Smokies seeks solutions to overcrowding
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has gotten a lot busier since its creation in 1931. In 1932, its first…
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Missing Knox County man found safe in park
Search and Rescue Team members in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park found missing hiker Fred Braden Jr. last night…
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Rescue crews answer the call
Picture-perfect fall weather drew countless numbers of people to embark on outdoor adventures during the month of October, but some…
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Conservation purchase complete in Burke County
The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina has purchased 322 acres in Burke County, completing the second and final stage of…
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Waynesville rec department earns national distinction
After seven years spent laying the groundwork, the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded an honor that Director…
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1,500 pounds of trash hauled from Haywood waters
Fifty people participated in the Big Sweep trash cleanup Haywood Waterways Association hosted Sept. 19, removing 1,500 pounds of trash…
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Knox County man missing in the Smokies
A Knox County man was reported missing yesterday after day hiking alone on the Middle Prong Trail in the Tremont…
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Pandemic multiplies demand, complicates operations for outdoor businesses
As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues, people worldwide are rediscovering the outdoors in a big way — leading to record visitation…
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WCU professor releases outdoor instruction book
Western Carolina University Professor Emeritus Maurice Phipps has released a new book aimed at people who are working or training…
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Sign up for nature-based learning
A new subscription-based program from the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont aims to connect families through nature-based activities and…
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Hike series to feature discussions about racism, diversity
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash will lead a series of small-group hikes through the park with the…
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Grant will fund ag center for Swain
The N.C Tobacco Trust Fund has awarded $1.5 million in grants this year, and one of the 15 applications granted…
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National parks visitation explodes in WNC
For Western North Carolinians who see the outdoors as a safe haven when life gets hard, perhaps the most distressing…
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Haywood water among state’s cleanest
Haywood County water treatment plants received top honors among the 55 plants honored statewide with the N.C. Area Wide Optimization…
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Kephart’s writings compiled in new book
Several years of research, compilation and collaboration by two writers from Western Carolina University have resulted in a scholarly book…
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Two new lifeguard instructors certified in Waynesville
Two lifeguards at the Waynesville Recreation Center have been officially certified as American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructors.
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Clay shooting tourney raises money for the Smokies
Friends of the Smokies raised $53,000 to support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the second annual Smokies Cup,…
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Woman dies in Cades Cove due to cardiac distress
A visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park died Tuesday, Sept. 29, following a cardiac event in Cades Cove.
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Virtual book club will explore climate change solutions
A virtual book club through the Highlands Biological Foundation this fall will cover the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan…
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Join the Bucket Brigade
The Bucket Brigade is looking for people who are tired of passing by the same trash each day and want…
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Full house: Photo prompts concern about conditions at Max Patch
Mike Wurman visited Max Patch for the first time in May 2014, and the experience changed his life. Wurman, an…
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Delayed Harvest regulations begin
Delayed Harvest Trout Water restrictions will take effect in North Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 1.
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Jackson County Farmers Market celebrates 20 years
Back in the 1990s, Karen and Johnny White were in a nomadic phase of life, spending several months traveling the…
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Retired Wildlife Resources director wins lifetime achievement award
Gordon Meyers, retired executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, has received the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’…
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PARI named International Dark Sky Park
The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Transylvania County has been awarded the prestigious designation of International Dark Sky Park, recognizing…
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Research shows parks are important to Americans
A recently released report from the National Recreation and Park Association shows that most U.S. adults — 82 percent of them…
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Smokies investigates racially charged vandalism on Foothills Parkway
Racially charged vandalism in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has prompted an investigation searching for those responsible.
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Waynesville rec opens additional facilities
The Waynesville Recreation Center and Old Armory will reopene for additional activities at 30 percent capacity at 7 a.m. Tuesday,…
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Jackson rec announce reopening plans
The Jackson County Recreation Centers in Cullowhee and Cashiers will reopen on Monday, Sept. 14, but with significant operational changes.
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Mild fall color display predicted for WNC
The fall color forecast is looking dim for 2020, according to the annual prognostication offered by Western Carolina University biology…
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Drive through Winter Lights
The annual Winter Lights event at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville will be offered as a drive-thru experience this year…
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Online ag classes offered for youth
An online series of agriculture workshops for kids ages 8 to 11 will soon launch for the fall, offering a…
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Man dies following cardiac distress in the Smokies
A man was pronounced dead after suffering a cardiac event on Friday, Sept. 25, along Laurel Creek Road in the…
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From end to end: Against ATC wishes, thru-hikers summit Katahdin
When Karly Jones began the Appalachian Trail on Feb. 27, the weather was cold and the trail crowded. She quickly…
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Local youth show strong at livestock expo
Several local youth have been named winners at the WNC Youth Livestock Expo, which took place at the WNC Ag…
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Photo prompts concern about conditions at Max Patch
An updated and expanded version of this story is now available here. A widely circulated drone photo showing Max Patch…
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Fairview teen wins national volunteer award
Fairview resident Virginia Ward has received the 2019 Youth Award as part of the George and Helen Hartzog Awards for…
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Drowning victim found in Big Creek area
Emergency responders have found the body of a 25-year-old man reported missing at 7:36 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, after falling…
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Smokies telethon canceled, donations still needed
Due to the pandemic, Friends of the Smokies has had to cancel its annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, which…
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Haywood’s biggest pizza party: Pizza nights at Ten Acre Garden grow community
At 5 p.m., the August sun is hot and high overhead as my husband and I walk through the hodgepodge…
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Beyond the waterfalls: Asheville writer releases first written history of DuPont State Forest
Danny Bernstein’s fascination with DuPont State Recreational Forest began soon after she moved to Asheville in 2001. “The first hike…
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Hemlock initiative to continue
On Sept. 2, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and WNC Communities Executive Director Jennifer Ferre cosigned a pledge to continue support…
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Smokies deputy chosen for NPS superintendent job in California
Clay Jordan will soon leave the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after landing a job as superintendent of Sequoia and…
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Conservation projects protect key National Forest inholdings
Two parcels totaling 219 acres will eventually be added to the Nantahala National Forest thanks to a recently completed conservation…
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Legacy in the land: Terry Rogers inducted to WNC Agricultural Hall of Fame
Nobody who knew Terry Rogers was surprised by the sprinkling of jokes that pervaded his acceptance speech. One was a…
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More facilities reopen in the Smokies
Previously closed facilities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 3, for the first time…
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Tour de Smokies fundraising challenge begins
At midnight Friday, Sept. 4, a pair of experienced Smokies hikers embarked on a 900-mile challenge in the Great Smoky…
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Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation
Law enforcement is investigating an early morning shooting that occurred just before 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, near milepost 364…
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AmeriCorps members complete trail work
High-priority trail work on the Black Mountain Crest Trail in the Nantahala National Forest is now complete thanks to a…
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Scouts practice shooting skills
After a weeklong virtual campout in July, Cub Scouts from Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties converged at Camp Daniel…
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