At some points, engulfed in the rush of the ride, “your head feels like it’s going to pop off your shoulders,” said 2026 Remember the Removal mentor Freida Saylor. 

Saylor participated in RTR in 2025, a three-week, approximately 950-mile bike ride that traces the northern route of the Trail of Tears — one path of forced removal of the Cherokee people to Oklahoma from their Southern Appalachian homelands — following the 1830 Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson.  

From bears and bobcats to eagles and elk, 22,893 species have been documented so far in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — and nearly half of them are insects. Becky Nichols, the park’s long-time entomologist, has dedicated her career to learning about and protecting lifeforms like bees, wasps, moths and butterflies. 

As a child in rural Washington state, Nichols gravitated toward nature and animals of all sorts. She knew from a young age that she wanted a career related to the environment. 

Join the fun and the community at Lake Junaluska Cleanup Day held from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Lake Junaluska.

The cleanup will focus on clearing debris that has collected along the shorelines of and entrance roadways to Lake Junaluska. Volunteers should dress accordingly for the weather and potentially muddy conditions. All work will be done outside, rain or shine. 

Western Carolina University students are gearing up for their next adventures with fresh equipment, all thanks to a partnership that brings a new fleet of Liquidlogic kayaks to campus.

The Nantahala, the Tuckasegee and the French Broad rivers are world-renowned destinations for white-water sports. Beginners can enjoy slow stretches in relatively still waters, and seasoned paddlers can take on roaring rapids of every class. 

What do rangers eat for lunch? How did the Great Smoky Mountains get their name? Do rangers have to feed the bears? Are there alligators in the park? What about moose? Dolphins? 

“The kids really want to know,” said Scott Young, a volunteer at Great Smoky Mountains National Park who, together with his wife Jayne, has answered every letter kids from across the country send to the national park since they first took on the task in 2021.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) will host its sixth-annual Winter Hiking Challenge in the first two months of 2026, which aims to inspire people to experience outdoor recreation during the winter months.

The 2026 SAHC Winter Hiking Challenge sets a goal of 60 miles in 60 days, from Jan. 1 to March 1, to be completed in your own time and at your own speed.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is celebrating 100 years and revamping its community supporters program.

The Macon County Public Library has been an A.T. supporter since 2014, and recently renewed their status.

Winter weather has arrived in Western North Carolina and the snow guns are blasting at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Haywood County.

As folks prepare to hit the slopes, the Jackson County Recreation is offering night trips over to the ski area, including special rates for passes and equipment rentals. 

When Drake Fowler returned to the North Carolina Arboretum after Hurricane Helene, the extent of the damage broke his heart. 

“We lost 10,000 trees over 80 acres,” he said.

However, as the initial shock of grief subsided, Fowler, the arboretum’s executive director, considered how to find opportunity amid destruction.

The Nantahala Racing Club and Nantahala Outdoor Center announced they have been honored with the American Canoe Association’s 2025 “Event of the Year” award for hosting the 2025 Junior Olympics and Regional Teams Development Camp.