Drought disaster funding available for farmers
 

Drought disaster funding available for farmers

Family farms across the region are eligible for emergency loan assistance from the Farm Service Agency due to damage or…
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Grants awarded to protect N.C. farmland

Western North Carolina is well represented in the more than $15 million recently awarded to protect working farms and forests,…
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Outdoor businesses selected for mentorship program

Mountain BizWorks has named eight outdoor businesses that have been selected for the fifth cohort of its annual Waypoint Accelerator…
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Hope for the hemlocks: Hike explores past, present and future of WNC hemlocks

Under the gray, misty November sky covering Panthertown Valley near Cashiers, we swish through shin-deep leaves in search of hemlock…
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Accessible trail opens in Old Fort

A new hiking trail is now open in Old Fort, offering an opportunity for people with disabilities to get outside. 
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Race raises $110K to support the Smokies

Held Sunday, Nov. 12, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cades Cove Loop Lope raised more than $110,000…
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Highlands Biological Foundation appoints interim director

Winter Gary has been appointed interim executive director of the Highlands Biological Foundation as the organization works through a leadership…
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See ‘Winter Lights’

Check out Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville with a group leaving from the Waynesville Recreation Department at…
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Data bodes well for N.C. outdoor rec economy

Newly released economic data measuring the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the U.S. economy shows that, despite ongoing economic challenges,…
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Spend Friday nights on the slopes

Registration opens Dec. 1 for a program offering discounted rates to ski and snowboard Cataloochee Ski Area on Friday nights…
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Reimagine Bartram’s travels

A visual exploration of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail will be on display through Jan. 6, 2024, at The Bascom…
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New trail under construction at Old Fort
 

New trail under construction at Old Fort

Work has started on a new 3-mile trail near Old Fort. 
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Bike Chestnut Mountain

Ride the trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park…
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Word from the Smokies: What we can learn from wild turkeys

If you plan to travel around Western North Carolina or East Tennessee to visit friends or family and eat turkey…
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Lakeview Drive reopens

Lakeview Drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City is now open, but rehabilitation work on the…
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Santa to visit Chimney Rock

Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturdays, Dec. 2 and 9, for the 26th…
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No Man’s Land Film Festival returns to WNC

The No Man’s Land Film Festival, the premier all-woman adventure film festival, will screen at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center…
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Tons of trout coming to WNC

More than 67,000 pounds of trout will be stocked in the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina between Nov.…
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Air quality report reveals good news for N.C.

North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and…
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Forest Service advisory group seeks new members
 

Forest Service advisory group seeks new members

The committee responsible for advising on U.S. Forest Service recreation fees is looking for new members. 
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Workforce grants available for ag employers
 

Workforce grants available for ag employers

Through Nov. 28 agricultural employers can apply for grants through a pilot program designed to improve the resilience of the…
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NOC welcomes Santa
 

NOC welcomes Santa

Meet Santa at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County at one of three events coming up next month. 
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Tree discounts available for military members, veterans
 

Tree discounts available for military members, veterans

During the month of November, military members and veterans can receive a discount on tree seedling orders from the N.C.…
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Nantahala Hiking Club to celebrate year of stewardship
 

Nantahala Hiking Club to celebrate year of stewardship

The Nantahala Hiking Club will recognize outstanding volunteers during its annual awards banquet 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at First…
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Practice your shot
 

Practice your shot

A turkey shoot will be held 9 a.m. Saturdays at the American Legion in Waynesville, continuing weekly through mid-April 2024. 
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WNC's watershed moment: Regional leaders discuss French Broad’s past, present and future

More than 100 people came together to discuss the future of one of the region’s most important resources during the…
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Water quality grants distributed to area organizations

Environmental groups working to improve water quality in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties recently received 10 grants totaling $285,190 from…
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Sandy Mush Game Lands expand

The Sandy Mush Game Lands in Buncombe and Madison counties are now 67 acres larger after the Southern Appalachian Highlands…
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Overmountain Shelter to be removed from the A.T.

After closing it four years ago, the U.S. Forest Service has decided to decommission and remove the Overmountain Shelter, located…
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Elk volunteers wanted

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is looking for volunteers to expand its Elk Volunteer-in-Park Program in 2024. 
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Microplastics study confirms atmospheric deposition

A recently completed study on microplastics in Western North Carolina has revealed that even remote headwater streams are impacted, as…
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Book offers unique look at Smokies history

A newly released book from the Great Smoky Mountains Association compiles written accounts from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s…
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Maggie Valley water earns prestigious award

The Maggie Valley Sanitary District again earned top marks for water quality from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, one…
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Book your Winter Lights tickets

Dubbed ‘Asheville’s brightest holiday tradition,’ Winter Lights opens Friday, Nov. 17, with the brilliant display open daily 6-10 p.m. through…
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The plant doctor is in

The growing season is winding down, but Haywood County Master Gardeners are still available to answer questions about all manner…
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Enter the cornhole tournament

Earn your place as a cornhole champion during a tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Cullowhee Recreation…
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Senior Games contestants take the podium
 

Senior Games contestants take the podium

Haywood County is home to a slew of state medalists in this year’s North Carolina Senior Games. 
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Dove season opens Saturday

The hunting season for mourning and white-winged doves opens Saturday, Sept. 2, and will be separated into three segments.
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Lake Logan triathlons say goodbye

After 17 years, one of the most beloved triathlons in the southeast has crossed the finish line.
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Gorges campground closed after bear encounter

The campground at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County is closed through Nov. 16 after a bear attacked an RV…
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Wildfires burn across region

The Collett Ridge Fire south of Andrews swelled over the weekend, growing from 110 acres Nov. 3 to 2,919 acres…
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Burns planned in Cades Cove

Prescribed burns on about 1,200 acres of fields in Cades Cove are taking place this fall. 
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Burn ban issued amid ongoing drought

A burn ban has been issued for 14 Western North Carolina counties in the face of expanding drought following the…
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Burn ban issued amid ongoing drought

A burn ban has been issued for 14 Western North Carolina counties in the face of expanding drought following the…
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To the top: Trail network matures at Canton's Chestnut Mountain

In a sunny clearing 350 feet above U.S. 23, the choose-your-own-adventure portion of Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park  begins. 
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Laurel Falls closure planned for construction of trail, improvements

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moving ahead with significant changes to the Laurel Falls Trail intended to improve…
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Franklin brownfield cleanup gets grant funding
 

Franklin brownfield cleanup gets grant funding

Mainspring Conservation Trust has received $175,000 to clean up and restore a brownfield site near Nikwasi Mound in Franklin. The…
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Prescribed burns planned in Cherokee National Forest
 

Prescribed burns planned in Cherokee National Forest

Residents in the furthest west counties may see smoke over the coming months as the Cherokee National Forest carries out…
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Parkway section closed after visitors feed young bear

Eight miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Craggy Gardens is closed after multiple visitors were reported feeding and attempting…
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Wildfire burns near Andrews

A fire ignited by lightning Oct. 23 near Andrews has grown to 90 acres with 0% containment due to rugged…
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