Last week, the National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4% over 2022. 

A record number of black bears were killed during the 2022 bear hunting season, according to records from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

From new parks to big birthdays to policy overhauls, 2022 has been a year of change and major milestones for the outdoors in Western North Carolina. Here’s my best stab at outlining some of the biggest news to enter the region’s outdoor world this year.

The year 2022 was no 2020. But hey, that’s a good thing. In some ways the year seems less exciting than the pandemic years that preceded it, but when you take a step back and look at all that happened, it’s striking how consequential this trip around the sun may have been.

Lately I’ve been reading a book that came highly recommended and not a moment too soon, despite it being published in 2017 (I’m about 6 years behind on my reading, because reasons).