Local runners take top spots in half marathon
 

Local runners take top spots in half marathon

Runners from up and down the East Coast converged on Waynesville this month to try their stride at the Gateway…
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Park Service archives get new home
 

Park Service archives get new home

A new home for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s collection of artifacts and archives recently opened its doors in…
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See birds of prey up close
 

See birds of prey up close

An up-close glimpse of creatures such as the Eastern screech owl and Northern bald eagle will show birds of prey…
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Old-time remedies explained
 

Old-time remedies explained

See old-time remedies in action with a demonstration by Smokies naturalist Ila Hatter, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May…
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NOC paddler to appear in summer Olympics
 

NOC paddler to appear in summer Olympics

When Team U.S.A. marches into the Olympic stadium this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Opening Ceremonies of…
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Sculpture winds through WCU trails
 

Sculpture winds through WCU trails

A nature-based sculpture project launched by Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum aims to feature outdoors art while promoting discussion…
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A strained relationship: Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities
 

A strained relationship: Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities

It’s been three years since a vigorous debate about charging for backcountry camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Hanging Dog Campground reopens on trial basis
 

Hanging Dog Campground reopens on trial basis

After two years of closure, Hanging Dog Campground in Cherokee County has reopened through a collaborative effort between the county…
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DuPont trails to close for blue ghost firefly protection
 

DuPont trails to close for blue ghost firefly protection

Closure of some trails will soon take effect in DuPont State Recreational Forest to protect the blue ghost firefly, a…
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Bear baiting rules loosened
 

Bear baiting rules loosened

Bear hunters can now use unprocessed food as bait for a larger part of the hunting season, according to temporary…
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Canucks amongst us
 

Canucks amongst us

You’re hiking streamside through a rhododendron tangle when you hear a short, musical trill – it kind of mimics the…
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Not your average tourist: Waynesville man reflects on decades of travel in the jungles of Ecuador
 

Not your average tourist: Waynesville man reflects on decades of travel in the jungles of Ecuador

When life gets hectic, most people have a vacation spot where they go to unwind — perhaps a family cabin…
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New maps ‘unlock’ Tsali’s epic trail system
 

New maps ‘unlock’ Tsali’s epic trail system

Newbies to Tsali Recreation Area in Graham County will have an easier time navigating the 37-mile trail network thanks to…
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Trail mapping project earns award for tribal member
 

Trail mapping project earns award for tribal member

A Cherokee woman received recognition from the environmental organization Wild South for her tireless work with a project to map…
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Hot Springs fire contained
 

Hot Springs fire contained

The verdict is in on a fire that had been blazing for two weeks near Hot Springs — after burning…
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Rivers and restaurants: TV crew falls for Jackson County  through its trout, tables and people
 

Rivers and restaurants: TV crew falls for Jackson County through its trout, tables and people

The sun is lowering toward a perfect spring evening as the crew from Fox Sports’ “Anglers & Appetites” pulls onto…
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Evolution
 

Evolution

I spend six weeks every spring doing bird surveys for the Forest Service across Western North Carolina. My travels take…
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Top 100 in Smokies history named
 

Top 100 in Smokies history named

Throughout its journey from concept to reality to regional treasure, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has drawn the support…
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Tour the best of Haywood’s gardens this summer
 

Tour the best of Haywood’s gardens this summer

The best blooms and greenery in Haywood County will be on display with this year’s Haywood County Garden Tour Saturday,…
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Ozone season is here
 

Ozone season is here

It’s ozone season in North Carolina again, that time of year when warm weather and pollution can combine to result…
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Operation box turtle: Waynesville vet works to give baby turtles a leg up
 

Operation box turtle: Waynesville vet works to give baby turtles a leg up

Joel Harrington has always been a fan of turtles. Of all animals, really — he is a veterinarian — but Harrington has…
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Sylva commissioners launch cleanup initiative
 

Sylva commissioners launch cleanup initiative

A slate of monthly litter cleanups in Sylva will kick off at noon Saturday, April 30, at Bryson Park on…
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Waynesville men come out on top in Alaska motor adventure
 

Waynesville men come out on top in Alaska motor adventure

A pair of Waynesville men are home after a third-place finish in the harrowing Alcan 5000 motor vehicle race across…
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Swain A.T. hiker raises money for kids at risk one step at a time
 

Swain A.T. hiker raises money for kids at risk one step at a time

A Swain County fishing guide has left his rod behind to embark on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, aiming to raise…
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Watershed moments
 

