase, but when it comes to recreation in the Deep Creek section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the expression seems to fit quite nicely.
Oct 1, 2025
Armadillos make a home in the Smokies
With their tough, leathery shells, unique digging habits, and pattern of giving birth to identical quadruplets, nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) are full of quirks.
Oct 1, 2025
Photo by Emma Oxford
The Most Glamorous of Insects
With 360-degree vision, bright-colored bodies that sparkle jewel-like in the sun, and acrobatic flight patterns reaching speeds of nearly 35 miles per hour, dragonflies are some of the more glamorous members of the insect world.
Aug 1, 2025
Ben Anderson photo
On the Trail in the Smokies
Huskey Gap Trail is probably not on anyone’s list of must-do hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park; its cozy trailhead parking area perhaps is evidence of that.
Aug 1, 2025
Photo by Holly Kays, courtesy of Smokies Life
Word from the Smokies
It’s not yet 9 a.m. on a weekday, but Alum Cave Trail is already bustling. With parking scarce, hikers might walk nearly a mile to reach the trailhead along Newfound Gap Road.
Aug 1, 2025
Photo by John Beaudet
Shedding Light on the Nature of Venomous Snakes
Since this is the year of the snake, I’m excited to see what thrilling glimpses of snakes the warm season may afford me. But not everyone shares my enthusiasm for elongated, limbless reptiles.
Jun 1, 2025
