Recreation+Gardening
Featured
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Courtesy of Bridget Donaldson, Virginia Transportation Research Council
Searching for Safe Passage
Growing up in eastern Kentucky, Frances Figart loved any chance to glimpse the wildlife roaming those Appalachian foothills—except when the sightings occurred after the creatures had become roadkill, something that occurred all too frequently. Read more
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Flower Power
The Southern Appalachians are home to a beautiful array of plants with a diversity that is unmatched by any other location in the world. During the summer, you can’t throw a stone without hitting a plant in flower. Read more
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The Highest-Elevation Fire Tower East of the Mississippi River
At one time there were 10, strategically scattered across the Great Smoky Mountains. Ten fire towers, all but one constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, manned by wardens during the spring and fall fire seasons to watch for wildfires. Read more
Group Camping With Kids
Not everyone has the luxury of having the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains in their backyard. Growing up north of Asheville, I didn’t realize how lucky I was. Read more
Jun 1, 2021
Warren Bielenberg/NPS photo
Jun 1, 2021
The Survivors
At one time there were 10, strategically scattered across the Great Smoky Mountains. Ten fire towers, all but one constructed by FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, manned by wardens during the spring and fall fire seasons to watch for wildfires. Read more
Apr 1, 2021
Fish Tales
“Why’d you come all the way down here, baby?” The waitress at the Waffle House asks as she sets down eggs, biscuit, and bacon. “I’m fishing for brook trout, ma’am,” I say, blushing at my Yankee accent. Read more
Apr 1, 2021
NPS photo
A Conversation With the Smokies’ Chief Ranger
When Lisa Hendy arrived at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park two years ago, she became the park’s first female chief ranger and brought a wealth of experience from what at that time was a 27-year career with the National Park Service. Read more
Apr 1, 2021
Holly Kays photo
Above the Pandemic
It was an apocalyptic kind of springtime. Winter’s retreat would normally signal the advance of tourist season, but in 2020, stores and restaurants were closed, downtown deserted. Read more
Apr 1, 2021
On the Trail in the Smokies
When a mountain winter takes hold and lingers, I’m a fan of lower-elevation hikes. One of my favorites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Noland Creek Trail, near Bryson City. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
Slope Style
Growing up in rural Southwestern Virginia, Shawn Cassell couldn’t wait for his birthday. It wasn’t about the presents or the cake that interested him, more so it was the chance it might snow on Feb. 8. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