Watershed moments

Elizabeth Vickery, a senior at Western Carolina University, peers into a dip net along with Cullowhee Valley Elementary School student…
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Elkmont building in Smokies burns
 

Elkmont building in Smokies burns

Nature knocked an item off the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s to-do list when a fire sparked a structure in…
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Fire danger high
 

Fire danger high

Fire danger is high in North Carolina, with low humidity and lack of rain over the past few weeks resulting…
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Firefly lottery opens
 

Firefly lottery opens

A lottery to see the synchronous fireflies light up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will open at noon Friday,…
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Whitewater club gets a boost from grants
 

Whitewater club gets a boost from grants

The Nantahala Racing Club has landed nearly $45,000 in grants for the 2016 season, encouraging the Swain County nonprofit in…
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Trout Capital, North Carolina: Jackson County pushes to land unique designation
 

Trout Capital, North Carolina: Jackson County pushes to land unique designation

Jackson County is on its way to becoming the trout capital of North Carolina after county leaders unveiled a plan…
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Shoot the Smokies
 

Shoot the Smokies

A crash course in outdoor photography will give shutterbugs an excuse to explore the Smokies’ beauty in a four-week program…
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Overnight on the Appalachian Trail
 

Overnight on the Appalachian Trail

To get a taste of trail life on the A.T., I set out on Friday afternoon with a pack, a…
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The Eagle Lady says goodbye to N.C.
 

The Eagle Lady says goodbye to N.C.

After more than 20 years in the Carolina mountains, The Eagle Lady — also known as Doris Mager — is…
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Clean the Tuck
 

Clean the Tuck

Western Carolina University students show off the bags that they will soon fill with trash from the Tuckaseigee River during…
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State looks to combat aquatic invasives
 

State looks to combat aquatic invasives

With nuisance species steadily invading North Carolina waters, state officials have approved a plan designed to curb their onward march. 
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Smoky birds
 

Smoky birds

I just finished four wonderful days of birding in the Smokies, helping out with the 66th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage.…
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Hike your own hike: A.T. hikers aim for Maine after crowded start
 

Hike your own hike: A.T. hikers aim for Maine after crowded start

It’s 4 p.m. on the Appalachian Trail, and while the sun will be awake for hours yet, “hiker midnight,” which…
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What matters most in life: Local triathlete on road to recovery following accident
 

What matters most in life: Local triathlete on road to recovery following accident

All he heard was the sound of an engine. “I came over the rise, a place I’d ridden hundreds of…
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Mystery solved
 

Mystery solved

I was having my morning coffee on the small floating dock in the narrow, clear Weeki Wachee River about three…
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Hike week returns to Fontana Village
 

Hike week returns to Fontana Village

A week of guided hikes and educational programs will celebrate all that’s great about hiking with Spring Hike Week April…
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Synchronous firefly viewing goes to lottery system
 

Synchronous firefly viewing goes to lottery system

Those wanting to get a peek at the famous synchronous fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will have…
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WNC land trusts surpass conservation goal
 

WNC land trusts surpass conservation goal

In the past five years, the 10 land trusts of Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Forever coalition have collectively completed…
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Buggy photography to be illuminated
 

Buggy photography to be illuminated

Bug-loving photographers will get the inside scoop on photographing insects through a presentation from Kefyn Catley, a biology professor at…
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Take your pick of ranger programs
 

Take your pick of ranger programs

Spring ranger programs have begun in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, giving visitors a chance to explore the Smokies…
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Stocked trout waters to open
 

Stocked trout waters to open

Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters throughout Western North Carolina will open at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 2.
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Celebrate the A.T. season
 

Celebrate the A.T. season

Every year, trail towns and businesses in Western North Carolina anticipate the influx of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers that stream through…
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A life of exploration: Swain County trail guide duo reflects on 25 years in business
 

A life of exploration: Swain County trail guide duo reflects on 25 years in business

The outdoors have been a powerful force in the lives of Jim Parham and MaryEllen Hammond.  The Nantahala River was…
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A day in the life of a mountain bike guidebook author
 

A day in the life of a mountain bike guidebook author

By Jim Parham • Contributing writer People have all kinds of preconceived notions of what it’s like to write a trail…
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Long live the hard copy trail guide
 

Long live the hard copy trail guide

Google the name of almost any trailhead in Western North Carolina, and you’re likely to come up with pages of…
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Lace it up
 

Lace it up

A slate of challenging long-distance races will be coming to the Smokies this spring, meaning it’s time to get back…
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