An easy, 2-mile roundtrip hike to Black Balsam — which arguably boasts one of the most striking views in the Southern Appalachians — will leave at 10 a.m. Friday, June 12, from the Black Balsam trailhead off of milepost 420, 1 mile south of Graveyard Fields. 

Check the Outdoors calendar in The Smoky Mountain News weekly for upcoming programs and guided hikes. Some recurring ones include:

• An evening campfire featuring a ranger-led program will blaze at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at Mount Pisgah Campground. 

• An After-Hours Hike will be held at 7 p.m. every other Thursday along the southern portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, starting June 11. 

• Rangers will rove Parkways overlooks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, beginning June 20, to talk to visitors about animal and plant adaptations, offering interactive activities for all ages. 

• A family night featuring activities, games and crafts will be held at 7 p.m. every other Thursday at The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville will have family night activities at 7 p.m. every other Thursday and programs about the Parkway’s natural and cultural history at 10 a.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. 

Confirm locations and start times at www.nps.gov/blri or 828.298.5330, ext. 304.