Species conservation plans open for comment
 

Species conservation plans open for comment

Public comment is open through May 5 for draft species conservation plans concerning the Atlantic pigtoe mussel and Henslow’s sparrow. 
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Fire destroys Ocoee Whitewater Center

The Ocoee Whitewater Center in Polk County, Tennessee, built for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, is permanently closed following an…
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Pisgah wildfire nearing full containment

A forest fire that broke out April 27 on the Pisgah National Forest near the Pisgah Inn has been contained,…
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Bear sanctuary hunting rule now up to legislators

A new rule allowing bear hunting in three Western North Carolina sanctuary areas currently off-limits to the practice might not…
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Major improvements coming to Catawba Falls
 

Major improvements coming to Catawba Falls

The popular Catawba Falls Trail on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest will close Monday, May 2,…
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Waynesville greenway section closed

A section of the Waynesville greenway next to Richland Creek at Vance Street Park is now closed for a construction…
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Report hellbender, mudpuppy sightings

With fishing season underway for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, wildlife biologists at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are asking the…
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Parkway prepares for major maintenance projects

The Great American Outdoors Act will give the Blue Ridge Parkway $127 million for projects to address its deferred maintenance…
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At a crossroads: Parking fee would signal a new era in Smokies history

Since its official opening in 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been free  to enter, to park, to…
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Rules aim to prevent deer disease spread

The executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has invoked emergency powers to prevent spread of Chronic Wasting Disease…
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Indigenous conservation crew forming
 

Indigenous conservation crew forming

Tribal members are wanted to work on a conservation crew this summer emphasizing Cherokee heritage and tradition. 
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New state natural area now totals 6,000 acres
 

New state natural area now totals 6,000 acres

The Bobs Creek State Natural Area in McDowell County now totals more than 6,000 acres following completion of the third…
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Chestnut Mountain opens this weekend

The long-awaited Chestnut Mountain Nature Park just outside Canton will open to the public Saturday, April 23, with a family-friendly…
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Frederick Law Olmstead turns 200

Celebrate the 200th birthday of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the…
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Ramsey Cascades Trail to get a makeover

A two-year trail rehabilitation project will soon start on Ramsey Cascades Trail, one of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s…
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Outdoor Economy Conference draws hundreds to Cherokee

More than 600 people from across the region, nation and Canada representing every facet of the outdoor industry converged on…
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Poultry events suspended due to bird flu

All poultry shows and public poultry sales are suspended in North Carolina due to the threat of highly pathogenic avian…
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Tremont adds adult summer camp

A summer program just for adults will launch this summer at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, offering a…
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Motion Makers sells all three stores
 

Motion Makers sells all three stores

After 36 years in business, Motion Makers Bicycle Shop owner Kent Cranford has sold all three stores to Specialized Bicycles,…
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Thinking bigger: After 45 years, 
MST vision keeps growing

Jutting off from the left side of a typically busy Blue Ridge Parkway pull-off overlooking Mills River, an unassuming dirt…
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First CWD-positive deer found in N.C.
 

First CWD-positive deer found in N.C.

The first case of chronic wasting disease, a fatal affliction affecting cervids like deer and elk, has been detected in…
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Clingmans Dome opening delayed

Clingmans Dome Road will open for the season April 8, a delay from the typical April 1 opening date due…
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Smokies proposes parkwide parking fee

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park today announced a groundbreaking proposal to charge a daily fee for parking and significantly…
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Panthertown volunteers showed up big in 2021
 

Panthertown volunteers showed up big in 2021

The numbers are in, and in 2021 a total of 322 volunteers with Friends of Panthertown donated 1,945 hours of…
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Only 6% of forest plan objections eligible for standing, Forest Service says

The U.S. Forest Service received nearly 14,000 objections to the forest management plan it released in January for the Pisgah…
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Smokies mechanic named Employee of the Year

Brad Roberts, maintenance mechanic supervisor for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has been named the park’s 2021 Employee of…
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Smokies fire leaders receive regional, national awards

Two fire specialists in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently received awards recognizing them for superior service, innovative thinking…
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Endangered status proposed for northern long-eared bat
 

Endangered status proposed for northern long-eared bat

A virtual public meeting and hearing 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, will take input on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife…
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Small fire burns near Smokies headquarters

A downed powerline along Park Headquarters Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ignited a 1.5-acre wildfire last week. 
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Oak Island man aims for MST speed record

Oak Island resident Luke Bennett recently set off on a 1,175-mile journey across North Carolina to raise money and awareness…
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Disc golf course open in Cherokee

The Fire Mountain Disc Golf Sanctuary in Cherokee is now open for play. 
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Plugged in: Cherokee receives state’s first electric school bus

With just about 2 inches to spare on each side, an 81-seat electric school bus eased into The Cherokee Convention…
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Swim lessons resume at Waynesville Rec

Swim lessons are back at the Waynesville Recreation Center, with a beginner class for ages 3-8 to be offered once…
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Runner aims to raise money to help people with rare disease
 

Runner aims to raise money to help people with rare disease

Part-time Sylva resident Richie Kahn is running the Catamount Climb at Western Carolina University April 9 to raise money for…
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‘A lot of mistakes’: Objections level strong criticism against forest plan

The 60-day objection period for the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Management Plan is now over, and while there’s not yet an official…
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Four N.C. birds confirmed dead from avian flu
 

Four N.C. birds confirmed dead from avian flu

Wild bird deaths due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, have been documented in four North Carolina counties, and…
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Athletes complete the Assault on BlackRock

A total of 94 people completed the grueling Assault on BlackRock trail race Saturday, March 19.
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Reclaiming the tastes of home: Apple Trail effort resurrects legacy of Cherokee orchardists

The capital of Kazakhstan, Alma Ata, translates to “full of apples” — an homage to the country’s heritage as the…
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Find the Smokies Most Wanted

Help preserve the multitude of species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by participating in the Smokies Most Wanted…
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Work planned for Clingmans Dome Road

When Clingmans Dome Road reopens for the season on April 1, it will do so with the caveat of single-lane…
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Ozone season underway
 

Ozone season underway

The 2022 ozone season began March 1, meaning that through Oct. 31 daily air quality forecasts will be available from…
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New long-distance hiking challenge issued

Thru-hiking season for the ever-famous Appalachian Trail is now kicking off, but the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, Alabama Pinhoti Association…
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Cradle of Forestry looks for help

With the 2022 season around the corner, the Cradle of Forestry in America is looking for help to make it…
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National forests announce seasonal road closures

Seasonal closures in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests have begun, with affected roads closed to motorized vehicles through April.…
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Time to apply for summer camp jobs

It’s hiring season for summer camp counselors, with applications now open to work at day camps in Cashiers and Waynesville. 
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Paving starts on Foothills Parkway

Funding from the Great American Outdoors Act will cover the $31 million cost to repave the 17-mile Foothills Parkway West…
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Bring your own bag, Haywood: Reusable bag project aims to shine light on dangers of single-use plastics

In mid-November 2021, a group of friends was passing the evening gathered around a campfire at Lake Keowee, South Carolina,…
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Roadside volunteers wanted in the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is looking for volunteers to help park rangers provide minor roadside assistance to visitors. 
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Sliding Rock reopens after flood damage

One of the Pisgah National Forest’s most popular tourist destinations, Sliding Rock Recreation Area, will reopen on April 30 for…
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Summer camp filling quickly in Highlands

Due to overwhelming interest during the priority sign-up period for Highlands Biological Foundation members, only one session of the nonprofit’s…
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